7/16/02

Currently the moon is in the waxing Half Moon phase (43% full).

Currently in Saint Claire, it is mostly sunny today. The temperature is 58
degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in
from the east at 5 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.01 and
falling, and the relative humidity is 84 percent. The dewpoint is 53
degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celsius.)

Location: The Bawn

Alicia slips a bag out of the box and gives it a good hard shake,
billowing it out. She then grabs a pair of gloves also from there, sliding
them on. "C'mon Laura, you got two perfectly working hands." With a grin,
she starts to stuff the trash into the bag, furrowing her brows. "Man,
this is ganna take forever and a day."

Laura eyerolls, grabbing a bag as well. "As you wish," she replies in a
joking tone. She shakes the bag out and starts scooping things up
barehanded. "I can't believe there's still stuff out here after a whole
_week_."

Adrian comes padding along, looking around. It seems he's searching for
something. The Get Cub notes the others and greets them with a woof.
Hello!

Susan is slowly and methodically making her way through the tripwires,
pit-traps and other remnants of the Spiral's occupation of the caern. By
now she has, at the very least, marked all of the pit-traps and is now
going back and removing the debris and wires that make up the various
traps.

Richard starts to hum a blues-laden tune as he works. Testing the heft of
the bag, he decides to double-bag it, reaching over and grabbing another
couple out of the box. Hearing a new voice, he looks over and raises a
hand in tentative greeting at Adrian.

Alicia lifts her chin up a bit as she blows away a few strands of hair
from her face. Looking at the unfamiliar cub approach, she offers a quick,
guarded smile. "Morning." She says. "Don't think I've met you."

Salem has trekked most of the way into the bawn in wolf-form, taking
advantage of that body's better travelling power and more acute senses. As
he nears the others, however, the Glass Walker reverts to Homid; he's
dressed practically, in sweatpants and t-shirt and sneakers.

Adrian noses around in some bushes, mindful of traps. He sits down with a
chuff and lightly growls. He then looks over at Alicia and stands up
proudly to introduce himself. ~Stonehenge. Get of Fenris Skald Cub.~

"Hello there Stonehenge," Laura says, stooping to scrape a small pile of
refuse into her garbage bag. Straightening, she acknowledges the others
who've just arrived as well.

Adrian lightly growls again. ~I can't find my jeans. Someone took my
jeans. I can't shift and run around naked.~ The cub sees Salem and lowers
himself to the ground, showing submission to the Walker. A sense of fear
surrounds him.

"Hey Stonehenge. I am Alicia, Guards-The-Flame, MoonDancer for the
Children of Gaia, Rited into the Sept of Hidden Walk, pack mate to
Synthesis." Shifting her shoulders some, she gives a slight grin, then
nods her head to Susan as she appears, then glances towards Salem,
following the cub's gaze. "Hey bro."

Richard stops and wipes his brow, even though he's not sweating much. He
walks over to Salem and nods, keeping a respectful distance. His attention
seems diverted for a moment, listening to the Get cub, but he pulls it
together and addresses Salem. "Hello, Salem-rhya. Um, I just wanted to say
much thanks for your place the other night."

Susan gives a brief nod to everyone as she finishes up the last bit of
trap removal that she's working on. Then the woman turns around and gives
her own introduction to those who don't know her. "Susan," she says in a
rich chocolately voice. "Born under a no-moon once to the Fianna and then
reborn from the silver river as Tempered-Blade. Child of Uktena and member
of Ouroboros."

Salem gives his Gaian packmate a thin smile. "I thought I might find you
out here. Left some for me, did you?" His tone is light, though his
expression curdles somewhat as he spots the fearful Get cub. "Adrian. If
you're worried about Leslie, rest assured that Jarred contacted me, and I
picked him up and brought him home. Your debt, such as it was, is
cleared." Then, turning to Richard, he gives the Gaian cub a nod. "You're
very welcome."

Adrian stands slightly, not to full height, ~Salem-rhya, when my task is
done. May I have Leslie back?~ While he awaits an answer he pads over to
another bush, nosing through it, searching for his missing jeans.

Laura looks around, quickly trying to decide if anyone here _hasn't_ heard
her 'long' introduction. Finding no one, she returns to scooping up
refuse. "Are any among the Sept unaccounted for?" she asks suddenly.

Salem arches a brow down at Adrian, looking bemused. "Became fond of him,
did you?"

Susan listens to the conversation curiously, but she goes back to her work
after her introduction.

Alicia tosses Salem a pair of gloves from the box and grins. She goes back
to cleaning up and gathering the trash, stuffing it in the bag. "When are
we all ganna preform a big ass cleansing ritual out here?"

Richard goes back to working, softly humming something as he plays
trashman. He looks up at Susan's introduction, silently mouthing the word
Ouroboros. Thinking about that for a second, he hmmphs and continues his
collection.

Salem manages to turn toward Alicia in just enough time to get hit in the
chest with the gloves, and to grab them before they fall. Putting them on,
he shakes his head at Laura. "None that I'm aware of."

Susan chuckles at Richard's reaction. "Ouroboros. It's a mythical creature
that was supposedto surround the word. It eats its own tail."

