It is currently 10:03 Pacific Time on Fri Aug 13 2004.
Currently the moon is in the waning No Moon phase (16% full).

Cockroach Mansion -- Downstairs
The heavy, dark opulence to this mansion known as Dominion is perfectly
      exemplified by the room vistors first enter, this front hall. 
      Dark-stained wood serves as paneling on the walls, gleams with high gloss 
      in the hardwood floor, and supports a semi-circular balcony in carved 
      pillars. The heavy double doors, made of oak, open into the hall from the 
      south, opposite the huge, hourglass-shaped staircase composed of red and 
      black gneiss which soars up to the balcony; both are fenced in with a 
      wooden railing of simple spiraled posts. Several doorways can be made out 
      on the second floor, nearly blending in discreetly with the back wall. 
      The wall to the left of the front doors is composed entirely of windows 
      which run from the forty-foot-tall domed dark wood ceiling to the floor; 
      if drawn, the heavy velvet drapes of deep red would completely mask them 
      from view, but when parted, as they often are, one has a marvelous view 
      of the grounds outside.
A doorway to the right of the front doors leads to a parlor, and towards the
      back are the kitchens, the large dining room, and an office with an 
      adjoining bedroom suite.

Natalie pages: The geeks are revving up their laptops for a game of Unreal -
      Jeremy is a Crinos, of course. Marcus is looking on, bemused, and Nat's 
      just come in the front door, but she hasn't said anything yet.

Natalie pushes off the door and heads for the parlor. She hovers in the
      doorway, nodding whenever anyone glances her way, but otherwise keeping 
      quiet. She does say, "Marcus, when you have a minute I've got news, but 
      it's nothing urgent."
"Well, its just a first person shooter, as you can see." Jeremy points to the
      screen, motioning Marcus over to him. He shows off the small Crinos 
      figure which now looks like a big furry arm holding a baretta. "When I 
      run past him, he can see me at full view. The game is set up like this so 
      that you can see the full screen easier." Indeed, the rooms mirror the 
      Dominion, at least when it first opened up a couple years ago. Some 
      furntire is there a lot of the newer folks won't recognize. "I've dumped 
      a shit load of weapons and power up's all through the maps. I got the 
      basement and attic and you can run out the back door to the yard. The map 
      goes as far as the gate in the front. Otherwise, its pretty decent. Its 
      not my best map, but its my favorite. I got this one up on the Walker 
      server and we play at night every third saturday of the month. We trade 
      off maps every three games so that you can't memorize where all the stuff 
      is at." He taps the volume buttton up a bit, then opens up the firewall 
      so that Saul can join in. "Hurry up Tiffany so you can get your prison 
      loving." He croons over to the cub.
Chaney comes bounding noisily down the stairs in her new Chuck Taylors and new
      mall-bought clothes and new short-cropped bicolored hair. "Bay-guhl," she 
      sings out, in no particular key. "Bay-guhl, bay bay baaaaaay guhl guhl 
      guh-uh-uh-uh-uhlll."
Saul smirks at this, "Prison loving. You're the one who's going to end up a
      huge red mark on the upper hallway." He turns to look quickly over his 
      shoulder and spots Chaney and says in a mute tone, "I think she wants a 
      bagel, but that's just me." He quickly grabs a pair of sunglasses out of 
      his bag and dons the mirrored wrap=-arounds, "Gotta look cool when I jib 
      you to high hell."
Marcus nods to Natalie, and then listens to Jeremy/ And he listens, and looks,
      steams seems to begin to escape from his ears. "Jeremy." His voice is 
      quiet and calm. "Are you in fact telling me that there is a 3D, fully 
      interactive, map of our home on the /internet/?" Chaney goes ignored.
Natalie glances over her shoulder to Chaney, the cub getting a fond smirk.
      "Morning, Chaney. What, not 'popcorn'? You want breakfast?" The hoohah 
      inside the parlor she pays no attention to - perhaps she didn't hear 
      Marcus' words. Chaney is awfully bouncy, after all.
Chaney may have /wanted/ a bagel, though she gets sidetracked by Natalie and
      the parlor. The cub cranes her neck to peer past the slightly shorter 
      Galliard, then turns to her and bares her teeth in a grin too feral and 
      toothy for the bubblegum-punk mallbaby appearance she otherwise has. 
