lupus iustitiae

[howlonwheels]

Name: Arleen Bailey (she/her/hers) Occupation: Intelligence Analyst/Technical Specialist with the Port Leiry Police Department Age: 37 Sexuality: Lesbian Species: Werewolf (Born) Pack: Warwick (associated), Talbot (home pack) Hometown: Overland Park, Kansas Relationship Status: Single Personality Traits: Stubborn, Vindictive, Competitive, Protective, Perceptive, Adaptable

Born into the proud and powerful Talbot pack of the Midwestern United States, Arleen Bailey was surrounded by strength all her life. Ain’t nobody would dare mess with the Bailey girl, lest they incur the wrath of her older brothers – besides, her dad was a well-respected football coach, and you know how they love their college ball out in Overland Park, Kansas.

Arleen grew up rough and tumble, a natural-born athlete and wolf to boot. Mother, father, brothers too – all born in the proud tradition, never turned, never to turn another. Talbot was pretty particular ‘bout the rules but had regional castoff packs for those who broke the rules and the mutts they made in the process.

Arleen and her two older brothers were practically put through the same training season her father’s footballers were, only it encapsulated all parts of werewolf life, soon as they could shift. Strength training, scent-hounding, loyalty, pack tactics – and the all-important hunt. Sure, other wolves might have preferred the cover of forests, but there was something about running wild and free across the Kansas plains beneath the full moon that made this life worth living.

Discipline was the core of their existence, the creed of Talbot pack and others like them. Arleen suspected some of her father's intensity had to do with whispers of what became of groups like the Ryans out midwest, and the increasing danger of turned-wolf packs.

With a strong sense of righteousness and justice about her, Arleen pursued a career in law enforcement. It was in college when she came to realize men didn't do a whole lot for her, exploring her sexuality and eventually realizing she was a lesbian. Arleen kept that quiet from her parents for a while, and when she did finally come out, her parents weren't exactly understanding or thrilled about it, preferring to talk about their pride in their daughter becoming an officer of the law. Her brothers were kind about it, and eventually her mother came around to accepting her daughter's identity. Her father still proves a stubborn holdout, but their relationship has become more businesslike than it was in her youth.

Within law enforcement, Arleen loved to use her strength and keen senses to help investigate and close cases in ways that her civilian coworkers couldn't quite handle. It made her feel powerful and proud, but still, most of the work involved non-supernatural criminals, almost all too easy. She was by no means an ace cop or a renegade, but Arleen eventually wanted more of a challenge. Just as well, she'd get her challenge when a case put her directly at odds with the Alpha of Talbot Pack, his son incriminated on multiple charges of drug possession and murder of a civilian -- now, if his wolf had done it, things would've been easier. But it was a daytime murder, and all the evidence was stacking up against him.

Pressured on all sides by the pack and the process of law, Arleen ultimately helped incriminate the young man, much to the dismay of her family and packmates for embarrassing the Alpha. Sensing the writing on the wall for her general warm welcome in Talbot life, she made plans to transfer to a different precinct or jurisdiction altogether. One of her more sympathetic packmates tipped her off to the existence of Port Leiry, a prime gathering place for supernatural entities that could always use more law enforcement in the know. (And Oregon was a little more welcoming for lesbians, from what she'd heard.)

The culture shock wore off eventually as Arleen settled into a rhythm in Port Leiry. For a time she stayed independent, still considering herself a member of the Talbot pack, even if they weren't likely to welcome her back until a new Alpha took over. A few years into her residence there, she began to align with Warwick pack, whose born-wolf ideals matched closely with her own. Arleen was proud to continue protecting tourists and the general population of Port Leiry from opportunistic vampires and rampant turned wolves, occasionally working to pin confounding cases on innocent (or at least, not explicitly guilty) individuals. Her experience with Talbot pack changed her somewhat, and she tried to walk the thin line between justice and gaming the system, not wanting to be run out of another home so soon.

Within the last two years, though, she was injured in a shootout with who she still supposes was a vengeful hunter aiming to kill. Severe trauma to her spinal cord rendered the wolf without the use of her legs, paralyzed from the waist down. The recovery process was long, slow, and would never fully bring her back to the full able-bodied life she lived before. This has been a source of great frustration for Arleen, though she has adapted over time -- and she still works with the force, running data analysis and general technical support on investigative cases. And every month she is trying to find a better way to satiate her inner wolf, even if the hunts of her Kansas days are far behind her.

But what is a wolf, anyways? It's not simply a beast on four legs with snapping teeth and shaggy fur. The wolf is part of your being, body and soul. And the hunter who hurt her may have spilled some blood -- but as far as Arleen is concerned, they only fueled the fire of righteousness in her heart. She'd be a hound from hell, dead set on justice and retribution so long as she drew breath.

---

Quick Stats:

Arleen has been in Port Leiry for about 6 years, and was paralyzed just under 2 years ago from a spinal cord injury sustained through her work. She is now a full-time, non-ambulatory wheelchair user.

Arleen is through-and-through a born wolf supremacist. She thinks turned wolves just simply cannot have the discipline needed to fully embrace the wolf within without causing serious turmoil and damage to the local ecosystem. No matter how old or experienced they might be.

She knows people probably think of her as less of a wolf because of her disability -- if she ever catches you underestimating her, she's gonna prove you wrong and you won't like it.

The Kansas accent isn't as strong as other regional accents associated with the South/Midwest but one of the most prominent signs of it is that Arleen says "woof" instead of "wolf".