Adrian looks up from the bush to the Walker, ~Honestly, rhya, no, he's
still a bug to me. But still my ward.~ Stonehenge wolfy grins. ~If you
think my task is really done, I'll submit. I hardly think Jamethon-rhya
would agree that watching Leslie for only a week is enough.~ He pads over
to the Walker and sits at his feet, keeping a respectful distence. ~I
don't do amything half assed, rhya.~

Salem glances down at Adrian, considering him for a moment, and then
shrugs. "If you wish it. It will have to be a different cockroach, since
Leslie has been, you might say, released back into the wild." Though he
doesn't smile, there's a definite hint of dry humor in his tone.

Adrian chuffs. The cub pads over to a good bush and shifts to homid behind
it. He makes sure the bush can cover his nakedness. "It's easier to talk
in homid, but twice as embaressing until I find my jeans. If not Leslie,
then I don't know then. Leslie and I had bonded. I was thinking of getting
a car and travelling cross country with him and then driving off a cliff
together." The young man smiles and his eyes twinkle with mischief.

Peacekeeper watches over the cleaning proudly, especially the young Gaian
cub. He tilts his head at the conversation between Salem and Adrian, but
lets it all pass without comment. Instead, he shifts up to homid form and
starts helping the cub. He comments as he begings working on cleaning the
remaining detritus, "The Spirals had over a month to mess this place. It
is no surprise we are still cleaning after two weeks. I would guess that
the place will be ready for various cleansing rituals soon, though that is
up to the new Warder and the Ritemaster." He grimaces at a log, trying to
come to a decision.

Salem snorts in amusement at Adrian, then starts helping pick up the
trash.

Alicia tosses a pair of gloves over to Robert as well. "I hear rumor mill
a certain big time Fury may take over as Warder?"

Adrian looks around. "This ain't gonna do, not at fucking all. If I find
who took my pants... Garou challenge each other, right?" He shifts
uncomfortably in his shrubbery.

Robert observes, "She claimed the position after the fight, without
bothering to inquire of anyone. I merely chose not to challenge for it at
the moment." He shifts up to crinos form before taking the gloves and
strains as he moves the log off to one side.

"Cubs don't challenge anyone," Salem tells Adrian, "other than other cubs.
I'm sure we can arrange to get you a new pair of pants. In the meantime,
I'm sure your elders would consider lupus form to be good practice."

Susan grumbles softly as she moves to yet another pit. During a lull in
the conversation, she calls out "Anyone here mind a risk of sinking their
connection to the spirit world for a few days? Looks like silver down
there, and I'm due in the Umbra tonight."

Adrian nods, "I have no problem with being in lupus form. I just can't
help clean as well. Plus... well, no offense to any of my elders, I know
the Caern is the heart of Gaia, but this place fuckin' STINKS in wolf
form." He grimaces and looks around.

Alicia nods her head to Robert and then ambles her way towards Susan.
"Sure, long as I don't have to heal anyone in the next few days. What do
you need?"

Ever-Grinning hears voices and heads over toward them, coming back from
marking traps on the bawns. He chuffs a greeting.

Salem pauses to give Adrian a considering look, then shakes his head.
Dryly, he notes, "Then you have a hard decision to make." No help at all,
the Walker continues picking up trash.

Susan points down to the pit-trap. There's a glint of something shiny at
the bottom, and Susan shifts up slowly into glabro. "Here," she rasps.
"I'll lower you down. Get the silver."

Susan says "May be just metal. Or trash. No way to know."

Adrian shifts back to lupus. Once transformed he pads out from behind the
bush. He looks around. ~So, how can a wolf help without thumbs?~

Alicia nods her head and grins. "Ya ganna lower me down by the legs or
what?" She asks, squinting her eyes some as she peers into the pit.

Eamon shifts to homid and looks down into the pit. "It's silver down
there, but it's just foil around wooden stakes. Touch Deer and I were
marking the traps we found yesterday with orange flags. We found a couple
more deadfalls like this. If you go down in birth form it shouldn't hurt
you."

Susan shakes her hair out of her eyes and drops to her knees. "Lower by
arms." To Eamon she says, "Kills gnosis. Date with an elemental tonight."

Adrian watches the others, sitting there quietly.

Salem grimaces at mention of the silver-foiled sharpened stakes, then
speaks to Adrian. "Sniff around," he suggests. "See if you can find
anything we might otherwise miss."

Eamon arches an eyebrow at Susan. "Oh yeah? What kind?" He glances at
Adrian. "What do you want to help with?"

Alicia nods and slides her legs into the pit, then waits for Susan to help
lower her down.

Adrian yuffs an affirmative to Salem and starts looking around. He looks
to Eamon~Doesn't matter to me, just as long as I'm helping clean. After
all, this is my new home, gotta make it look nice.~ He keeps nosing under
bushes, looking for traps as well as his MIA jeans.

Susan grabs Alicia by her arms and eases her down into the pit. "Earth,"
she grunts as she does so. "You got a few?"

Eamon nods. "You can help me find traps. You have sharper senses in lupus,
so it's easier to see stuff like tripwires and sniff out flares and
explosives. Let me know if you find any, so I can mark them. Touch Deer
and I made some progress, but there's still a lot of ground to cover.
We're starting out near the caern, then moving out to the edge of the
bawn."

