All doorways in the front part of the house lead to the front hallway, a J-shaped area with the short tail starting at the stairs, the front door hitting the bottom curve, the doorless opening to the living room halfway up the long side, and the also doorless opening to the kitchen and dining room at the very top. The hall has a simple wooden floor, and decorated with a generic print of soft-colored flowers hanging on the wall to the right of the front door, and a tall table sitting under the print which serves as a place to toss keys. A closet under the stairs serves as a place to hang coats or to toss shoes.
The doorless opening to the living room is halfway up the side of the hall's J, and the word cozy might spring to mind when looking into is, as it seems to radiate comforting vibrations. A long couch sits against the south wall beneath a large bay window curtained only by sheers that manages to obscure the view in but only filters the day's light. A variety of out-of-date magazines are strewn atop a low coffee table; more neatly presented are the plethora of books filling the small bookshelves which line the eastern wall. Three chairs sit about the room, focused inward, to allow group conversations. Large floor pillows are stacked in one corner of the room, except one, which lies carelessly in the middle of the floor, apparently left out the last time it was used.
An opening in the northern end of the hallway allows access to the kitchen and dining room at the back of the house, while carpeted stairs twist up at the other end of the hall, leading to the second floor. A door at the base of the J lets out to the front porch.
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.
Hardwood floors creak beneath your feet as you step into the hallway. A single lamp hanging just above the stairway sheds enough light to prevent serious accidents but allows shadows to shroud the majority of the ceiling and the several doorframes on both sides of the hall at night. During the day, however, sunlight streaming in from the windows at both ends bathes the hall in golden light.
A room converted into a small, private infirmary is through one of the doors to the west, while the door to the east on the farthest end leads to a stairway up to the attic. The stairs down lead to the main floor of the house.
Low-ceilinged and dimly lit by a window set low in eastern wall just above the stairs, the attic is permeated with a strong, lingering scent of herbs and the sense of old power. The only furniture is a large bed on the western wall and a full-length mirror on the northern one. A large pile of second-hand sleeping bags, a stack of washed sheets, and a jumble of pillows occupies one corner, usable by the temporary inhabitants of the farmhouse. A single globed light bulb dangling from the peaked ceiling is the only source of light at night.
A steep stairway leads down from here, the door at the bottom opening on the eastern end of the hallway.
Bernie follows Kaz in, glancing around curiously, and laughs at the last comment, pushing her curls out of her face. "Guess they heard ya comin'.... or maybe me. Tell me th' truth, is it my perfume?" She grins, and adjusts her backpack on her shoulder.
Prudence raps on the front door, firmly, but not in haste.
Kaz shoots Bernie a grin. "Yeah, they smell it from miles away," and goes to get the door. Straightening slightly at the stranger, she asks, "Can I help you?" She even sounds a little formal. Wow.
Christopher walks down the staircase and sits down at the bottom of the steps, looking out into the living room curiously.
Bernie stays a step or so behind Kaz as the door is opened, and peers slightly around her to see what manner of person might be arriving, her attention only distracted for a moment by the sound of the boy on the stairs. She idly rummages in a jacket pocket, withdrawing a tootsie pop after a few moments, unwrapping it, and shoving the wrapper back in her pocket as she pops the sweet into her mouth.
Prudence blinks a little. In her arms, she's got two big brown grocery bags with the 'Safeco' logo prominently displayed upon them. "Um, yeah. I'm, ah, relative, of a lady named Signe. And, ah, she said that you guys could use some food here. Something about it spoling, youbetcha." Her Midwestern accent is thick with her nervousness. "Do I have the right place?"
Kaz brightens a lot, at the mention of Signe. "Oh, hey, you, relative, huh? I used t'run with her, actually. C'mon in, you got a name? Me, I'm Kaz."
Prudence nods, smiling a little. She adjusts the load in her arms and walks in. "Pru. Pru Schaefer. Nice to meet you."
"Bernie," the girl behind Kaz pipes up by way of introduction, surprisingly clearly for having a lollipop in her mouth, and gives a little wave. "Niceta meetcha...."
Kaz offers, "You want, I can help carry some've that stuff?"
Prudence grunts, "Yeah. That would be... helpful."
Bernie moves to the side a bit, offering, "Well, if y'need more hands, I got a couple extra 'round here somewhere too..." She adjusts her glasses slightly with one of them as she eyes the bags.
