02-16-2014, 08:47 AM
Thomas tells them stories at the moot. Usually stories about how glorious they are, how brave, how noble, how wise. Tonight he'll tell them a story that is a suggestion because just coming out and talking about strategy isn't something Thomas does here. Even when he came to join those in support of Cold Crescent he let his presence at his alpha's side speak for his intent. Behind closed doors, with people he trusts it is different. It is hardly as though he has no opinion.
He waits a long time to take the bone. Until he has watched as his pack sister has taken the bone twice, until even the cub has had her say. Until it seems that, as usual, Thomas will remain silent through the Cracking, watching them alert and silent. But he does watch them; he watches them at moots and at war moots and when they run into each other in less formal contexts. He has spent months watching and evaluating and so tonight he does speak.
He also shifts to homid to take the bone, though he has no concerns about slicing open his tongue. His eyes sweep over everyone, but his gaze lingers on Storm's Teeth as he begins speaking. It is the full moon, so it takes more attention to keep his tone even, controlled. Leaping forward bristling with passion like Tamsin...it isn't as though he isn't tempted.
And so, when he speaks to them tonight he is more animated, his gestures more pronounced, excitement stirring under his measured tone. "Cold Crescent will need a leader. Whatever extent Cold Crescent ends up as an extension of Forgotten Questions, and I don't think we'll know that until it happens, there will need to be someone there that we all know as its leader. And we all agree on that, if less so on the title.
"I believe it should have its own, not because I think it should stand apart from Forgotten Questions but because it will have entirely different challenges. The defense and maintenance of a city sept is different, there are questions about the things beneath Cold Crescent, and the Garou and packs present consistently at the septs will be different. The purposes of the two septs are different, and you need two leaders to go in two directions.
"We could try to formalize how we would like the relationship between septs to go by changing titles or creating new titles, but I don't think we need to. I have rarely heard or told stories of this place as stories of packmates. We have packs, good ones, with their own leaders or lack of leaders; but very often when we encounter something, or investigate something, or are out patrolling we are not divided into packs. There is a leader, though whether that is established before or just establishes itself varies.
"I don't think the septs have to be so different. Different situations, different gatherings of Garou...from what I've seen so far here they can sort it out. I've seen more disagreement over leadership already here tonight than I have ever seen when something is happening. I don't think there is any cause to worry that in a crisis having two sept leaders is going to make it more difficult for us to present a response-" He debates echoing Storm Teeth's phrasing a second but Thomas is just not even in a place where he can say words like 'when the chips are down' at a moot.
"If anything, having a strong leader present in the place where we expect attacks is more crucial. Not because I doubt that our Great Alpha would respond, but because we will need to respond without time for a consultation. A liaison, for all having one of those is a brilliant idea and I think we should do it, doesn't convey the kind of trust in leadership that being acknowledged as the head of a sept does. And with everything that could and likely will happen at Cold Crescent, I think that we, and quite possibly a number of other septs before the end, will need to have that kind of trust in whoever is in charge there."
He waits a long time to take the bone. Until he has watched as his pack sister has taken the bone twice, until even the cub has had her say. Until it seems that, as usual, Thomas will remain silent through the Cracking, watching them alert and silent. But he does watch them; he watches them at moots and at war moots and when they run into each other in less formal contexts. He has spent months watching and evaluating and so tonight he does speak.
He also shifts to homid to take the bone, though he has no concerns about slicing open his tongue. His eyes sweep over everyone, but his gaze lingers on Storm's Teeth as he begins speaking. It is the full moon, so it takes more attention to keep his tone even, controlled. Leaping forward bristling with passion like Tamsin...it isn't as though he isn't tempted.
And so, when he speaks to them tonight he is more animated, his gestures more pronounced, excitement stirring under his measured tone. "Cold Crescent will need a leader. Whatever extent Cold Crescent ends up as an extension of Forgotten Questions, and I don't think we'll know that until it happens, there will need to be someone there that we all know as its leader. And we all agree on that, if less so on the title.
"I believe it should have its own, not because I think it should stand apart from Forgotten Questions but because it will have entirely different challenges. The defense and maintenance of a city sept is different, there are questions about the things beneath Cold Crescent, and the Garou and packs present consistently at the septs will be different. The purposes of the two septs are different, and you need two leaders to go in two directions.
"We could try to formalize how we would like the relationship between septs to go by changing titles or creating new titles, but I don't think we need to. I have rarely heard or told stories of this place as stories of packmates. We have packs, good ones, with their own leaders or lack of leaders; but very often when we encounter something, or investigate something, or are out patrolling we are not divided into packs. There is a leader, though whether that is established before or just establishes itself varies.
"I don't think the septs have to be so different. Different situations, different gatherings of Garou...from what I've seen so far here they can sort it out. I've seen more disagreement over leadership already here tonight than I have ever seen when something is happening. I don't think there is any cause to worry that in a crisis having two sept leaders is going to make it more difficult for us to present a response-" He debates echoing Storm Teeth's phrasing a second but Thomas is just not even in a place where he can say words like 'when the chips are down' at a moot.
"If anything, having a strong leader present in the place where we expect attacks is more crucial. Not because I doubt that our Great Alpha would respond, but because we will need to respond without time for a consultation. A liaison, for all having one of those is a brilliant idea and I think we should do it, doesn't convey the kind of trust in leadership that being acknowledged as the head of a sept does. And with everything that could and likely will happen at Cold Crescent, I think that we, and quite possibly a number of other septs before the end, will need to have that kind of trust in whoever is in charge there."