It is currently 14:38 Pacific Time on Thu May 12 2005. Currently in Saint Claire, it is a cloudy day. The temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the east at 3 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.10 and steady, and the relative humidity is 64 percent. The dewpoint is 48 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius.) Currently the moon is in the waxing Crescent Moon phase (27% full). Safehouse: GW Main Area Like the public safehouse, the foyer of the Glass Walker's private area is set off from the living room by a four-foot-high half-wall. The steps to the second floor disappear off to the right, mirroring the other set. There the similarities end - where the public area is painted unoriginal white, the walls of the Walker house are a dusty pastel teal above polished maple hardwood floors.The living room holds a comfortable couch and a pair of easy chairs, a maple coffee table matched by side tables beside both of the chair. A large plasma television holds pride of place along the far wall, flanked by maple glass-front cabinets that hold assorted media equipment. The hallway leads back toward the kitchen, pausing at a computer room on the left outfitted with enough bells and whistles to satisfy a small LAN party. At the back of the house, through an arch, the kitchen is big enough to comfortably allow two active cooks and boasts a half-sized refrigerator and full pantry in addition to the usual stove/fridge/sink combination. A dining room, nearly as large as the kitchen, is set off by another half-wall like the one in the foyer. The table is in the Mission style, all clean straight lines, and currently seats six, though there's evidence of another leaf to make it larger. Stairs in the foyer lead up to the second floor, while a doorway tucked under the curve of the stairs heads down to the basement. A heavy door in the foyer with a monitor and intercom beside it goes back to the area set up for communal use by the Sept's Garou. Natalie pages to the room: The bottom floor is slightly smoky and smells like yum yum burnt pizza. Or maybe just burnt. No noise from the smoke detector. And there's windows open in the back rooms. Nat's leaning against the halfwall of the DR/kitchen (kitchen side), Jeren's leaning on the counter near the fridge having a glass of milk, and Cy's drinking out of the carton and has ham. The young Philodox does not apparently have Jeren's milk-drinking etiquette--she just takes a few gulps from her own carton, and passes a hand across her mouth afterwards. "Challenge is to keep from going apeshit all the way through to the next new moon," she tells the Galliard. "--Or at least just go apeshit in the basement. If I can pull it off, I get some outing privileges. Without a babysitter." The Ford Torino's familiar growl makes itself heard from outside, announcing Thomas Grey's imminent arrival. Natalie doesn't say a word about Jeren's drinking problem - perhaps she's concentrating on changing one habit at a time, and the girl's language is her current nemesis. "Language," she says patiently. "What do you mean by 'apeshit'? Use the right words." If she's noticed the Torino's engine, she doesn't acknowledge it. Jeren turns her head very slightly towards the windows, as if confirming that yes, there is sound coming from that direction. Other than that, she's remaining quiet, listening but not contributing. Cy rolls her eyes to the ceiling: it's the long-suffering look of mother-harried teenagers everywhere. "Refrain from Frenzy until the next new moon in order to get outing privileges without an escort," she amends dryly, finishing off her recital with another gulp of milk and a resounding burp. Natalie's /so/ mean. "Is that berserk, or Fox, or both?" Her thumbs slip into the beltloops of her jeans as she tosses her own 'Lord save us' look toward Jeren. Elsewhere in the house, the front door opens and closes. Then the interior door does likewise, and an exhausted-looking Philodox comes home in shirt and slacks and tie. Must be his spares, since the ones he ruined last weekend are still candidates for the rag-bin. Jeren is the picture of 'not involved'. She focuses on the milk in her glass, as if drinking it were the most interesting task in the known galaxy. Only a glance is spared from this involving activity at the sound of the door opening. The younger Philodox frowns momentarily at Natalie, drumming fingers against the cow illustration on the carton. "He didn't say," she admits. "Both, I'm guessing." "Ask him," Nat directs, lifting her chin at the girl. "He, by the way, thinks you might be ready to Rite in July. I think he might be a little optomistic. What do you think?" Grey pauses at the bottom of the stairs, nose wrinkling as he takes in the