Kaz grabs a bag, and drags it kitchenwards. "Yeah, it all spoiled. Some kinda bane nonsense," she explains, almost cheerfully.
Prudence ohs, relaxing a little bit, following Kaz into the kitchen with the other bag. She offers a small smile to Bernie then says, in general, "I dunno what, y'know, protocol is here."
Kaz starts unpacking the bags. Orderly, she's not. "Well, I dunno, either. I don' live here, I live Citywards. But, I mean, you're Kin, right?"
Bernie grins, and shrugs, "Me neither. I just got here myself....." She trails along behind the others, pulling the sucker out of her mouth a moment and examining it critically before popping it back into place.
Prudence smiles at those words. "Yes. To the Get of Fenris. I'm kinda new in town."
Kaz says, "Well, see, Kin, I give, like, a real introduction to. So. I'm Kaz, Ears t'Garou, Bone Gnawer and Galliard and packin' under the Totem of Rat, and I'm glad t'meetcha."
A thought occurs to Bernie, and she darts around the pair of you to open the door Kaz seems headed for, and hold it for the two of you. Gotta be useful somehow, right?
Kaz gives Bernie a grin. "Thanks," she mutters, and starts unpacking things. "Might wanna do intro things, there, Bern."
The door to the fridge stands open, and as the voices he heard in the front room grow suddenly louder, Matt stands up from his rummaging, holding a frozen pizza and can of Guinness. He's still wearing clothes from work: A pair of black jeans, and a stained polo shirt with "Ruth's Cris Steakhouse" embroidered over the breast. He looks a bit tired, and happy to be home.
Bernie follows the other two women in, after holding the door for them. She lets it fall closed, and her eyes widen a bit behind her glasses in surprise, "Oh, uh, right. Sorry, lessee..." She glances a bit curiously toward the room's other occupant, then to the blond woman. "I'm Bernie... no special names... Ragabash Bone Gnawer cub...." she announces, eyes darting to Kaz at the end, "...'d I do that right?"
Kaz tells Matt, "More food ho," and plunks the bags on the table. "Y'did good, Bern -- we'll have t'get you a deed name soon, though, f'sure."
Prudence sets the Safeco bag on the counter, and smiles at Matt. "Hi."
Matt sets his frozen pizza on the counter, sets the oven, then turns to the groceries, eagerly peeking inside. "Mmm. Excellent. What'd ye get? Oi was goin' ta fix this for me Jim, but I'd be 'appy ta cook if you mates are kippered."
Kaz gives Matt a dubious look. "Dude, you been workin' in a damn restaurant all day. You want somethin', I'll fuckin' make it, ok?"
Bernie blinks as Matt speaks, mouth opening slightly and then closing again. She removes the tootsie pop from it as she wanders over closer to the bags, weilding the candy slightly dangerously in one hand as she, too, peeks inside. "What," she comments after a moment, deadpan, "...no caviar?"
Prudence has quietled, a bit uncomfortable. She looks at Matt as if he was speaking Swahili.
Matt reaches in the bag, pulling out bacon, sausage and an economy pack of hamburger. /Someone/ knows how to shop for carnivores. He smiles at Kaz. "Sandshoe to ye, Kaz, if ye would. I'm a bit knackered. Not that Oi work /that/ 'ard. All Oi can get at my age is a busboy job. And that's only as long as no one looks at me records to 'ard. I'm pretty sure me Visa's expired."
"Talk t'the Walkers, man." That said, she gives the meat a thoughtful look. "You wannan omlette, maybe?"
Bernie pauses a moment, mentally translating Matt's accent as she helps pull things from the bags, setting random items on the table for the moment. "By the way, hi," she addresses him, "You prolly heard my introduction kinda thingy, yeah?"
Prudence settles herself down on a chair. "So, um, who hangs out here?"
Kaz says, "Cubs, Garou, random Kin who can cope wtih us growlin' at em, that's pretty much it. It kinda varies a lot -- different people here every time I come."
Matt nods, brow furrowing as he thinks. "Aye, an omelette would be far better than this," he lifts the pizza to return it to Dis, "cardboard thing. Glass Walker. The only one Oi can fink of right now is Lucca." He smiles to Bernie. "Oi fink I got it. Bernie, Ragabash Bone Gnawer Cub. Oi'm Matt Fulton, Fianna Philodox, and nearly eternal cub. Though that changes as soon as Oi talk to Brian about it."