Her Goals:

Arleen wants to do right by her fellow born wolves and strengthen their mission while punishing those who contribute to the spread of turned wolves.

She definitely wants to settle down with someone who loves and understands her, since things with her own family are a bit rocky these days.

Arleen would also be keen to eliminate hunters where she can, but mostly has to use her work in the legal system to fight back since she's not as mobile as she once was.

She does not "want to be fixed" but to prove her strength isn't purely physical, and to still be a valued member of a pack. She's also not there to be anyone's "inspiration" but she's trying to navigate her life in its new form.

Ultimately, Arleen wants to redeem herself in her family's eyes and does still want validation, but she's very much trying to be true to herself first and foremost, and to protect the vulnerable from those who abuse, misuse, or can't control their power.

Wanted Connections:

The Girlfriend (Must be human, witch, or a born wolf, cis or trans woman identifying, age range about 34-40, FC UTP) - Could be a longtime thing, could be more recent. Arleen's a lover, but she needs a partner who is accepting of her lifestyle and needs.

Don't Let Me Catch You Again - Someone Arleen has had a hand in putting away for crimes they did or did not commit. She knows you, you might not know she was behind your arrest, but Arleen's computer's got a file on you now, sweetheart.

General - Coworkers at the PLPD, friends in Port Leiry, Talbot packmates from Kansas/that region

If you want to write any of the Bailey family, please contact me first.

If you want to be the hunter who injured her, please contact me first.

[matteolazkano]

She was bending her morals for him. Offering lies to save his skin. "I won't let you do this for me, Riley." It cracked out of him like something uncontainable, even as his chest heaved and his hands trembled. She was just a kid in his eyes. Matteo remembered the first time he’d helped her, and how she’d refused his hand at first, stubborn and self-sufficient, but he’d stuck by her anyway. That was who he wanted to be — a quiet anchor on the edges of her world, a crutch they could lean on if they ever needed one. Not this. Not a weight around their neck.

Riley didn’t belong in his life. Not down here in the dirt and blood where Lazkano’s curse had already spread through him like a deadly disease, eating everything good, everything human, piece by piece. He shook his head at her now, weak but insistent, his back still pressed to the tree. "You don’t… you don’t owe me this," voice breaking halfway through. "Don’t… don’t lie for me, don’t…"

He could only breathe a faint sigh of relief when she didn’t fight him on it, when she followed his instructions without argument. He didn’t know how long he could last out here — how long he could hold the line without hurting her. He couldn’t bear the thought of it.

When the line connected and she spoke with Arleen, the wolf listened to every word. Voices muffled but cutting just enough to remind him what was at stake. Yuisa couldn’t know, could she? No, she had the pack to take care of. Someone had to keep them together while Arleen kept him at bay. There was no one else. When the call finally died in her hand, he let out a quiet, hoarse: "Thank you."

But there was still one more thing she had to do. "Tell Liam—" a shaky hand stopped her before she could dial, reaching out weakly for her. "—don’t call. Just text him to get my daughter. She gets scared when she’s left waiting too long. Thinks something’s happened to me… I don’t— I don’t want her to be afraid."

@wolftakeda @howlonwheels

[wolftakeda]

The smell of blood sticks to them, their hands, their clothes, and Riley unconsciously tightens their fingers as Arleen hisses back her reply over the phone and hangs up. Riley doesn't know what is best for any pack. It's not like they would kill the guy, right? Suddenly doubt rolls through them and makes them wonder if they even did the right thing. If they hadn't, Matteo would still be fighting and insisting, and they'd be right back to where they started. But as they wait for Arleen's clean up crew to come through, there's enough silence for doubt to start creeping in.

Matteo silences that when he thanks her, and it sits, rancid in the pit of their stomach because why is he thanking her for locking him up? How is this supposed to help anyone? But he asks her to do one more thing and she doesn't have the heart to say no. Instead, they lift up his phone once more and scroll until they find Liam's contact information and they quickly type out a message.

"Pick up Addie, please. I'll explain later."

They don't know if the syntax is right, or if Teo even really texts like this, can't think back to the slew of messages that are stored in their own phone because so much shit is flying through their brain. They shove the phone back into their pocket and look back at the man. They want to ask for details. What is going on? Why is he asking her to betray him like this?

But the words stick in their throat and she stays silent until sensitive ears pick up on the crunch of gravel and the murmur of voices, the sharp scent of wolves following them soon after. "They're here," she says quietly and Riley carefully peers around the trees. "We're over here," she calls out. "I'm gonna bring him over closer to the road."

@howlonwheels / @matteolazkano

[howlonwheels]

This is the last thing any of them need right now -- not her, not Yuisa, not Anish, not even Matteo. But it's happening and if that self-righteous thorn in her side Riley is offering an olive branch of aid to Warwick, she's not gonna bite the kid's arm off. She's not gonna play fetch with it neither, but this is bigger than them.

She makes the call not to get her Alpha involved yet, though. Not after how things went down with Mario so recently. There's ways around this.

Arleen makes the excuse to cut out from work and very few of her fellow officers worry too much about it. They know she's got 'special needs' and other business. So once she clears the outside of the precinct, she's making calls to a few Warwicks she knows she can trust -- not just to get her there, not just to find Matteo, but also not to cause a war just for the fun of it.

She hates being carried, but out where they're at, the wheelchair's more trouble than it's worth. Not far to go, at least. It's the redhead and three others -- they know Teo, know what happened to his father, but don't know what's happening here and now. Arleen's ears perk to the sound of Riley's otherwise annoying voice. She cants her head towards the sound and her crew follows.