Peacekeeper does note as he finishes moving the log, ~And watch out for
the sniper, since you're in a form that'll /hurt/ when you get shot with
silver.~

Adrian yuffs an affirmative to Eamon. The cubs starts padding around,
searching and sniffing. Stonehenge looks to Peacekeeper, ~I could get
shot?~ The cub looks around.

Alicia calls out from the pit once she is lowered within. "I got shot!"
She starts to yank out the spikes, using her glove covered hands.

Eamon looks up at Robert. "Sniper? What sniper?"

Salem's lips thin at Peacekeeper's warning and continues to pick up trash.
His attention, and path, strays near the pit that his packmate's being
lowered into.

Nightfire trots into the area from the direction of the caern, sniffing
openly at the air.

Peacekeeper shifts back down to homid form bfore reaching underneath where
the log formerly rested. "There's a sniper hunting the bawn," he observes.
"He seems to prefer attacking groups with as small a number as possible. A
few silver bullets. No scent most of the time, so he's likely a ragabash.
Still, he slips at times, since I've caught the scent a time or two."

Adrian continues looking around, but starts looking up, more often then
not. A sense of fear comes from him.

"Heads up!" A spike is tossed over the edge of the pit off to the side.
Alicia then begins kicking out another one, using her heavy steel toe'd
boot.

Eamon nods. "I might be able to find him. Where did you smell him last?"

Susan glances towards Eamon, not sure if he caught her question or not.

Robert raises an eyebrow. "Southwest side of the bawn, the last time. I'll
warn you that Chaser tried to track him using a bullet he'd shot, though."

Slowly, a reddish wolf makes its way towards the group, from the southern
bawn. There's plenty of dirt about its paws, plenty of brambles in its
fur. The cub doesn't seem tired, though; her head is held high and her
eyes are bright. When she catches sight of a familiar face, she sidles up
to Salem, nudging him behind the leg. I heard there was clean up today.
I'm sorry I am late. It took a while to get here on four feet. Four-Leaves
barks. How can I help?

Eamon nods at Susan. "Yeah, just a minute." He looks at Robert. "She find
anything?"

Adrian barks a greeting to Four Leaves. Four Leaves, hello!

Salem straightens up, stuffing a handful of trash into Alicia's garbage
bag, since the Gaian's occupied in the pit. He arches an eyebrow down at
the Gnawer cub. "Three minutes out of schedule. That comes out of your
paycheck, you know."

Adrian pads over to another bush, nosing through it. He jumps back with a
yip. ~Something sharp in this bush~

Susan eyes the cub with alarm. "Please," she says urgently, "be careful! I
don't think we've gotten all of the flares dealt with yet, and if you set
one off, we'll find out about the cleansing power of Fire a lot faster
than I would like."

Richard moves over towards the Get cub, continuing to stuff his bag with
the garbage. The sack is quickly filled, and he grabs another one out of
his back pocket, using both hands to snap it open. "Man, that vision
weren't no lie. This is some seriously screwed up shit out here," he says
to himself. Hearing the cub's cry, he moves over, kneeling down to look at
the bush, taking some time to introduce himself. "What's in there? Hey,
I'm Richard Mopley; you can call me Mopes. Children of Gaia," he's
interrupted by Susan and looks around at her, giving the bush a cautious
look.

Four-Leaves yips a greeting to Stonehenge, tail flicking, and cocks her
head to grin at Salem. Paycheck? I hope that means something to eat
afterwards. All that running made me hungry. At the Get cub's bark, she
pads over to him, then nudges Richard in greeting. Well, come on, if she
says not to bother the nice bush, let's not. The Philocub snaps up a piece
of trash in her jaws and spits it into Richard's bag, pawing at her muzzle
afterwards.

Eamon arches an eyebrow at the cub. "Huh, must've missed one. Good catch,
cub." He takes a small orange flag out of a cardboard box and sticks it
into the ground next to the bush, then crouches down and examines the
bush, carefully pushing the branches aside to get a better look.

One corner of Salem's mouth quirks upward at Four-Leaves. It vanishes
slowly as she pads away, and he returns to trash collecting.

Once Eamon is finished with the flagging of the trap, Susan rises up from
her crouch and waves him lazily over.

Eamon stands and nods to Susan, then goes to follow her.

Robert grins wryly as he puts some metallic objects into the trash bag,
then looks around. "Since this area seems to be under control, I'll go
back to working my way around the circle. If anything comes up, howl. I'll
be nearby.

Susan shifts back down to her birth form and grins at Eamon. "I realize
I've mentioned this in the past, but I think the time has come for a more
formal statement, you might say." Facing Eamon fully, the young woman lets
her voice spill out over the bawn so that everyone can clearly hear her.
"I feel the time has come for me to challenge for Fostern. Would you do me
the honor of accepting my challenge?"

After clearing the last of the spikes out of the pit, Alicia shifts to her
Crinos form and leaps up, snagging the edge with her claws and hefting her
weight out. Once done, she shakes out her pelt, then makes her way back
down to her breed form.

Salem straightens up at the Fianna's announcement, his eye going first
toward Susan, and then to Eamon.

Adrian pads around, looking for any other traps.