burnt-smell. His gaze wanders down the hall toward the kitchen, but rather than join the conversation, he takes himself upstairs, and it isn't long before the shower starts going. Jeren's eyes follow the noises, as if she were looking through walls to track Grey's progress. Once she hears the sound of the shower, however, she returns to her milk--and finds the glass is empty. Ah well. Halfway through another swallow, Cy almost snorts up her milk in surprise. "--He said what? I thought you said /September/." She coughs and shows no sign of hearing any new arrivals in the house; she's too focused on her elder. "I did say September," Natalie confirms, smirking most unsympathetically. "Or August. /He/ said July. And you didn't answer my question." She slides another glance over to Jeren, then back. "Well?" Cy hiccups rather vehemently, and scowls--whether the expression is meant for the Galliard or the hiccup is hard to tell. "Maybe. Depends on how well you train me." She lifts her own chin a little, challengingly. Hiccup. Natalie snorts, not unamused. "There's a word-twisting answer worthy of a Philodox. But let's pretend, just for a second, that I asked you a straight question, and I expected a straight answer out of you." The noise of a car pulling up outside may be heard, and a car door opening and slamming. From afar, to the room, Natalie ignores Jeren, la la la. // Oh yeah, and there's a step stool in the middle of the kitchen floor underneath the smoke alarm which is dangling woefully from the ceiling. The cub lowers her brows pensively, chewing on the inside of her lip. "Did he /really/ say that?" Upstairs, the shower turns off. A couple of doors open, then close. Jeren crosses to the refrigerator, looking to refill her glass. She's just pulling open the door when the muted jingle of her cell phone draws her attention. Blinking, the Ragabash slides the phone out, flips it open--and anyone looking in her direction will see her eyebrows practically jump as she looks at the screen. The device is pressed to her ear, and she cups the other hand around the receiver. "--Hello?" "/Cy/." No more amusement now: Nat's eyes slide to Jeren and then off again, fixing steadily on Cy. "You're dancing /right/ on the line of being a smartass. Answer my damn question, /now/." Cy sets aside the carton of milk carefully and sucks in a breath, squaring her shoulders. "Yeah," she answers. Finally. "I can be ready by July." The look she gives Natalie is grim, but certain--or else just a really good show of bravado. The front door opens, closes again. And then the Walker door opens. A tousled-looking Kevin, hair everywhere, and clothes a little muddied, steps through. "--How did you get...? No...hey." Jeren's conversation is muffled, if still audible. She half turns toward the counter, so the others can only see her in profile. "Whoa, Dad, slow down...connection is awful..." One deep breath, two... and Natalie drops Cy a nod, though her eyes remain on the cub. "Good. We'll aim for July, then. We have wiggle room if you need it, but Thomas is confident you'll be ready by then. He... speaks most highly of your intelligence." At the Galliard's words, Cy turns a shade of red that almost matches her hair. She looks at her feet, then goes for the milk carton again with an eloquent grunt. Kevin walks into the kitchen with a big smile. "Greetings, my tribemates," he declares a little floridly. "How's life treating y'all today?" As if in answer to Kevin's inquiry, Jeren's pallor goes from healthy, even somewhat flushed, to pale, to a rather sickly white. She falls silent, and the phone slips slightly away from her ear without her apparently realizing it, even though it's obvious someone else is still speaking on the other end. Grey finally makes his way down the stairs, wet-haired and differently-attired. The dark circles under his eyes have not changed one iota, though, and neither has the vague, uncertain, and tired air that the man's been carrying around all week. He takes a step toward the kitchen, then pauses upon seeing Kevin head that way and then catching evidence of a Gathering in that direction. Natalie's mouth quirks up again at Cy's mortification, but as she turns toward Kevin's insouciant question both of her eyebrows climb ceilingward. "--Excuse me?" It's delivered in a disbelieving tone of voice, and she completely fails to notice Jeren suddenly going quiet. Cy just leans against the counter and focuses on chugging milk in an effort to drown her hiccups--and perhaps her embarassment. Kevin gives a slightly less assured and more nervous smile to his elder. "Just hoping everyone was okay. Emma and that guy of hers just dropped me back from bawn-running day. Had a good one. We got a bunny rabbit between us." Jeren shakes her head very