      "POPcawn. Yeh Shaynee popcawn bay-guhl." Wow. Four whole words strung 
      together.
"Not this map per'say. Not the original one. I'm only using it for Saul. Check
      it out." Jeremy selects the preferences pane and then clicks on a map 
      that says DomII. The server pauses for a moment, shuts down, then boots 
      back up. Its like the Dominion, but its not. Everything is painted in a 
      weird color, rooms are shaped differently, furniture is now stuck on the 
      ceiling instead of the floor. "I only used the original map skin when I 
      used to play with the others, ya'know, Ebony and what not. I'm not stupid 
      enough to put our home out for everyone to see."
Saul just sits there and listens to the conversation that could quite possibly
      end up badly. Or no. Mqaybe. Well whatever. He just sits there, 
      headphones on, joystick in hand, a deer-in-headlights look on his face.
"I see." Marcus calms down somewhat, although he's still not completely
      convinced when he sees the new map. "I trust along with your 
      other....modifications, you've also changed the layout?"
"C'mon, kiddo," Nat says, pushing herself off the frame to head back to the
      kitchen. "Let's go see what we've got for breakfast. Maybe later I'll 
      talk you and Saul out for a little patr... no, never mind. That's the 
      stupidest thing I've ever said." The last's almost to herself.
"Moofie?" says Chaney hopefully, following Natalie toward the kitchen.
Jeremy tilts his head a bit and looks past his computer and over to Natalie,
      furrowing his brows just a bit. Clicking his tongue ring against his 
      teeth, he nods slowly to Marcus. "Yah.. upstairs is now the downstairs." 
      He taps the preferences again, switching the map back. "Hey Natalie!" He 
      calls out, waving to her quickly, giving her a quick smile.
"Maybe Marcus'll take you to a movie," the Galliard says, already back in the
      kitchen. "Or... no, he's out of town. Crap. Sorry, kiddo, I can't take 
      you until Alex is taken care of. Again." The kin's call catches her 
      attention and she calls back a, "Morning," but doesn't stop rummaging in 
      the fridge.
Chaney gets a confused look on her face but doesn't say anything other than a
      vague mumble as she plops down into a chair at the kitchen table.
"Oh, I see." Marcus considers this for a moment. "Well, you boys have fun.
      You'll have to show me this game sometime, but for now I should go and 
      recieve Natalie's news." And he heads into the kitchen just in time to 
      hear Natalie suggest he takes Chaney to a movie.
"Damn, bagle run later." Mutter mutter, the Galliard. "Damn poppyseed... OK,
      here." She retreats from the fridge with a bagle in either hand - one 
      poppyseed, one innocuously 'plain'. "Chaney, come on over. You get to 
      slice them today." She greets the Philodox with a tilting of her chin, a 
      sort of nod, and yet another, "Morning."
"Mawn-in," calls out Chaney to the Philodox as she bounces back to her feet and
      heads over to help Natalie with the bagel-prep.
"Morning." Marcus nods to the two. "You mentioned having some news for me,
      Natalie?"
Natalie says "Yeah." She pulls the bread knife from the block for Chaney, then
      returns to the fridge for butter and jam. "Went out to the Farm last 
      night and this morning, but I couldn't find Megan. So no joy on that 
      question. Plus also -- what's up with Alex? You want me to leave? If he 
      knew who I was," she taps her forehead with a jar of grape jelly, "Stands 
      to reason that he's got the same sort of psychic friends crap that Thomas 
      had.""
Chaney pays only a little attention to the conversation, more on the gathering
      of resources for the Making of Bagel Happiness. As much to herself as to 
      show off, the lupus names the objects on the counter. "Bay-guhl. Nife. 
      Pwate. Jeh-wee. Buh-tuh." Then backwards. "Buh-tuh. Jeh-wee. Pwate. Nife. 
      Bay-guhl."
Marcus shakes his head, ignoring Chaney. "No, I don't want you to leave. Given
      that I plan to destroy the Russians this weekend, leaving would be 
      counterproductive." Well that's a sharp about turn.
/That/ sends Nat's eyebrows sharply upward. "...Oh? This isn't as flip as it
      sounds, but you and what army? --Practice saying your 'R', Chaney. Arrr." 