The Gnawer cub sits next to Richard after she gets (most of) the taste of
trash out of her mouth, and looks around. Most people were on two legs,
maybe she'd be more useful with hands? At Susan's statement, she cants her
head to watch the two, one ear swiveling wildly.

Eamon smiles and nods. "I accept your challenge." He looks around at the
others. "Er, do you want the terms of the challenge now or should we wait
'til the Master of the Challenge is around to make it official?"

Adrian looks over to Four Leaves and yuffs another greeting to her. Four
Leaves not speak to Stonehenge today?

Four-Leaves blinks at Eamon and Susan- then, show over, turns to look at
Stonehenge with a wolfish grin. She bounds over to him, batting at his
ears with one paw. No, I'm avoiding you. You're so big and scary, she
teases. What are we doing in lupus? Poking noses into bushes?

Susan inclines her head. "If you wish to give them to me now, that is fine
with me. I certainly wouldn't pass up the opportunity to think about the
terms for a few days more before it's official." But she holds up a hand
before Eamon can offer her the terms. "You may want to speak with
Nightfire first, however. He asked that there be some restrictions on the
challenge -- no healing before or after, as little strain on our resources
as possible. I don't know if he wanted to give you any more details." The
woman offers a sly grin to the other Fianna. "But you could always tell me
now and then make any other corrections later."

Adrian barks and pounces Four Leaves. He growls at her and then licks her.
Yes, be afraid of your Alpha. Get of Fenris MEAN. But this Get protects
his Pack.

Adrian looks down at himsels and give a pitiful little howl to Four
Leaves. ~Someone stole my pants. I can't walk around naked, can I? In teh
emantime, I hunt for traps. I found one already, my nose still hurts.~

Salem gives the cubs a brief glance, then focusses his attention back on
the two Fianna. He wipes at his forehead with his arm, avoiding contact
between his skin and the exterior of the work glove.

Eamon nods. "All righty then. You must compose an epic, song or poem, your
choice, telling the entire story of the downfall and reclaiming of this
caern. It should be as detailed as possible, yet still entertaining and
emotional, as befits a tale told by a Fianna. You have the next cycle of
the moon to compose it, where you will recite it to the sept. If I and the
sept are satisfied, you pass. Any objections?"

It's clear that the red wolf finds the aspect of Adrian missing his pants
amusing, but to her credit, she doesn't tease. Much. Oh, poor pip lost his
clothes, she chuffs, nudging Stonehenge under the muzzle and then sniffing
the ground. I'll help you look, then. Four-Leaves pauses, spying an
oil-soaked rag to her right, and other items of garbage behind it. She
pads over to them and starts shoving them towards each other with her
paws, sweeping them into a pile. Stonehenge? she yips softly, as she goes
about her task. I am leaving tonight. For ~New York~.

Susan chuckles. "You gonna bring the whiskey?"

Eamon grins. "Sure, why not?"

Susan says "Tell Nighfire, and I'll see you on the next half moon then."

Adrian looks to Four Leaves, he whines a bit. You'll be back soon?

Salem nods to himself, obviously approving of the terms of the challenge.
He wipes at his forehead again, then goes back to work, making his way
gradually over near the cubs.

Eamon nods. "Will do." He arches an eyebrow. "Thought you didn't drink? Or
is the whiskey for the rest of us?"

Susan laughs. "The rest of you. I want everyone in a happy mood and ready
to appreciate this work of art."

Eamon chuckles. "Not too drunk that they can't remember it, though."

Susan says "I said happy. Not falling over."

Eamon grins and nods.

Four-Leaves nudges an empty beer can into her pile. Two weeks. Maybe
three. Mama Ears is coming with me. To the Sept of the Green. One ear
swivels as she looks up at the Get cub wistfully. We had a talk...about
what happened at the shop. And she thought it would be best if I started
some training on controlling myself. She yips, trying to be cheerful. I've
never been to ~New York~.

Susan heads out then.

Eamon waves to Susan as she leaves, then looks around. "Hey, has anyone
been out to the farmhouse lately?"

Salem takes the trash bag over toward the two cubs and starts putting
Lyra's gathered pile into the bag. "It's big," he tells her, dryly, "and
crowded, and run by Bone Gnawers." He looks up and shakes his head in
answer to Eamon's question.

Adrian chuffs sadly and continues to look for traps and stuff. I
understand, but I'll miss you. You're my only real friend here.

Adrian sees Salem and kinda shuts up suddenly. He continues looking around.

Eamon nods, then grins at Salem. "Well, if it's clean, I think we should
have a big fuckin' party there."

Four-Leaves looks up at the Walker, then at at Adrian. She pads around her
quickly vanishing trash pile to nip at Stonehenge's ear. So get to know
your beta better. And there's ~Richard~. And Skywalker. Oh, you'll be
fine, and I'll send messages to Skywalker for you. Then she wolfywhispers
something into the nipped ear, finishing with a happy bark and grin at
Eamon. Celebration? Now?

Adrian yuffs begrudgeingly to Four Leaves. He chuffs and rubs his nose
against his paw.