slightly, then jerks the phone back up to her ear. "--Yeah." Her voice is tight; strained. "Yeah, I--when? How?" Grey apparantly decides that he's not especially hungry this afternoon, since he avoids the kitchen area in favor of the computer lab, commendeering one of the survivors -- the one Natalie was using yesterday, in fact. He keeps an ear cocked as he works. Cy hiccups again and scowls as she lowers the milk carton from her mouth, then tilts a curious look at the other cub. "Didja eat it?" "Some," Kevin responds. "Emma had most of it, greatest in station as she was. Funny how it tastes wonderful in lupus. Not quite so palatable without cooking first to a two-legger's eyes." "--Yeah. Yeah. No, I don't think--I know, Dad. Thanks for calling. I will. Bye." Her thumb slides over the red button on the phone, and she disconnects the call. Jeren appears to study the counter for a few minutes in extreme detail, while at the same time forgetting to close the phone and slide it back into her pocket. "A /human's/ eyes," Natalie snaps, scowling at the Ragabash cub. "Two-legger is an insulting term. You'll never let me hear you use it again." She pushes off the wall with a near-audible snap and stalks for the hallway, letting Kevin clear out of -her- way. Within the computer lab comes the very quiet sounds of mouse clicking. Grey frowns and leans forward slightly, reading something that's caught his interest. Cy blinks at Kevin, then at Natalie, then looks sidelong toward Jeren. And hiccups again. "Fuck," she mutters. "Does warform cure hiccups?" She asks this towards nobody in particular. Kevin takes a quick couple of steps to the side to avoid Natalie's angry stride taking her into collision with him. He elects not to respond to her peremptory demand with words, but he gives a quiet and apologetic nod to the elder, and a shrug to his fellow cub. Jeren doesn't reply either, as she's still giving that counter the looking over of a lifetime. Finally, she straightens, flips the phone closed--but instead of putting it in her pocket, she leaves it on the counter. The Ragabash turns and brushes wordlessly past the two cubs, heading out into the living room--and from there she moves straight for the security door. Natalie ducks into the computer room, swinging the door firmly closed behind her. Woe unto the cub who interrupts. In the computer room, Grey looks up sharply at the sound of the door and, quick as a bunny, closes the web browser window, like a man caught looking at Anime Porn. All the Galliard has a chance to glimpse is a page displaying an open Usenet thread within Google Groups. Cy stares at Jeren's exit for a long time, then eyes the empty hallway. Noting the coast is clear, she focuses on the other cub again. "We got us some crazy elders," she observes lowly. Hiccup. Kevin rolls his eyes and responds quietly. "Someone got outa bed the wrong side," he opines. "Well, damn it, I had the best day ever in lupus, and I'm not letting anyone spoil it." In the computer room, If Natalie sees him at all, of course. As the door closes she leans against it for a second, eyes closed and face tilting up to the ceiling. A deep breath in, an exhale, and she pushes off it, her path toward the computer aborted by, "Oh! Afternoon. I didn't hear you come in." Jeren passes through the security door, letting it close behind her. A moment after that, the front door opens and closes. Only a little longer, and the sound of a car door opening and closing is followed by an engine starting up. Hopping onto her usual perch on the counter, Cy swings her legs. "What else did you do?" The milk carton is set aside in favor of a package of sliced deli ham as she half-watches the Ragabash. In the computer room, Grey cocks his head to regard her, his expression guarded, with little touches of guilt. "Little while ago. Just... checking a few things." "Chased each other round. Talked... if you can call it talking... about what I'm gonna do once I'm cliath." Kevin turns to the coffee machine, and pours himself out a mug full of rewarmed java. "It's weird how time seems to fly by once you get out of homid form." In the computer room, Natalie shrugs easily at him as though she had no idea he was ogling hentai and passes by, heading for one of the other computers. "Like what? Oh - when I've got this other browser up will you find that bookmarked riddle site I was looking at yesterday?" The Philodox cub nods a few times, ripping into the package of meat without ceremony. "Been spending some time in lupus, down in the basement. Grey's given me some kinda challenge thing." Pulling out a slice of ham, she begins to gnaw, stifling another hiccup. In the computer room, Grey nods and, turning back to the machine he's seated at, starts the browser back up. He