It is currently 16:48 Pacific Time on Thu Aug 25 2005.

Currently the moon is in the waning Gibbous Moon phase (61% full).

Farmhouse: Kitchen and Dining Room

Homey is the first word to come to mind when looking at the farmhouse's
      kitchen. Dark, wood-paneled wainscoting covers the walls to about waist 
      height, dark beige wallpaper continuing to the ceiling. Twin 
      refrigerators occupy the north wall, facing the large six-burner stove on 
      the south. The kitchen counter runs the length of the eastern wall, 
      broken only by the double-basin sink. Cabinets run above and below the 
      counter and a twin-pane window is set in the wall above the sink. A small 
      pantry is set into an alcove alongside the refrigerators, presumably 
      holding the deep freezer as well as shelves of dry goods.

Some twelve feet above the floor, a large chandelier hangs from the ceiling,
      lighting the dining room and casting long shadows over the bar to the 
      kitchen. A long table occupies the center of the dining room, three 
      chairs setting along each side, and one on each end. On the west wall, a 
      large window looks out on the trees alongside the western pasture. Set 
      into the north wall is a large cabinet, its glass doors closed on shelves 
      containing a full compliment of fine china and glassware as well as a few 
      decorative nicknacks. On the east, a wide bar separates the dining room 
      from the kitchen.

An opening in the southern wall allows passage to the front entryway of the
      house, while a sliding glass door in the kitchen opens to a clearing 
      behind the house.

Grey pushes open the screen door, coming in from the barnyard and bringing with
      him a distinct whiff of a recently-smoked cigarette.

Stacey is standing at the table in the kitchen, sandwich makings - bread, meat,
      cheese, and various other toppings - spread out before her as she makes 
      herself a meal. The Child glances up as Grey enters and smiles. "Hello. 
      Want a sandwich?"

Grey skims an eye over the makings before shaking his head slightly. "Had a
      late lunch, myself." The unsmiling, shaggy-headed Glass Walker prowls 
      past the table to the doorway leading to the front of the house and 
      glances down the hall. "Seen Tamara about?"

Stacey shakes her head as she continues fixing the meal. "No, sorry, not since
      yesterday. If she's not around here, she's probably on the bawn."

Grey grunts and moves back into the kitchen. "It's not urgent." He pulls out a
      chair opposite the Gaian and slouches into it. "Do you know anything 
      about a cub she's been teaching? An Ahroun with a big mouth?"

Stacey frowns and tilts her head. "Ahroun with a big mouth," she repeats.
      "Sounds like Basil, but I didn't know she was teaching him, if it is him. 
      He's a Gnawer, though. Why do ya ask?"

Grey folds his arms across his chest and leans back slightly in the chair.
      "He's obsessed with guns, apparently."

Stacey smirks. "Guns, huh? I'll admit he has a lot of maturing to do, at least
      from what I've seen. Has it become a problem somehow?"

"I won't know until I talk to him," says the Glass Walker with a shrug. "Guns
      do have their uses, especially in the city, but they're not /everything/."

Stacey nods, finishing the sandwich and sitting down. "Very true. They're
      tools, but not necessarily the best or only way for all circumstances. I 
      wish you luck with that talk."

Grey doesn't look all that optimistic, but that's hardly new. He shrugs again
      and changes the subject. "You still acting as Guardian?"

Stacey shakes her head. "No, haven't been for a while, not since Jacinta-rhya
      finally returned. It was fun while it lasted, though, and I learned a 
      great deal. Now, I'm looking to pack."

Grey reaches out a long arm and snags a slice of ham. "Mm," he says, rolling it
      up into a cylinder. "I seem to remember you thinking about Uktena, yes?"

Stacey nods and grins. "Yes, still am," she says between bites. "Planning to
      pack with Touch Deer-rhya, Jamethon-rhya, and Reggie-rhya under Uktena."

Grey's mouth thins. "You know, you don't need to slap a 'rhya' on everyone's
      name who's above you. There's courtesy, and then there's excessive 
      formality."

Stacey chuckles. "Well, ya never know who's a stickler for that and who isn't.
      It's safer to be formal unless you know otherwise." She shrugs. "How are 
      things in the city?"