Adrian sits down with a growl, ~Well, no jeans here. I'm gonna be in wolf
form for awhile, it seems~

Eamon says "Well, not *right* now, but soon. Jeez, we just won our caern
back, and the mood around here is still like a funeral! We should be
celebrating, blowing off steam!""

Salem glances briefly at the Get cub, shakes his head a bit, and then nods
at Eamon. "Someone should check it for traps, at the very least. The
Dancers would have known about it from, mnh, from Glissa."

Eamon nods. "Yeah, I was gonna do that anyway."

Four-Leaves picks up the beer can and puts it in Salem's bag. Let's go do
that now, she suggests as she bats at Stonehenge's ear again. Stonehenge
and I can go around on four legs, ~Salem~-rhya and Ever-Grinning-rhya on
two. She shakes her coat out, a few brambles falling free. I wonder if
there is anything left in the kitchen to eat?

Adrian looks at Four Leaves and makes a wolfy face equivilent to 
EWWWWWWWW.

Eamon says "What, in the farmhouse kitchen? If there's anything in there,
it's probably spoiled and moldy." Eamon frowns. "And the beer's probably
gone flat."

Serendipity emerges out of the trees, the white on her pelt flickering
before she's seen completely.

The red cub looks vaguely disappointed as she nudges Stonehenge under the
muzzle again. Well, I can't help being hungry, Four-Leaves whines
defensively. And I'm not quite at Road-Rage's level where I'll go hunt.
Golly, a rabbit would be more likely to eat -me-.

Salem grimaces. "Any food left in there is suspect, even if it isn't
spoiled. We'd need someone who can smell the Wyrm."

Most wolves have a restless energy suffusing their movements, but the
energy suffusing this one's movements is, nonetheless, exceptional.
Otherwise, she merely looks like a fairly experienced, moderately large
wolf, and a well fed one, at that. Her pelt is black, with a hint of white
on her left hind paw, and her eyes are brown.

Serendipity whuffles. I can. What do you need?

Adrian nudges his packmate back. You need your Alpha to get you something
to eat? All you have to do is ask.

Salem sits back on his heels and turns toward the Fury. "We were
discussing the farmhouse."

Eamon snickers. "Well, I guess even if the food is spoiled, the Gnawers'll
eat it."

Alicia glances over to Salem and nods her head. "The farmhouse was
untouched actually. The spirals didn't hit it, but the food was bad. I
actually helped replenish the fridge some, got some milk and fruit in
there. But dry food is still good in the cupboards."

Serendipity sits down abruptly. Oh. It is clean. There are neither Taint
nor traps there. Which, frankly, worries me.

Four-Leaves quirks her head at the Get Galliard, surprised, suspicious,
and willing to take the offer. How are you going to find something to eat?
Then, at Eamon's comment, she looks at him with a genuinely hurt
expression. You won't get discounts when my aunt comes back, she sniffs.

Eamon shrugs. "They might not have even bothered with it. They were
probably too busy trapping and fortifying the bawn." He grins at
Four-Leaves. "Sheesh, I was kidding!"

Adrian looks to the Gnawer and yuffs. Well, if there's food there, let's
go get you some.

Serendipity says, Despite my paranoia, I would like to encourage the Kin
to stay there, when they wish to visit here. Perhaps they can take over
its upkeep.

The Gnawer cub still looks at Eamon like she doesn't quite believe him,
but looks up at Salem. May Stonehenge and I go into the house?

Adrian looks up at Salem as well.

Eamon says "Well, I'd like to check it out myself anyway, just to be sure,
before anyone else goes in.""

"Better than roughing it out in the forest," remarks Salem, picking up
another piece of trash. He eyeballs the two cubs. "Not without an escort.
And," he adds, looking directly at Adrian, "not in anything but human
form."

"I can escort them." Alicia says, volunteering. "Farmhouse is like a
second home to me anyways."

Serendipity tells Eamon, My packmate and I checked it, but please, do so
again.

Adrian sits down with a huff, ~Well, fuck~ he looks around. ~I don't mind
walking around butt naked if other don't mind.~

Eamon looks at the cub. "Didn't anyone dedicate your clothes?" He nods to
Serendipity.

Adrian shakes his wolfy head very human like. Nope

Salem says, dryly, utterly deadpan, "Someone stole his pants."

Four-Leaves drapes herself across the other wolfcub. Perhaps I can give
you my sweatshirt? she suggests, gnawing at his ear. No offense peacock,
but it would be rather strange to see you without that half of your
clothes.

There were extra coverings there, in that place, before the Dancers were
here, Dena says. Perhaps there still are.

Adrian chuffs and nips at Four Leaves. Hey, I look good naked. Can I help
it if I take care of myself? Someone probably stole them so they could see
me naked, now that I think about it.

Alicia snorts in amusement as she shakes her head. "Oh god.. another
Collin."

Adrian looks to Alicia. Who's Collin?

Serendipity says, with as much dryness as a wolf can muster, I have no
interest in seeing you naked, if it helps.

Eamon chuckles. "Well, why don't I go over there now and check it out and
meet me there in a few minutes?"

Four-Leaves blinks, then rests her head on top of Adrian's, looking up
balefully at Salem, then Alicia. Her stomach rumbles loud enough for at
least wolfish ears to hear.