finds the riddle bookmark fairly quickly, it being one of the most recent -- if not /the/ most recent -- and glances over it as though curious. Kevin tips a little milk into his coffee. "Yeah? Enjoying it? What's the challenge?" Natalie pages: http://rinkworks.com/brainfood/riddles.shtml In the computer room, Natalie pulls the laptop over and flicks it open, only then pulling out a chair. She's well away from the Philodox so that there's no chance of over-shoulder reading. When he doesn't reply she looks back at him, eyebrows quirked. "Hello? Earth to Thomas?" "I gotta hold off on frenzying until the next new moon. Or at least keep it confined to the basement." She makes a sour face, cheeks bulging with half-chewed ham. "--But if I pull it off, I get outing rights. No escort. Nat says he wants me to hit that Rite of Passage thing by /July/." The girlcub's expression turns a shade doubtful. In the computer room, Grey looks up quickly, then back at the screen. "Sorry," he says distantly. "Didn't know you were ready." Kevin looks at Cy over the rim of his coffee mug. "July?" He puts the mug down. "Hell, that's quick. Even if she gets me into it by the end of this month that'll be five months for me, and... three for you?" The British cub seems to feel slighted at the two-month difference. In the computer room, "I'm not ready," she says, sending a glance toward the still-warming up laptop. "I was just making sure you heard me. --So did you go to work today? Another thrilling day in the world of property reposession?" Cy lifts one shoulder, looking nonplussed. "I think it's kinda nuts. But I'm willing to give it a try..." She trails off, features falling into a shadowy frown. "Let's hope there's no spiders involved." In the computer room, Grey clears his throat. "Yes. Not... /thrilling/, but I went. And I did hear you." He's looking over the front page selection of riddles, clicking on the solution to one or two at random though without showing any real interest. Kevin seems to shut down a little at the mention of spiders. "For both of us," he comments curtly, and picks up his coffee again, taking a long pull at it. "--Overbrewed," he sighs, having swallowed. "So what /is/ bugging Her Ladyship? After we've cooked for them and cleaned and done the laundry? Does she want us to knit her a bloody pair of bedsocks next?" In the computer room, Natalie says "Just checking." When the laptop *dings* politely she swivels back, typing in her ID and password and giving the screen her full attention. "I told Cy you were thinking of giving her her Rite in July. After she picked her jaw off the floor she said she thought she'd be ready for it." Waving her ham-free hand vaguely, Cy grunts. "Jeren burned a pizza and the fire alarm went off. And Thomas is /fucked up/ ever since last weekend. And Nat's just uptight in general." Another shrug. "Why, she been givin' you shit?" In the computer room, Grey fiddles with the mouse, making the pointer wiggle back and forth. He nods. "She's a determined girl," he says distractedly. He glances back at the monitor, then pulls up a second window, going to Google.com. Kevin just grunts. "I wasn't meaning /disrespect/ or anything by saying two-legs just now," he says. "It's just a /word/ for heaven's sake. She's so damn touchy. I've got this horrible feeling that when the moon gets full in a coupla weeks, all hell will break loose like it did last time." In the computer room, "I just hope..." Nat begins but doesn't finish, pressing her lips together as she stares at the screen. After a few moments of silence she asks, "URL, please?" In the computer room, Grey switches back to the other window and reads off the web address, repeating as necessary. Cy looks thoughtful as she chews and swallows. "I think we're s'posed to be the Warders of Men or something," she notes. "Prolly not a good idea to use funny nicknames for 'em." She shakes her head at the full moon comment, drumming her heels against the cabinetry. "No way I'm gonna pop again, this time. B'sides, I think we're gonna be going on more forest runs soon. Blow off some steam and shit." "Good on ya," Kevin says, drinking more coffee. "Me, I think I'm not doing badly. Though I've still got to speak to Jeren about guns and things. I hear you've been talking to her about them too?" In the computer room, Natalie only has him stop once, holding up a hand while she repeats, "...brain food. All right, gotcha." "--You know," she adds once the site is up, "I don't see how rattling off riddles I've memorized is supposed to make me healthy, wealthy, and wise. All it proves is that I can memorize things, and any Galliard can do that." The young Philodox pauses. "Uh... no. I heard her mention them, though." Cy's expression is _not_ approving. In the computer