Grey grimaces. "Too much territory, not enough Garou willing to protect it.
      Been a little more chaotic in places since the hospital exploded, but I'm 
      not certain whether that's due to spiritual backlash or people simply 
      reacting to the tragedy." He takes a bite out of his rolled-up slice of 
      ham. "Personally, I'm wondering how the explosion will affect Signe's 
      Adren Challenge, but I'm not about to hunt down Megan to ask her."

Stacey sighs, setting down the sandwich to reach for a drink. "Seems to be the
      same story everywhere: not enough Garou. I hope that things are able to 
      get resolved, and perhaps there will be a way to modify the challenge, 
      considering... I'm interested in who will become Master of Challenge, 
      myself."

Grey takes another bite while Stacey talks. "Layne continues to be among the
      missing, I take it?"

Stacey takes a drink and then nods. "Indeed, Yi spoke out against it at the
      moot, after becoming Fostern. Brom and Kenneth both challenged for it."

Grey's mouth thins out, his jaw tightening. "When was this?"

Stacey nods vaguely toward the bawn. "Last Thursday, at the moot. Olga was
      upset by it, but most everyone else agreed. Brom challenged Layne, and 
      Kenneth challenged whoever wins that challenge. With Layne not around..." 
      She spreads her hands.

Grey's grimace threatens to turn into an all-out scowl. "This Sept can't keep
      its leaders to save its life. Christ."

Stacey frowns. "Is this a common problem here? Leaders simply disappearing or
      not being around when needed? Because it seems rather unacceptable to me."

Grey finishes off the slice of ham. "All too common. But it's always been a
      rather strange Sept. Hell, we had barely taken it back from the Dancers 
      and gotten a new caern totem before our two strongest packs up and left. 
      Then the Warder, an Athro Ahroun, vanished."

Stacey shakes her head. "Well, this place could use stable leadership,
      something to keep this place in line, provide an example. Someone to 
      rally behind. This challenge now... it'll be hard either way. Brom has 
      gotten on the wrong side of many people, and Kenneth, much as I love him, 
      well, I doubt his past would be held against him, but depending on what 
      the challenge is, it might be hard for him to beat Brom."

Grey shifts his weight in the chair and folds his arms across his chest. "Do
      you think Brom would make a poor Master of the Challenge?" His good eye 
      is steady on the young Ahroun.

Stacey tilts her head and takes a good while to think about that question.
      "There have been instances that make me skeptical, but I doubt he'd make 
      a /poor/ Master of the Challenge. He'd probably do just fine, given the 
      chance. I'd rather give him the benefit of the doubt and hope..." Here 
      she falters, seeming to sink into a depression and then shrugs. "Who am I 
      to judge?"

The Glass Walker scratches absently at his stubbly chin. "You're an adult of
      this Sept. And any Garou in a position of power can be challenged. 
      Presuming we're not in an active state of war, of course."

Stacey gives a small smile and nods. "Of course. And I agree with why they're
      challenging, and will support whoever wins, as long as it's right to do 
      so." She takes a deep breath and then reaches for the remainder of her 
      sandwich. "What of you? Do you have any plans, perhaps to pack or 
      whatnot?"

Grey's mouth tightens again. He shrugs curtly. "Nothing definite at the moment.
      Between the safehouse and the city in general, I've been rather busy."

Stacey nods, losing the smile. "There's always somethin' more to do, huh? They
      told me I'd have little free time once I Rited, and they sure were right."

Grey lifts an eyebrow. "I don't remember having much free time as a /cub/."

Stacey chuckles. "True, but then was mainly learning and practicing, now it's
      /doing/, if you know what I mean."

"Mm," says Grey, which could mean anything. "I suppose so." He squints at her a
      bit. "How long have you been Cliath?"

Stacey narrows her eyes, mentally calculating. "Hmmm, I would say, just about
      seven months now. I Rited the end of January."

"Still young. Plenty of time." Grey shifts his weight and pushes to his feet.
      "I'm going to take a turn around the Bawn."

Stacey blinks, confused, and then nods. "All right, Gaia watch your steps,
      then. And I hope you find Tamara."

Grey lifts a hand in farewell. "Gaia watch." He heads through the house toward,
      and out of, the front door.