Salem meets Four-Leaves' gaze directly when she looks his way; the Glass
Walker's expression is sardonic, but somewhat amused.

Adrian stands up and shakes his packmate off. ~Well, you go eat, I'll
continue the hunt for my jeans. When do you leave?~

Alicia smirks slightly. "Eamon, I'm going to come along with ya, aiight?"

Eamon says "Uh, aiight."

Four-Leaves lets herself fall to the ground. Tonight. Early in the
morning, perhaps...Mama Ears will come get me. She looks behind her, into
the woods. I wish I could find Road-Rage before I left, but. The bloody
git never stays still.

Serendipity snorts softly. Walk well, all of you. I will continue the work.

Eamon moves through the forest, heading west. Eamon has left.

Alicia follows after Eamon, calling back. "I'm ganna teach dat' boy
ebonics. See ya soon."

Salem mutters, "Likewise." He stands up and moves off a short distance,
seeking out trash.

Four-Leaves watches the two leave, then follows Salem, running ahead of
him and grabbing more beer cans in her jaws to place in his bag. Aren't
you hungry? she asks, tail wagging as she spits them out. It's past
lunchtime.

"You'd find that easier on two legs," notes the Walker.

Adrian pads over to Four Leaves and gives her a lick to the face. Then
take care, my friend, come back soon.

Not as much fun, the red cub yips happily, then turns to lick Stonehenge
back. Of course I will. I've always heard about the ~taxis~ there. Maybe
Mama Ears will take me in one!

Salem eyeballs Four-Leaves. "They have vampires, too, or so I hear."

Four-Leaves whips her head around to stare at Salem, one ear cocked at a
crazy angle. After a moment or two, she prances a bit, almost nervously.
Vampires aren't real, she chuffs softly.

Adrian pads off into the woods to hunt for his jeans. ~Bye Four Leaves.
Bye Salam-rhya.~

Salem nods to the departing Get, then arches a brow down at Lyra. "Neither
are werewolves."

Four-Leaves barks a farewell, looking back up at Salem like someone had
offered her Chinese and then taken it away. Next time you pack for a trip,
remind me to put a scorpion in your suitcase, she rumbles lowly, pacing in
a sloping circle around the Walker, and shaking her coat out. I'm looking
forward to this a great deal less...

Salem narrows his eyes, his gaze focussing intently, and with a hint of
scorn, on the circling cub. "There are also plenty of Garou, and I doubt
you'll ever be wandering about alone. You'll be perfectly fine."

The red wolfcub sits back on her haunches with a huff. Yes, but. Well.
Still. Ignorance is bliss, so they say. She tosses her head again,
snapping her jaws at the air at a passing gnat. Do you want me to bring
you anything back from ~New York~? Mama Ears said another Garou had come
from that Sept, wants us to carry messages back to her friends.

"Well, Farmhouse is cool, ya'll can go back there and snack or whatever."
Alicia says as she walks ahead of Eamon, glancing over her shoulder once.

"Ignorance is bliss," agrees the Glass Walker, "and dangerous." He frowns,
then kneels down to pick up, of all things, a length of bicycle chain
covered in dark oil. He dumps it into the trash bag. "And thank you for
the offer, but no." He straightens up as Alicia returns and speaks.

As you like, Four-Leaves chuffs agreeably, bounding to Alicia. I don't
suppose you have a menu? she barks teasingly, dancing around the Gaian's
legs.

Alicia shakes her head with a light smirk. "No. But there's food in the
cupboards you can make. Macaroni and stuff."

Salem looks over at his packmate. "Power? Water?"

Alicia rubs her shoulder. "There is power, and water, surprisingly. I
guess Megan still pays the bills. That or whoever does at least. I dunno,
but yah. Its cool."

Salem shakes his head, bemused. "Amazing."

Four-Leaves barks happily, standing between Alicia and Salem, looking from
one to the other. Then can I go and make myself something to eat?

Salem mutters, "Bone Gnawers." Then he starts stripping off the work
gloves. "Fine. I'll come with you. I could do with some lunch after all."

"Sure, if you want to." Alicia says, shifting her shoulders some. "If you
guys want, I can whip something up. I haven't cooked my famous farm house
lasagna in months."

Four-Leaves blinks at Alicia, and her good mood ebbs away. Maybe just some
macaroni? she asks softly. Nothing extravagant, please...it's not worth
the trouble, really.

Salem gives Four-Leaves a strange look. "You don't like lasagna?"

"I don't mind cooking at all, in fact, its something I enjoy. Hell, I got
more respect when I did." Alicia says, looking as if she is already in a
bad mood. "C'mon." She starts lumbering back through the woods.

Not...particularly...the cub almost wilts under Salem's gaze. If you do,
I. Oh my. She watches Alicia stalk off, and hesitantly starts after her,
slow. I mean, I don't want to sound rude, or picky, it's just...
Four-Leaves looks over at Salem helplessly. Coming, rhya?

Salem sets the work gloves down on the trash bag and sets off after the
pair. He squints a bit down at the cub. "It's just... what?"

[Location change: The Farmhouse]

Four-Leaves flattens her ears. Ignorance is bliss, she repeats weakly. You
don't want to know this, rhya, you don't. Not if you intend to eat that
dish. Luckily the wolfcub's comments are more or less kept from Alicia, as
she's behind the Gaian. Once she's in the house, the cub shifts. Lyra
tries to fix her ponytail and just stands there, looking uncomfortable.