room, Grey switches back to the Google window, but doesn't type anything yet. "You have to figure out hers, as well," he points out, frowning at the blinking text cursor in the search box. Kevin gives Cy a long, sideways look, but decides not to push his luck on the issue. "I guess she'll tell us more when she's ready," is all he says to deflect conversation from this evidently sensitive topic. In the computer room, Natalie's touchpoint manipulation pauses; she looks over at him consideringly. "--There is that. I'd forgotten that bit. It's not just reciting what I know, is it? Damn. Now I'm all nervous again." In the computer room, Grey mutters, "At least you don't have to go out and kill Spiral Dancers." "Have you ever used a gun?" Morbid curiosity seems to get the better of her, every time. She returns to scarfing down ham as she watches him. Kevin nods quietly. "But only at a target," he qualifies with almost indecent haste. In the computer room, Natalie continues studying the man. "I'd almost prefer that, actually. It's... more direct. And I'm not one for subtle." No news flash that. She turns, though, back to the laptop and resumes sending the cursor around the screen, setting the link up as a bookmark on this machine as well. Cy emits a thoughtful grunt. "So the gun thing is required reading, huh?" She slips a glance towards the hallway where the older Walkers disappeared, then back to Kevin. Her hiccups seem to have faded, finally. Kevin nods once more. "I guess so. But you've got a couple more months... I've been looking through the book Jeren gave me. Most of it's common sense and most of the rest doesn't seem too damn difficult..." In the computer room, Grey grunts. "That's how John got killed, though. And Jamethon had a similar Challenge, and failed it. Rather than get himself and his mission pack killed. Trust me, riddles are better." He pauses; he hasn't looked away from the Google frontpage, nor typed anything. In the computer room, Natalie grunts back at him, unconvinced. "I think I'm going to go for a jog. Can you and Jeren stay and watch the wondertwins? I got itchy feet. --Oh," she adds as she finishes closing down the machine, "I've got a date with 'David' on Monday. He's got a... thing he wants me to take to the Umbra. I'll tell you more about it when I get back." The Philodox sniffs and shrugs with a frown, finishing off the last piece of ham and chewing pensively. Once she's swallowed, she takes up the carton of milk again. "So your rite is this month, huh?" She eyes him measuringly. In the computer room, Grey looks up at that, frowning slightly. "Will the moon be full enough?" "You'd have to ask... Natalie," Kevin says, pausing for a moment before he utters the name, as though sorting through possible other words he could use to describe the elder instead, and discarding them. "She's awfully cagey about letting anything slip..." He finishes the coffee. "Do you mind if I clear out, and go snooze on the bunk for a spell? Running round in lupus is kinda wearying." In the computer room, "Just," she assures him. "Anyway, I figure I'll hup it out to the Caern. Maybe ask you to come, or bring the cubs. I won't know details until I see it. He was annoyingly... annoying, as usual. I almost told him to take his little mission and shove it where the sun doesn't shine." In the computer room, Grey's frown deepens. He nods, though it's clear that the man has doubts. Cy lifts one corner of her mouth and nods--more an expression of familiarity than an actual smile, but it's there. "Sure. I'm gonna take care of dishes. Y'wanna do some stuff in crinos in the basement tomorrow?" Her eyes glint rather darkly, with her suggestion. In the computer room, Natalie says "I'll see you for supper," as she closes the lap top, pushes her chair back, and stands. "We've got to get Jeren on remedial food prep too - she managed to burn a frozen pizza." Even as she speaks she's heading for the door, her hand trailing along the back of Grey's chair but not venturing over to actually touch him. "Catch you later." Kevin claps his hands together, having put down his empty mug. "You bet your socks," the British boy exclaims. "Be nice to see you in the war form when you're not trying to claw my eyes out... And I owe you the dishes tomorrow, don't let me forget." With which he quickly plonks the mug in the dishwasher, and makes for the exit. In the computer room, Grey tenses anyway, touch or no touch, and his nod is a little stiff. "Have a good run." She snorts wryly at his departing back, with a lifted wiggle of fingers in a wave. "'Kay. Bye." Natalie lets herself out of the computer room in a far better mood than she entered. Leaving the door open behind her, she glances toward the kitchen but heads for the outer door instead.