"Jesus Christ," she mutters, anger muddled and misplaced over everyone involved here. "What the fuck happened? What the fuck is happening? We can take him from here, you've... done enough, I'm sure." Arleen nearly bites her tongue trying to soften it. This doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme -- Warwick doesn't owe Takeda anything for the courtesy. But it's good to see some wolves haven't completely forgotten that those who are born to it are all one breed, in the end.

"Teo... what am I gonna do with you?"

@matteolazkano @wolftakeda

[mangemaw]

Looking around, she tries to size up the assembled crowds. Berserker being here sets her vaguely on edge, given its rowdy nature, but its the Vampires that have her the most on edge - the British one specifically. Eternal night. Nice death warrant, idiot; She almost welcomes his success, even if the notion's ludicrous.

She listens for a few, and nods, and smiles at the enthusiasm, but the notion of family turns her stomach suddenly, and ultimately she shrugs. "I don't wanna talk about all this pack bullshit right now. Not Avi and not Matteo's shit. We never get to be seen together, let's enjoy it, yeah? I'm about to go into the stuffiest room in the western Hemisphere can we just... hold hands and... be together for a bit?"

[howlonwheels]

Arleen can't hide the little growl in her throat the mention of Avi and Matteo. It's the last thing either of them need to be dealing with tonight -- the redhead has already spotted Sammy, who sometimes pops around the police station thanks to his dad's position on the squad. It's too much. Can't they just enjoy the night? Yuisa should be celebrated and respected, not expected to bend over backwards for the delegations who want to discuss vampires running roughshod over the town thanks to the work of a few witches.

"Yeah, we can just hold hands," she promises, threading her fingers in between Yuisa's. "None of that bullshit right now, I promise. I know you'll represent us with pride, gorgeous." Arleen looks up at Yuisa and offers her best reassuring smile. She always looks up to her Alpha, for many reasons. Doesn't envy her for the diplomacy of it all.

"But for now, I'm here. You're here. We're together, and they're on our turf tonight. That's enough for me."

[sammykeels]

“Probably, but you’re the first to admit it.” Sammy said, setting aside his drink. He didn’t let the almost-patronizing comments get to him. He had the mix of a can-do attitude and general boyishness that made a lot of people talk down to him unconsciously, and as someone who had seen him make himself nauseous spinning in his dad's office chair more than once, she probably had the right to be a little patronizing. He wasn’t going to let it get to him. He was brand new to the supernatural world, this was all still novel for him, but for her, this was probably just a run of the mill fancy party. 

Not so run of the mill, actually. He knew something big was supposed to be happening, politically, but most of what he’d heard was buzz about vampires and witchy jewelry. “What’s your pack? I’m not really up to date on all the specifics of the politics happening here.” 

[howlonwheels]

First to admit it, huh? She hopes that isn't a mistake on her part. Still, it's more likely than not that either strong booze or vampiric compulsion will dull the edge on his mind tonight. At the least, Arleen doubts a kid like Sammy could be too dangerous with this sort of information. He's sweet, sure, but just a mite goofy -- makes it harder to take him seriously once they're all back on the outside.

It's one small advantage to her position, not really making a convincing wolf to those who doubt you can be a monster and be in a wheelchair at once.

"My pack? Well, there's lots runnin' around tonight, but if you hear the name Warwick, I'm with them," Arleen admits proudly. In for a penny, in for a pound with Sammy, she figures. "I won't bore you with the politics anyhow -- I don't trust half these visiting folks as far as I can throw 'em. And I was raised by a college football coach, I got a mean arm. But now you tell me, what sorta witch is your friend?"

[mangemaw]

A snuff of laughter escapes over the rim of her glass, which she drains in short order, and, adjusting the loose leg of her pants, she leans over, picks up Arleen's hand, and leans her wrist against the side of her face while she speaks.

It's calming, the scent of her. "Mm, I like the way you say our town."

It's nice, being able to be more forward here. There's no media here. This isn't an open event. They can be less cautious. Sometimes, she hates how useful a wolf inside the police is, because it makes... them... so difficult. She'd never tell Arleen to quit, but she often wishes she would; go private. Let her have her cake and eat it, too.

She does notice the occasional judgemental view askance towards some of the visiting packs, and her eyes drift over towards Arleen, expression stoning over. "Do I need to start something?"

[howlonwheels]

Arleen gingerly brushes her thumb over Yuisa's cheek as she holds it there. "These territories and treaties are all nice and pretty on paper, but the real lines are drawn in the dirt. Families might share blood, but unless you're willing to bleed for your pack too, what's the point of it all?"

But so long as everyone else is trading on paper, looking at those lines neatly inked on the maps and beneath signatures, Arleen will leverage her position to give Warwick its four legs up.

"Ooh, much as I'd love to watch you finish something, I think we have to be on our best behavior. I know you, you only start the kind of trouble those vampires can't easily erase from the minds of all the humans here tonight," she jokes. "But I do think I could stand to learn a thing or two from the Zhongshan wolves, actually -- the ones who do computer hacking and all. Might make me a little more versatile outside of the PLPD computer system, I think."

[sammykeels]

“Is it obvious? I’ve never knowingly been around this many supernaturals before.” He said, glancing around a bit. Admitting to working with the Brotherhood was probably a bad move without any of his tattoos yet, but being here as a human plus-one was still a position he needed to be a little careful in. “I only learned about all of this a couple months ago.”