Kaz grabs the sausages and takes a few out of the package. Setting them to fry, she nods. "Carnivorous omlette, coming up. S'you new here, Pru?"
Prudence frowns, just a little, at Matt's introduction. But then she's distracted by Kaz. "Yeah, I'm a frosh at SCCU. Moved here in August."
Bernie grins, and returns the tootsie pop to her mouth. "Niceta meetcha, Matt," she replies, pulling the last few things from the bag and folding it flat on the table. "...so how does that change?" she queries after a moment, directed about as much to Kaz as to Matt, though she adds more to him, "...th' cubness, I mean, not it bein' niceta meetcha, that c'n stay th' same." One of the stray curls gets pushed back into place behind her ear, and promptly pops righ tback out again.
"Yeah? Whatcha studyin'?" Her own attention is diverted, though, and she explains to Bernie, as she starts chopping a green pepper, "Well, basically, we stuff you full of fighting practice, and all the information you can handle, and then you finally bitch enough so we send you on your Rite. It's more organized than that, 'course, but it's a good summary."
Matt shrugs. "Oi ask the Righ to take me on me Rite of Passage. If I live, I'm not a cub anymore, I'd be a Cliath, like Kaz 'ere." He nods to Kaz's summary of the preparation for the Rite and adds, "You'd study a lot more than fighting. Because of my auspice Oi got a crash course in the Litany, until Oi know it up and down."
Prudence is obviously struggling to understand the cubs. To Kaz, she says, "Animal Science."
"Gonna be a vet? Rockin'." The metis grins at Matt. "Dude, it's why I mentioned the information part, y'know?"
Unsure where the food should be put away, Bernie just puts her hands into her jacket pockets for the moment, and steps back, sucking on her lollipop. "A'ight... whassa 'Righ'?" She doesn't wait to be answered before she cheerfully adds, to Prudence, "Breedin' Quantum Hens?"
Kaz settles to making omlette bits. Peppers, sausages, mushrooms, a little garlic, salt, pepper, and thoroughly beaten eggs.
Prudence tries to figure out Bernie's joke for a while before she smiles a little. "No. Like Kaz said. Studying to be a vet."
Matt nods to Kaz. "'M sorry. A bit testy yet. There's this real twist at work, and we nearly got into a read an' write. And Oi'm at the 'bitch until we send you on your Rite,' part." He comes out from behind the counter with his beer, to better get out of Kaz's way, and pulls out a chair between Prudence and Bernie. "The 'Righ' is my tribe's elder. Echen. It's gaelic."
Kaz drips the egg into the pan with a sizzle, and grins at Matt. "No problem -- wasn't as if you were callin' me a moron or nothin'."
Prudence stands up soon after Matt sits. "I better get back to town, lab in the morning. Maybe I'll come out again."
Kaz looks a little disappointed. "Ain't gonna stay for eggs?"
Bernie slides into the vacated chair a bit more gracefully than usual, and crosses her arms on the tabletop, leaning forward a bit and watching the cooking process. She nods a bit in response to the explanation, and smiles over her shoulder at Prudence.
Prudence lets her discomfort show on her face for just a moment. "Maybe... next time. Thanks for letting me in."
Matt smiles ruefully. "Didn't mean ta run ye off, but Oi understand. Hope ta attend college myself next year. Pleasure to meet you."
Kaz nods, softly. "Ar'ight. Talk t'you later. I hang out at Sig's some, so, y'know, if I run into you, I'll say hey." She pauses to rescue the eggs, and then starts heaping them onto three plates.
Prudence waves briefly, and heads out.
Kaz eats her eggs, then heads off to the bathroom for a bit.
Matt digs into his eggs, quickly and noisily devouring them. The rest of the Guiness disappears equally fast. "Ah, excellent Jim. Sets me right back."
Bernie pulls the tootsie pop's wrapper from her pocket, and carefully rewrap the sucker, setting it down on the table beside her plate. "So," she starts, getting a forkfull of omlette together, "...we c'n still go t' college an' stuff?" She glances in the direction of the vanished Kaz, and adds more quietly, a bit wistfully even, "...only I was kind of worried that was out now, and I was always gonna be th' first person in my family t' go t' college an' alll..."