      She unloads her goodies at the table, and tosses a wry smile Marcus' way. 
      "Maybe her next movie should be 'Pirates of the Carribbean'."
Chaney bares her teeth and makes 'rrrrrr' noises, obediently. She 'rrrr's at
      the jelly, she 'rrrrrr's at the butter, and she 'rrrrrrr's at the bagels 
      that get sliced.
The bagles are properly cowed.
"Well, I'm going to talk to a few of the pack Alphas." Marcus replies after a
      long moment. "And get myself an army. Plenty of Glory for everyone." He 
      dosn't comment on the movie.
"Count Havoc in," Nat says. Like that's a shock. "Hmn... Can't see Resonance or
      Griphus being interested, but you might as well ask. This for just packs, 
      or can anyone who won't wig out at being in the city play too?"
"Anyone can play, so long as they're willing to accept my authority." Marcus
      replies. There's a very long pause before he finally adds. "And the 
      authority of the various pack Alphas."
Chaney, while the grown-ups talk, slices and butters and jellies her bagel,
      making little 'rrr' noises under her breath.
Natalie 'mnh's at that, squinching up her face. "And Kin? They going to come
      play too?" She doesn't sound all that thrilled by the idea, and 
      immediately adds, "Considering the fun Havoc had with him last time, I'd 
      give that a big ol' no, but it's your show."
"No." Marcus shakes his head. "Kin are not going to come and play. I didn't
      send Emily away for shits and giggles." He sounds very firm on that point.
"Well, thanks for thinking of my safety!" Jermey calls out jokingly after Saul
      takes off, chuckling to himself a bit as he relaxes in the chair, then 
      starts to tap away at a few keys, humming to himself.
"You sent Emily away?" Nat echoes, surprised. The parlor's far enough from the
      kitchen, and she's so involved in the conversation that Jeremy and Saul 
      might as well be on another block. "When?"
"She left for Canada with Jon today." Marcus replies, before calling back to
      Jeremy. "I'd send you and Rina away too Jeremy, but somehow I doubt you'd 
      listen to me. And you, after all, make a big deal out of how well you can 
      protect yourself."
Jeremy chuckles again and packs up his laptop, then starts for the front door,
      calling over his shoulder. "Later guys!"
Chaney finishes loading up her bagel and, after licking the knife clean, leans
      against the counter to munch away at her favorite food. One of them, 
      anyway. No wonder the girl's getting soft in the belly. (Though she's not 
      fat. Yet.)
Nat says, "Just let me know what you want me to do - I imagine you'll want me
      running news?" She grimaces at nothing, runs her hands through her hair. 
      "Hell."
"Later Jeremy." Marcus replies, before nodding. "Spread the word, as quickly as
      possible. We need to them scouted out, then move in for the kill."
Natalie taps the cell on her hip. "That's why we've got the technology. I'll
      call hmn, Megan and Alicia, probably, since I've had squat-all luck 
      catching Megan. And Signe, of course. I don't want to go out to the 
      farmhouse unless I have to." But she glances over at the slightly-pudgy 
      cub. "Speaking of, are we going to ship Chaney and Saul out there until 
      this is taken care of?"
Chaney, mouth full, looks up and pays attention as her name gets mentioned.
Marcus shakes his head. "No. This will be a good experience for them. If they
      want to be Glass Walkers, they need to learn to survive in the City. 
      Letting them run off to the forest would only harm their development."
"I'd ship her off to Vancouver if I thought it'd help," Nat says, sounding
      faintly surly. "But all right. Chaney, finish your bagle and we'll go 
      workout. Anything else, Marcus?"
Marcus frowns at the comment about Vancouver, perhaps a little surly himself.
      "Nothing else, no. Do you have anything else?"
Chaney's brow is furrowing as she tries to follow the details of the
      conversation. At Natalie's order, though, she finishes stuffing the bagel 
      into her face and chews-chews-chews.
Natalie offers him a smirk. "Nothing since yesterday morning, no. Though...
      guns. I want something decent, and it's more than time for Chaney to 
      learn. ...Chaney?" she adds, looking toward the chipmunk masquerading as 
      a teenager, "Do you want to learn how to use a gun? Like Neo and Trinity?"
"Neo and Trinity?" Marcus rolls his eyes, muttering something about role-models
      and Garou.