Salem gives the Gnawer cub another look, then shakes his head and enters
the farmhouse. His nose wrinkles slightly at the musty smell that comes
from a place that's been abandoned and uncleaned for a while.

Alicia opens up a window and waves a hand through the air, shrugging.
"Well, Macaroni is fine then, I suppose. You know how to make it?"

Salem goes over to the sink and turns it on, letting the water run a bit
before cleaning his hands. "Same basic prinicple as lasagna," he notes.
"Only less complex."

Lyra shakes her head, hands still in her hair. "No, miss, unless there are
instructions on the box." She grimaces as Salem mentions lasagne again,
standing behind him so that she too can wash her hand. "It's...the same
thing?"

Salem steps aside and, lacking a towel, shakes water droplets from his
hands. "Pasta is pasta." Salem is, clearly, not Italian.

Alicia shrugs her shoulders. "Pasta for Dummies, really. Except without
cooked meat, ya'know?"

The color is quickly draining from Lyra's face as she steps to the sink,
thrusting grimy hands under the faucet and watching the dirt fall away.
"I'm vegetarian," she blurts out, washing her hands as if this task was
the most important thing in the world. "If there's bread, I'll just have
peanut butter and jelly."

Salem turns and looks at the Gnawer cub, hard. "Lyra," he says. His voice
is quiet, steelly. "What the bloody hell is the matter with you?"

"Like hell you are." Alicia says, looking surprised. "I thought you were
real big on Mickey D's." Or is that every other Gnawer? She looks
concerned.

"W-well, I was, I mean- er-" Lyra blinks at Salem and Alicia, looking the
picture of abject misery. The faucet water is still running.
"La..sagne...oh I -can't- say, don't you -know-?" she cries out, turning
off the faucet viciously. "That's...how...." The Gnawer cub takes a deep
breath, and looks out the window. "That's what
Glissa...did...with...Michael," she says finally, voice fading to a
whisper.

Salem goes very still and is quiet for several long moments.

Alicia takes a deep breath. "Oh god! Fuck.. I wasn't even thinking. I had
no clue you knew that." She shakes her head, inhaling deeply. Alicia adds
to that, glancing to Salem. "Um.. Lyra, go outside for a minute.."

Salem closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and then lets it out. "I'm
fine." And he is, indeed, very calm. Very, _very_ calm. Perhaps
frighteningly calm.

Lyra takes one step back, now frightened and miserable, as well as hungry.
She wipes her hands on her jeans, slowly. "I...I'm sorry," she whispers,
stumbling backwards again and outside. She leans against the side of the
house and slides down till she's sitting on the ground, burying her face
in her knees.

Alicia watches the cub go, then glances over to Salem, letting out a soft
breath. She reaches out and touches his shoulder, giving a light squeeze.
"I'm.. more of a macraroni person myself these days.. honestly."

Salem watches Lyra go, then mutters, "Shit," and passes a hand across his
face, rubbing at his eyes. He nods to Alicia in a distracted way, still
looking at the door that Lyra vanished through. "Dammit," he says quietly,
underbreath. "Dammit, dammit, dammit."

Alicia curls an arm around him and sighs, giving him a hug, closing her
eyes. A light squeeze is gaven afterwards.

Salem barely reacts to the hug, though afterwards he gives his packmate a
wan look and something that, if it hadn't died before touching his lips,
might have been a smile. "Maybe some sandwiches or something. I'm going to
check on the cub." He starts for the door.

Alicia nods her head slowly and heads to the cupboards to pull out some
fixings. What a mess.

Lyra looks up as the door opens, rubbing at her eyes with both hands like
she'd been crying, or about to. She doesn't say anything, just waits to be
scolded or told to come back inside.

Salem does neither. Instead, he takes a seat on the ground next to her,
then tugs at the cord that hangs around his neck and vanishes under his
t-shirt. He shows her the nightingale charm that hangs from it, then
arches a brow.

Lyra hugs her knees, watching his motions- and blinks at the charm. After
a moment she glances at him, and with some effort, matches his arched brow
expression. She's not smiling, but she's not crying, either.

Salem curves his lips into a thin, brief little smile and then tucks the
charm back away under his shirt. "Don't let my talk of vampires make you
enjoy your trip to New York any less," he says quietly. "Any city with
Garou and Kindred in it has developed certain... agreements... which
prevent random attacks. The Sept there is full of Bone Gnawers, their
caern totem is the Great White Mouse, and the city itself is vast. You'll
enjoy it."

Lyra blinks again, then smiles shakily. "I used to have a pet mouse.
Algernon. Only he was champagne colored." Champagne colored. Must be a
British thing. She fiddles with the sleeves of her sweatshirt, picking off
more bits of leaves and dropping them in the air in front of her, where
they float to the ground. "Thank you," she adds softly, watching the
leavebits fall. "For a moment I thought you were going to give it back."

Salem shakes his head. "Just showing you that I still had it. And I _did_
wear it in battle, you know." A note of light, dry humor enters his voice.
"I suppose that's why I fell into the pit-trap. Otherwise, I would have
gotten a silver bullet in the head."