“I, uh... I don’t know if this crossed your desk, but do you remember that body I found a couple months ago? The animal attack?” He asked, air quotes around the words animal attack, pausing to find the right words. He still didn't like thinking about the sight of it. “The vampire was still there when I found him. I didn’t put that in the official report, because... yknow, terrifying night man chewing on a neck, but I told my best friend, and he admitted to being a witch. Everything just kind of domino’d from there. But, enough about that, what are you doing here?”

[howlonwheels]

"I've never knowingly been around this many supernaturals before."

The way he says it brings a genuine chuckle out of Arleen. Oh, the things the humans of Port Leiry don't know could fill a book and a half. Still, she wonders what Sammy's real thoughts about all of this are. Is he hungry for more? Foolhardy enough to dig below the surface on something he really ought not to?

"You're gonna have to be a mite more specific, Sammy," Arleen says, "Lotta animal attacks cross my desk." But she thinks she knows the one he means. Certainly wasn't one of the ones she doctored to cover up someone else's indiscretions.

"You met a vampire and a witch already? Wow. You've just about run the gamut." She's not exactly trying to be patronizing, but she's amused. This is fun -- not often she gets to do this. And being best friends with a witch... she wonders why the Keels boy wasn't exposed to all of this sooner. "You do have to be careful around those vampires. Lucky you weren't bit too."

Someday, if he's not careful, he'll cross her desk in the worst way.

"Oh, me? Little bit of business, little bit of pleasure," Arleen shrugs. "I'm here with my pack. You ever met a wolf?"

[sammykeels]

He was learning a lot tonight about the people he had seen around town and assumed were normal humans. The lady who used to help him find books at the library, a ton of the people from the arcade and basically any of the bars in town... and now one of his dad’s coworkers. People he knew, and hadn’t noticed anything strange about. 

“Oh, my dad’s not here. He thinks I’m staying the night at my friend’s apartment, and, uh... could you not mention any of this to him, actually?” Sammy said, lowering his voice a bit as if he was trying to keep a secret from being overheard. “He doesn’t know about the non-human side of the city, which seems to be a lot of the city. My best friend’s a witch, he got me through the door, but he’s...” He looked around. Everett was still off in another part of the ballroom, “Mingling, I think? I didn’t think that I’d recognize so many people here. Like you!”

[howlonwheels]

"Oh, I won't tell him. I know how to keep a secret," Arleen says, smiling to herself like it's the funniest thing in the world. "That is, so long as you don't do anything worth gettin' arrested over." The wolf hardly has to worry about him, she's sure. But who knows what a party like this could entail.

"You've got a witch friend, huh? Interesting." The ease with which the words come off his lips have her wondering just what all he knows already. Funny, Arleen's never really thought of Sammy as a smart kid -- but knowing he's the one with his eyes open, while his old man has no clue... Interesting. "Yeah, well, Port Leiry is always full of surprises."

She wonders, then, just how much he knows about the 'animal attacks' and other cases they're always dealing with at the station.

"You seem to be taking it well, though. This your first time at a big monster party?"

[mangemaw]

She's got a flute grasped in her fingers, and she's on edge as the twin Berserkers shrink away and back into the mingling crowd. Tough, but stupid. She scans the crowd while she stands next to Arleen, a hand resting on her shoulder now that they need not fear bothersome cameras or recordings.

She's already found Avi, already found the meek little red-head from Eventide, already scouted out wherever Lihuén is, and it's the ire, it's the fucking cornered dog feeling she's starting to feel. Berzerker had been a bust, poilitically speaking, but getting the deal settled with one of Ru Huang's wolves sympathetic to The Cause had given her a small boost of confidence that, disagreements or no, not everybody was angled against her here.

She hands a glass to Bailey, she catches a glimpse of Avi nearby, and a snarling expression overtakes her features and she balks.

"They don't fucking see the vision, here, I feel like a fucking pariah."

A Butterfly Witch flits by, giggling, and she can almost feel glass cracking under a too-tight grip. "Jesus."

She sips her drink. "What's your read?"

@howlonwheels The Conclave Gala - Cocktail Hour

[howlonwheels]

Arleen takes the glass that's offered, her claw-tipped rings gently clinking against it's surface. She looks up at Yuisa and sees the tension twitching in her jaw, furrowing her brow line.

The wheelchair-bound wolf is worried about her own optics beside the Alpha, knowing that not everyone would agree that an injured packmate could still have value. The Berserkers were smart enough not to say as much, but she knows when someone's looking at her versus looking down at her. She's gotten used to that, from her vantage. Arleen just hopes she isn't making things difficult for Yuisa.

"Everything is shiny and new, on both sides of the coin," she says, eyes and ears scanning the room and its throngs. "We're quaint, to them. They're exotic, to us. But this is our territory -- yeah, the building's neutral, but it all comes back to Warwick. Even the Hassims, even the Lazkanos."

Arleen sips her drink and sighs. "You don't gotta be anything other than what you are, tonight. And show those snooty fuckers what it means to be in our town."

[howlonwheels]

closed starter for @sammykeels where/when: the conclave gala

Arleen has a solid read on most, if not all, of her associates at work. Not many other supernatural individuals on the force, but there are certainly a few werewolves, a witch or two, and a few folks she suspects may be hunters but enjoy the 'freedom' given to use the job as cover for hunting suspicious civilians. But one thing she knows for certain, that boy Sammy is as human as human gets.