Chaney swallows her food. "May-twicks!" she says, on cue.
Natalie grins at her, then transfers it to him. "Exactly. Matrix. So. Guns.
      Boomsticks. You've got Saul started, right?"
"Not yet." Marcus shakes his head. "I've spoken to him about it, though."
"First person shooter'd probably be good..." Nat studies Chaney again. "Yeah.
      Think it'd be a good idea if Saul were to show Chaney some of his 
      software. Like what they were playing today. Doom. All that fun stuff."
Chaney licks her lips and wipes crumbs out of the corners of them. "Gun.
      Shaynee gun." She brings her hands together, miming what she's seen on TV.
"Those things arn't going to help much, although they'd be useful up to a
      point." is Marcus opinion. "Yes Chaney, gun." The Philodox takes his own 
      out, removes the clip and lays it down on the table.
"Useful for targeting," Nat argues, he heart not really in it. "And they get
      you used to firing on moving objects, not just the paper targets." With 
      raised eyebrows she watches to see what Chaney does, adding, "We still 
      have to get a gun for me. I'm thinking I'd like to start carrying one 
      regularly."
Chaney's eyes focus on the gun on the table. She looks from it to Marcus and
      back again.
"It dosn't help at all with targeting and firing on moving objects." Marcus
      replies. "There's no drag, no weight, no kick...it's just pressing 
      buttons. Useless." He looks at Chaney, and then the gun. "Pick it up, 
      Chaney."
"If you say so," Nat replies, all sweetness and light. And she believes it...
      not at all.
Ah-ha! Permission! Chaney's eyes light up like a kid at Christmas spying that
      brand-new bike under the tree. Eagerly, she snatches up the gun -- then 
      blinks at its weight. The lupus' head cocks, and she brings it to her 
      face to sniff at the cold, dark metal.
Marcus is equally certain he's right, but dosn't say anything. Instead he just
      watches Chaney play with the gun.
"What kind of gun is that, Marcus? A..." Natalie squints one eye at it. "Sig
      220, right? Or cripes, a Glock? I don't know how you manage to tell them 
      apart."
Chaney soon enough figures out how to hold it. Or, rather, how to hold it
      movie-gansta-style. Damn those mindless action flicks. Those mindless 
      action flicks that don't teach basic gun safety. Chaney holds it sideways 
      and points it a little too close to Natalie. "Innishmuhfuhuh!" she 
      eclaims fiercely, completely mangling a popular line from _Pulp Fiction_ 
      (don't ask how many times she's watched it). "Dyoo-speekit?"
Natalie immediately reaches over to push the muzzle of the gun away, frowning.
      "I don't care if it's not loaded, you /never/ point a gun at someone 
      unless you plan on using it. You got it, Chaney?"
Marcus just watches in amusement, not saying anything for now.
Chaney, chastened, deflates a little, and experimentally points the weapon at
      the oven, finger twitching on the trigger. Good thing Marcus unloaded it.
Natalie settles back in her chair once the gun's no longer pointed at her. She
      mutters something about already having been shot by that gun, and not 
      wanting it to happen again. "If you want to learn how to shoot, Chaney, 
      then you'll have to ask Marcus to teach you. I'm not good enough to be 
      taking on students."
Marcus is silent on the matter. Chaney will have to ask, if she wants.
"Shaynee /gun/," says the lupus firmly, carefully pronouncing the second word.
      She lowers the weapon and looks from Natalie to Marcus.
Natalie considers Marcus as well - just for a second. "Try it this way, Chaney:
      Marcus, I want to use a gun."
Chaney turns her head to blink those quizzical baby blues of hers at Natalie.
Not about to ruin Nat's lesson, Marcus dosn't say anything.
Natalie says "'Marcus, I want to use a gun,' is the way people ask for things.
      Not 'Chaney gun'."
Natalie adds, encouragingly, "I know you can do it."
Chaney's brow furrows. "Mah-ehs," she says slowly. "Eye-wan, chyoos, gun." She
      turns to the Philodox. "Mah-ehs, eye-wan, ch'yoos, /gun/."
Long distance to the room: Chaney gotta go very very soon now, like in a couple
      minutes.
"Then I'll teach you how, Chaney." Marcus replies, once the lupus turns to
      address him and gets the words out.