Lyra glances at the Walker, smiling more widely now. "Told you it was
lucky." She sighs, rubbing at the back of her neck. "They weren't good
enough, though. Anneka got hurt quite badly."

Salem rubs his thumb along one ridge of scar tissue that climbs up the
side of his face. "We all get hurt. The important thing is that she didn't
die."

Lyra glances at the scar on Salem's face, then looks away, nodding. "I got
shot," she adds, with a peculiar note of pride. She points to the row of
patched or sewn holes in her sweatshirt. "It hurt for a while, but it
wasn't very bad. There isn't even a scar."

Salem nods. "Most of the time, wounds heal without a trace, like that.
Other times, we're so greviously injured that only our Rage keeps us
alive. It's one of the Mother's gifts to us, that we can be felled and yet
get up again, raging." He gestures to the scars along the side of his
face, to the blind, pale eye sitting within its socket. "But the gift has
a price, and its price is that it causes battlescars, wounds that do not
completely heal."

Lyra blinks, hands reaching down to fiddle with her shoelaces. "You
mean...you get -killed-? And then because you're angry, you're
resurrected?" She blinks again, the logic in that completely escaping her.
"I suppose something that...complex would have a price. It's like a dragon
blessing." Dragon blessing. Must be a Chinese thing. "Do the other wounds
ever stop hurting?"

Salem rubs at his bearded chin. "Depends on the wound. I once knew a Garou
with a bad hip wound from a battle with a rather nasty fomor, and he
always complained of it aching when the humidity rose. And John... one of
his lungs was damaged when we took back the caern, and now strenuous
activity pains him." The Philodox grimaces for a moment, then shakes his
head. "Mostly, though, battlescars hurt no worse than other
not-quite-healed wounds."

Lyra hms at that, curling up the rest her chin on her knees, staring out
wards. She looks up, catches a glance of the moon far off. "Oh. It's half,
tonight," she says softly, sounding rather surprised. "It's been a whole
month, since. Well." She sneezes then, rubbing her nose a bit and tilting
her head, looking at Salem, and grinning. "Golly, but do you -ever- remind
me of Mr. Crewe."

Salem lifts a brow. "Who?"

Lyra keeps grinning, and allows her voice to slip into it's childhood
accent. "Mister Nicholas Jeremiah Crewe, of the Fountain Hill Crewe
family." She chuckles at some private memory. "He was my father's business
friend. Sometimes he could be very...er...gruff. I didn't like him because
he smoked, and sometimes he would come to the house and break things. He
was supposed to be my guardian, but then Aunt Meiran came, and. Well.
You're nicer than he was though, I think."

Salem says, dryly, "Thank you. Was he Garou?"

Lyra blinks. "No...why would he be?" Her brow furrows as she digs up
memories of the person in question, but then she just shakes her head. "He
couldn't have been. I mean- this is Mr. Crewe. Impeccably neat, always on
time..." She trails off, looking Salem over. "Oh my."

One corner of the Walker's mouth quirks upward. He doesn't look
particularly neat at the moment, but is as tidy as one can be in
sweatpants, t-shirt, sneakers, and after doing what amounts to trash
collecting in the middle of nowhere for several hours. "Well, perhaps he
wasn't, then."

Lyra shrugs, looking worried now as she runs every adult face from her
childhood through a mental scanner. "If my parents had been Garou, or
their business associates had been, or even their club friends, I think
they would have told me about it," she murmurs, more to herself, really.
"Wouldn't they have?"

Salem shakes his head. "Not necessarily. Apart from the fact that some
children have trouble keeping secrets, many families believe, and rightly,
in my opinion, that a young Garou should grow up as normally as possible.
As a normal human, or a normal wolf."

Lyra looks down to find she's untied her shoelaces without realizing. As
she goes about retying them, she says, "So that means my mother and father
were Garou? Or, er, one of them was?" She sits back against the wall of
the house, watching Salem.

"Not both, obviously," Salem answers, resting his elbows on his knees.
"Possibly even neither. Sometimes Garou are born to two kinfolk.
Sometimes, though it's rare, to a kin and non-kin."

"Miss Rhiannon was trying to tell me that. The Garou genetics. Too bad I
hadn't taken that course in school." Lyra smiles a bit, fussing with her
shoelaces again. The smile gets wider until it's a smirk, and then a grin,
and then she's all out laughing.

Salem lets the cub laugh for a while, thought he clearly doesn't
understand what it is that she finds so humorous. When it seems that she's
calming down, he asks, dryly, "Feeling better, then?"

"Hm- yes, yes, much," she manages, still giggling every time she looks at
the Walker. "I'm sorry- hm -I kept you out here for so long."

Salem pushes to his feet and brushing himself off. "That's quite all
right." He glances back toward the farmhouse, then gestures to the cub.
"Come. Peanut butter and jelly?"

Lyra gets to her feet and brushes herself off as well. "Yes, I'm
-starving-. Do you think there's strawberry? Or maybe mint?" she asks, as
she follows the Walker inside the house.

"We'll see," is all Salem says before vanishing inside.

[They go inside, make sandwiches, have lunch.]