His father works on the force and he's been coming into the precinct and causing the occasionally charming, but also occasionally annoying, teenage boy disruptions as long as she's been in Port Leiry. But it's the innocent sort of annoying, unlike intentional troublemakers she knows like Liam Slater. And she can't argue that his gifts of an extra lunch here and there aren't thoughtful. Contrary to popular belief, Arleen isn't just mean for the sake of being mean. She's mean when it's called for.

Like the one or two or three times Sammy has rolled an office chair into her desk while spinning fast enough to lose the lunch he might have brought and eaten minutes earlier.

Seeing him here tonight has her curious, though -- what is he, if anything more? And who does he know? Will he have his memories wiped at the end of the night? All of this Arleen considers as she wheels over to give a friendly hello. "Keels. I wasn't expecting to see you tonight," she greets. "Your dad here? Or did you come with someone else?"

[howlonwheels]

The Conclave

Arleen is always a bit worried, showing up to formal events like this. For one, it's a nightmare to try to find a dress that lays nicely in a wheelchair. For another, she's never quite sure how the larger supernatural world will view her. But the visiting packs are on her turf now, and it's more important to represent the strength and dominance of Warwick in Port Leiry, right behind her alpha @mangemaw. Her outfit is carefully chosen to reflect the moon's golden light, and her claw rings are not pure precious silver, but colored such to suggest she's a wolf that knows how to wield weakness as a strength.

[matteolazkano]

Matteo stumbled, half dragged and half collapsing under Riley’s grip. He barely registered their voice over the roar in his own ears, where blood and guilt and memory boiled in tandem. The trees swam around him, too tall, too close. Every step felt like it would split him open. Still, he fought. Weakly and instinctively, he fought. Not against Riley, but against moving, against continuing to exist in this body that had done what it had done. "I can't go—" he muttered, "I can't leave him like that, Riley. I left pieces of him out there—" Limbs scattered in the woods, left to rot, or be torn apart again by whatever found them first. "She saw me. She saw me, Riley. What if she tells someone? What if she — what if she remembers?"

Then they would take away his kid. And who else did she have, if not him? His brother was nowhere to be found and even if someone did hand Addie over to Cesar, what good would that do? The same curse ran through his veins. Was he even alive anymore? Matteo hadn’t heard from him in years. She’d be ripped from his hands and swallowed by the system. Placed in some foster home with strangers who didn’t know her laugh or how she liked her eggs. Liam would try to hold onto her, Matteo knew that much. He’d ruin himself trying. He still had his own ghosts to battle, and he wasn’t ready to be anyone’s father, no matter how hard he tried.

"They’ll take her from me," Matteo said, the words escaping in a choked breath. "My baby girl — they’ll take her away." You’d never hurt your kid, Riley had said. But they were wrong. This was already hurting her. He shook his head, violently now. "Riley—" his voice cracked like a fault line, like everything inside him was splitting wide open.

They were finally willing to listen, it seemed, and for the sake of getting through to them, Matteo paused, all movement ceasing: "Riley, I need you to understand. I’ve been managing this — this condition for most of my life. My brother, and my father— It’s hereditary. A bloodline curse." Matteo tried to explain, but words came out broken and wobbly, uneven — "It wears you down, piece by piece, until the line between you and the animal becomes impossible to distinguish." One hand still gripped onto them, holding on for dear life. "That’s how my father died. He—he was gone, Riley. I walked into that house and he didn’t even know who I was.” His gaze flickered up to meet theirs, hollow and dark. "He looked at me like I was nothing. And I’m telling you this because I know, I know —that’s where I’m headed."

There was no easy way to say the next part, but it had to be said. "I need you to call Arleen Bailey."

[wolftakeda]

"They'll tell her the shock is playing tricks on her, that there's no such thing as werewolves." The words feel like bile on her tongue, lies and gaslighting that the poor woman doesn't deserve, especially right now, but they can only focus on helping one person right now. The police are no stranger to covering up the supernatural traces of this town. Is it fair to leave this woman questioning her own sanity after the tragedy that has already befallen her? No, it surely isn't, but Riley can't think about that right now.

But Matteo's lands cut through the problem-solving and planning mode they've instinctively fallen into. It's more than just the wolf that Riley had assumed. They've never heard of curses beyond the general one that afflicts all werewolves, though they're starting to realize that there's a lot about this side of the world that they simply are unaware of, despite having been part of it her entire life.

Riley admits that they don't know how to grasp this desperation. Their parents never wanted them, never cared for them so openly like this. When they packed up and left, they never even got a hint of whether they were looking, a suspicion that was only confirmed a decade later. But the way Matteo looks at them, it's genuine terror and Riley takes a deep breath.

"Arleen Bailey?" they say skeptically. If this is what it takes to get Matteo to stop fighting them and get him someplace where he can fall apart with less eyes watching, then they can swallow their pride. This goes beyond what they can do with their connections and it lights an uncomfortable fire in their stomach when they acknowledge that internally.

They press the older wolf against the trunk of a tree, hidden in the shadows. They think about all of the trace evidence that they are leaving behind and hopes that whatever protocol they have in place at the police department knows how to handle this. Fishing Matteo's phone out of his pocket, they scroll through the contacts and find the number they're looking for, leaving behind a bloody thumbprint on the screen as they press call, speaking as soon as they hear the other wolf pick up.

"Don't talk and listen to me. Matteo got himself in trouble and he said you should be looped in. The woods on the edge of the city, over by the diner on 22nd. I don't know what kind of clean up crew y'all have for these kinds of things, but you need to send one here, and-" They look back over at Matteo, lips pinched into a thin line. "And I think you're going to need to lock him up." The very thought makes nausea roll through Riley's stomach, but they don't know what other option there is right now.

@howlonwheels

[howlonwheels]

It's a busy enough day at the precinct, but Arleen always has time for a call from a fellow packmate. Matteo doesn't usually call without warning, though, so the wolf has no time to excuse herself from the bullpen before she picks up. "Teo, what's --"

But the voice on the other end of the line isn't his. It takes her a moment to place it, even with heightened hearing across the filter of cellular transmission. That Takeda kid -- what are they doing with Matteo's phone? The officer thinks of barking back, but Riley gets there first, all but telling her to keep her trap shut. Arleen eyes her coworkers around the office and growls low in frustration.

Teo's in trouble? Christ...

Better sell the act -- Arleen isn't on any official PLPD equipment but she sandwiches the phone between her ear and shoulder, and sets to taking some notes. It's chicken scratch, no one looking over her shoulder would be able to make a lick of sense of it. Takeda mentions cleanup and already, Arleen knows she's looking at Warwick resources, not official police stuff. Can she do this without looping in Yuisa? Does she want to?

"God damn it, Matteo," she mutters. But the other wolf's suggestion of locking him up... It makes the dog in Arleen barking mad at the notion. That's one of theirs. Ain't no way he's succumbing to his curse already, so soon after his father had to be put down. Two dead Warwicks -- hell, two dead Lazkanos in twice as many months isn't a good sign. Especially with Teo's younger brother sniffing Harford tail... with the littler Hassim too. Fuck.

"I'll do what's best for the pack," she growls low into the phone receiver. "Don't fuckin' move, I'll get a team out there in 30."

If Arleen really does have to lock him up, it won't be in the station. If he's really that bad, she's going to have to start making the call on what's best for the good of others. Damn it, she has to do this without dragging Yuisa into it, even if she's reluctant to work with that packless brat besides.

@matteolazkano @wolftakeda

[wolfliviia-a]

'When we work hard, we can play hard.' Olivia liked that a lot. First because as much as she loved being a werewolf, she was craving the good parts of being one; running free, letting go of the human side of her brain even if just for a few hours. Her curse had gotten in the way of a lot in her life, it was time for her to taste the other side. But also, Warwick was basically her family now, and it would be nice to see everyone enjoying themselves too. She liked them! All the werewolves she'd met so far were really cool. But also things were very intense in the pack, she could use a few laughs.

The next bit was... not exactly what Olivia wanted to hear. Not that she can trust them — it was a relief hearing that from Arleen — but trusting herself? That had always been an issue. She could see where she was coming from, absolutely, Warwick was a lot, much more than she expected them to be, and Olivia absolutely wanted to keep up and be on the same level as everyone, but that was much easier said than done. Olivia just didn't have the edge her packmates did, no matter how you cut it. "I promise I'll do my best. I don't know how that looks like yet, I'm still figuring it out, but I'll do it for the pack." A beat. "I'm very thankful for Yuisa for taking me in, I want to help her too. I didn't even know she's a new Alpha, she doesn't look like it if you ask me, but I'm definitely on her side."

Olivia really appreciated Arleen's words. Yeah, Yuisa was a really good guide when it came to wolf stuff, but it was very clear now that she needed to talk to someone else from the pack, someone who'd been there for a long time, to feel more comfortable about the day-to-day of being a Warwick. She'd give her a hug right now if it that wasn't weird.

"I can hack it," she nodded confidently, "can't say I won't stumble every now and then while I'm still learning, but I'm here for the long haul. I want people to rely on me and I want to rely on everyone too. That's actually very important to me. Being a part of a community like this? It's all I've always wanted," she gave her a sincere smile. "And not that you need to hear me from me, I think you are a pretty badass wolf just the way you are. I'm really glad that I'm on your team"

[howlonwheels]

"Well, we'll help you figure it out. Better than muddling around without a pack -- or worse, the wrong pack. But you'll have to learn to run quickly enough so we don't leave you behind," she says. It's not meant to be a threat -- but the name Warwick comes with a certain degree of authority around here, as well as an expectation of strength, certainty, and responsibility.

"That's the thing. A true Warwick is always prepared to assert themselves, even against a failing Alpha. Yui had that strength in her all along, so she wasn't afraid to do what was needed, and we'll all be much better off for it."

Mario Lazkano wasn't willing to let go when he needed to, and ended up clinging to other Warwicks and dragging them down in the process. Arleen knows it can't be easy for Matteo and his particular sickness, to sit and wait and think he's going to be next on the chopping block. But if he sits and wallows in it, it'll only bring the pack down. They'll protect him 'til it starts becoming a problem rather than a boon.

"And I know Yui won't say it in so many words, but she's on your side too. Your side is Warwick, and she sees a lot of potential in you. I do too, but, she's the one callin' the shots, a'course," she nods. The girl's sincerity is sweet, and Arleen can see that blossoming into a ferocity if they hone it just right.

After all, wolf strength doesn't just come from hate, rage, and hunger. It also comes from love, in its way. It's a love that uses claws and fangs and snapping jaws to say I love you, I'd kill for you, you are my family. Yuisa didn't kill Mario because she hated him. No, the way Arleen sees it, she killed him because she loved Warwick so much, she needed to see it thrive.

"I'll tell you this -- back home, in Kansas, I made some bad decisions that hurt my pack. I thought I was doin' what was right at the time, but turns out it wasn't. Thought I knew best, but I was wrong. Warwick's my second chance, and I don't take that lightly. If you have questions, if you need help, you come to us 'fore you get too deep into some trouble. M'kay?"

[mangemaw]

"I'm worried he still has something within Warwick. We need to keep an eye on Anish and the rest of his family too. Same with the Lazkanos. I've heard Cesar is back sniffing around and if either of them are going soft..."

She doesn't want to entertain what will need to be done, and she knows she doesn't need to with Arleen. She's relatively certain she doesn't need to worry with Anish and Matteo, but even so - folks have gone soft before under pressure. "Either of them flip and we've got a pack war on our hands. The new woman who took over Garnett is useless. Eventide's full of mongrels intermingling with truebloods, and their Alpha is a fucking runt besides, only a matter of time before Avi gets his little hooks into that one and turns them vassal.

She hears her phone ding, looks at it with a dawning expression of annoyance.

"We need more blood in, this shit is stagnant."

It's not easy, growing the ranks and maintaining honor at the same time. "We need to cast a wider net, maybe start throwing some of my weight around, put preassure on Vampire interests, see if we can't put a target on Harford's back."

She stands from where she looms over manifests and maps and invoices, moves towards Arleen. Warwick's chief bargaining chip is the Docks. The Shipping. Everyone, everyone in this city goes through the Port Authority, and Warwick's alpha is in control of the Port Authority. It's time to use that. "Gonna need you to be extra diligent, too. Any fuck ups lead you somewhere even near Avi's camp, I need you pulling those threads." The back of her knuckles brush gently over Arleen's forearm arm. "You're gonna be the secret weapon. At the end of the day."

[howlonwheels]

Arleen isn't going to doubt her Alpha. She knows there's a hard line that has to be drawn between family and pack when your family stops being part of your pack. Years ago, she'd put the law above her own pack, and her family drew that line for her. But it's why she's worked doubly hard every day since to show where her loyalties rested. It's why she takes the law into her own grasp and bends it to the pack's needs. Still, Arleen is a little more willing to give Anish and Matteo the benefit of the doubt -- they've done nothing yet to suggest to her they'd be disloyal. She nods firmly.

"I'll keep my ears open. If there's even a hint of them siding with their brothers above Warwick, I'll let you know. Already warned one of those Eventides that my courtesy only goes so far when their Alpha can't keep track of who's biting who."

One of the perks of having access to information from all across the city. It makes this sorta work a little easier.

"I know it's been difficult lately, but... I mean, I know it sounds easy to say'n all, but quality over quantity is gonna outlast any big pack that can't even keep itself on four feet," she suggests. Arleen looks over at Yuisa, eyes soft with a sympathy of frustration she doesn't share with many. Often, there's no sympathy and all frustration.

"At least Olivia's a good kid, and we'll sharpen her fangs yet. And soon as I can crack this bizarre murder case, I'll have a better idea where to start pointing fingers for the humans in the department. Put civilian pressure on another faction, find out who dropped a man in Primrose Park and thought they could get away with it."

Arleen agrees that Harford is especially their biggest liability and the younger Hassim has been running his mouth off in ways she'd like to give him a wallop for. It's a shame Remi Felix is more of a lover than a fighter, because the firefighter and their strength could be just what Warwick needs -- and Arleen and they already have a somewhat decent rapport. Professional, at least. The hairs on her arm stand on end as Yui's knuckles brush over her. She wishes more than anything she could get up and run with her Alpha, take the fight to these mongrels with the earth beneath her feet.

"Anything you need. You have my life, Yuisa, and whatever I can make with it. I'd be lost without Warwick. If folks like Hassim and Lazkano want to throw that away for brothers who've proved their disloyalty... well, we'll give 'em hell."

[howlonwheels]

if yuisa were to reveal that she'd sired a wolf, would you still have her back?

"First off, sirin' is more of a vampire thing, and it's an act of purpose. True born wolves don't make mutts on purpose, and Lord help the ones that do because they're in for a whole hell of trouble they can't control. This question assumes Yuisa didn't finish a kill -- so I'd say you don't know Yuisa. But if she needed someone to do a little cleanup for her, I'd take care of it. But I know you ain't suggesting she'd willingly create a mongrel. Only way I'd stand by it for more'n a minute is if she's makin' an example of someone and finishes the fucking job herself."

[aviofruin]

His gaze narrows with slight amusement. Is he frustrating her? Is his silence grating on her? How fun.

Unfortunately, there's still a persistent sting loitering about, and it's sobered him to a near uncomfortable degree. It's not about what she says, how she says it, but rather the fact that he can't even bark back the way he wants. Oh, he'd give her a front row seat to all the sass in the world if he could.

His smirk tightens like he's keeping it there just to spite her. Cozying up is interesting when Avi is here more for pleasure than for business. Somewhere along the line on Yuisa's tenure, Warwick clearly have forgotten how to have fun. Checks out, considering the stick up both Arleen and Yuisa's asses. Avi silently snickers to himself about it. There's another pang, because he is truly gutted he can't just give the ribbing right back to her.

When Arleen is done, Avi rolls his eyes again, grabs a glass from a server passing by with a tray of drinks, takes a sip. There's some of that warmth back. He shifts his attention back to Arleen, slowly gestures up and down his own body, then begins to form letters with his free hand. V-I- and his other hand clumsily joins while holding a drink to form a P. A finger then points to Arleen before he swipes the invisible dust off his shoulder with a scoff. You ain't shit.

[howlonwheels]

"You? A VIP?" She scoffs. Even if he were invited, Arleen can hardly imagine whoever invited him considered him truly important. The place stinks of magic, though, and she can only imagine what nonsense he's gotten himself tangled in. That must be why Avi is dead silent -- some witch mercifully took his tongue after they realized how much slobber it was tracking around the club.

"Figures you'd have to have things handed to you. But, hey, look at that -- Yuisa and I are here all the same. Used our heads, and yours seems to have gone loping off into the night."

Arleen scans the room for her partner. As fun as this is, she's trying to enjoy herself too, as much as every half-magical function in this city is business to the Warwicks. She can bark at Avi any damn day, and as much as she doesn't miss his voice, it's a clear waste of her time and energy to be fighting the battle one-sided. She wonders if that poncy vampire woman got someone to take his voice -- might've been better if she ripped out his throat entirely.

"Anyways, I'll tell Yui you said hi. Or would have, if you hadn't made a total fool of yourself and Harford already somehow. If your tongue isn't working, I'd recommend talking out of your ass instead -- since you're already such an expert there, Avi."

[mangemaw]

the portside

who: @howlonwheels

Portside's empty, it's after close - the last few people allowed to stay past that mark had filtered out some time ago, and for the past hour, it's just been Yuisa and Arleen.

Yui's fingers scratch at the scalp beneath her cascade of dark hair as she regards the patina and scratched texture of the old bar top, rather than the info Arleen's brought along for them to go over together. Something is shifting, in the city - something that, if they aren't careful, threatens to run away without them. If it isn't the fucking Vampires, it's Hunters, if not them, then its a bunch of mongrel accidents getting an inflated sense of value.

"We've really gotta take a look into whatever the fuck Hassim is selling to those Harford people. Regular fucking uprising going on with them soon if we don't watch out." She mashes a palm into her forehead, trying to beat back a headache. "His folks all but disown him and he's still pulling it out. Little fucker."

She turns to Arleen, then. "You got any more info on that weird fuckin' corpse?"

[howlonwheels]

Closing time. There's a point when the Portside get quiet, like an exhale. Never perfectly quiet, not for a couple of Warwicks, but quiet enough. When Arleen's away from the hum of her work at the police station, she feels like she can loosen up a little more. Let the wolf have some slack.

There's lots of rumblings, though, that not even a wolf's hearing can pick up. Nose, ears, eyes all together -- and having access to PLPD's resources extends their reach that much further.

"He can bluster all he likes, but without Warwick to back him up and bail him out when he's in trouble, I'm thinkin' he won't be cashing those checks his mouth is writing," Arleen says, having no trouble talking ill of the former packmate. She knows Anish, his brother, has thoughts on all that -- family ties, but pack is family when it comes down to it. She doesn't want to see Avi rehabilitated. She wants to see him punished, or better yet, buried under the weight of his own choices. "But he's resourceful, I'll grant him that."

The redhead drums a few fingers on the bartop where she can reach it. A contemplative hum in her throat. "Not if you're askin' whodunnit. My money's still on some vampire, maybe used to be a witch. I've started runnin' a cipher on the note that was left. Says 'I SEE YOU' but there's symbols in the spaces I can't make much sense of yet. Makes sense, with the fuckin' eye in the forehead. Dunno, it doesn't fit any MO I can find on past kills, even dating far back as the 30s and 40s. So if it's a vampire, it's a new one," the cop explains. "Couldn't smell a lick of wolf on it, though, and I don't think any of the mutt packs are that... creative, let's say."

[aviofruin]

Three seems to be the magic number. Avi can no longer feel the spark of magic coursing through his veins, up where his vocal cords connect to his brain. The torrential urge to voice every thought, every blip, all at once has subsided.

But Avi decides he wants a refresh if he's going to deal with her. Makes it more fun.

Dumb, brave, and loud, he turns back to press a quick peck to the mask once more. He swears it warms under his lips, swears he can hear it grumble out a low, dry laugh. But he feels magic bloom again beneath his touch - tinged a little differently this time, and thinks nothing of it. His senses must be off. He is absolutely shitfaced, after all.

He opens his mouth to fire back at Arleen, something golden, something devastating, but nothing comes out. Not even a squeak. His fingers come up to rub at his throat, and a sardonic grin stretches across his face because of course. The masks of Khaos seem to be as benevolent as they are cruel.

It stings. But whatever. He's still hot shit. He can still get his point across.

He slaps the back of his hand over his forehead with dramatic flair, as if she's grievously wounded his soul. Then a silent scoff, shake of his head, and roll of his eyes, as if to say Yeah, fucking right. You can't touch me.

[howlonwheels]

So much for loud. Is he miming at her? Arleen has never known Avi to actually shut up, not even when begged for it.

She can't decide if she's delighted or annoyed.

"Seriously? Nothing smart to say? Nothing stupid? I heard you running your jaw off 'round the club all night, Avi, don't tell me you're afraid of the big bad wolf," she mutters, shaking her head. Arleen really doesn't know if she's disappointed he can't speak or more annoyed at the fact he's chosen now of all times to go all dumb on her. And the boy is not an actor, that much she knows for sure.

"Yeah, well, here's one right back," Arleen says, turning both of her middle fingers up at him before reaching again for her drink. "You know, whatever you think you're doin' cozying up to the owners of this place, it won't work. Yui and I are here specifically to make sure you Harfords know your place. There's so many magic folk in here it's makin' me dizzy, but you're not gonna get far swallowing your tongue the first time someone barks back atcha."

Well, Harford isn't the only reason she and Yuisa are here, but it never hurts to have strength in Warwick numbers.