Matt shrugs. "Last Oi checked, there were several of us at SCCU. Not sure how good their letters are, though." He grins, lopsided. "We do a lot of things that aren't really good for studying."
"Th' whole fightin' evil thing," Bernie remarks, and grins, a bit relieved. "Bet Robin th' Boy Wonder turned in a few assignments late too..." She chews a few bites of her omlette, then makes a face as she swallows. "Drinks. Need something to drink." With that, she rises, and heads over to the fridge.
Matt sets his empty can on the table with a clank. "Pass me anovver stella, would you?"
"Sure thing, Stanley," Bernie smirks, and tosses you another of the beers. She eyes the remaining cans a moment, but pulls out a can of soda for herself instead, and wanders back, gently kicking the fridge door closed behind her with her boot.
"Ah, there's a mate," Matt coos, opening the new Guinness. The nitrous disk at the top clacks, suddenly frosting the can. This draws a frown from Matt, as always. "Not quite as good this way," he mutters.
Bernie drops back into her chair, popping the top of her own can as she does. "Whatcha mean?" she queries, and grins again, "y'like it better closed?"
Matt wipes some of the frost off the can. "Nah, some Yank decided Guinness should be cold, like every other American excuse for a pint. It's just not the same." Before Bernie might protest, he adds, "Mind ye, Oi /like/ cold beer. Just not Guinness."
Bernie laughs, and sips her Coke. "Well, so why don'tcha keep a few at room temp or somethin'? In a cupboard, y'know? An'..." She pauses, eyes unfocusing a second, and then adds, "...I was gonna say, open it with a canopener or somethin', but that could be dangerous... one'a those metal things with th' triangle bit on one end, use one'a those t' make a hole, an' pour it out warm." She sets her can down on the table, satisfied, and procedds to go to work on teh omlette in earnest.
Matt grins wider. "Well, Oi would, but to tell you the truth...they're Megan's pints."
Bernie laughs again, and gets a slightly mischevious glint in her eye as she puts on a more serious expression. "Well, if y're drinkin' 'em anyhow, an' that's okay, it's gotta be okay if y' put th' ones y're gonna drink anyhow aside, right?" she proposes, in an eminently reasonable tone.
Matt ponders. "Oi could open a few, and just wait until they get warm..." He shakes his head. "You /are/ a Ragabash."
Bernie grins again, and finishes the rest of her eggs. "Who, me? Just bein' logical," she protests, though not very hard... and the grin doesn't help the believability, either. She takes a drink of the soda, and then stands, picking up her plate. "Done with yours?"
Matt nods, pushing the plate across the table. He yawns, stretching his arms out to his sides and arching his back, which pops quietly.
Bernie stacks the pair of plates and carries them to the sink, where she hesitates a moment before simply laying them in one side of it and heading back to the table, and her drink. She sits, and picks up the tootsie pop, regarding it a moment before it disappears into a pocket of her jacket. "So," she says, putting on a bit of wide-eyed innocence but failing to remove all the dryness from her tone, "you from around here?" She can't quite keep it up, and ends up smiling into her soda can as she sips.
Since he has a mouthful of beer, Matt tries very hard not to laugh, but can't help but chuckle (or gargle, more like). With difficulty, he manages to swallow, eyes watering. "Ow," he says.
That reaction sets off a similar one in the Ragabash, who quickly plants a hand over her mouth to seal in the coke and prevent an unseemly spray. She swallows, and grins at you before draining the rest of the can. "Sorry," she remarks, not sounding particularly.
Matt waves off the apology, wiping his eyes. "London, actually," he croaks. "Came out here shortly after me Firstin', and got turned out by my blister. Megan picked me up and dropped me 'ere, where Oi've been for the past nine months." He tips back the can and finishes it. "Oi hang out, help ta keep an eye on cubs 'oo are newer than I, and work. Not much else to it," he shrugs.
"Thought so," Bernie replies, satisfied, "...th' London part, I mean, anyhow." She turns the empty soda can in her hands, glancing at it. "I prolly oughta look inta workin' somewhere too. Though, I might as well wait a couple weeks 'til it's legal an' all." She looks over again, "D'any of y'all go t' high school an' stuff? Otherwise I prolly oughta just take th' GED then too..." She shakes her head, "This's all weird, haven't got it all sorted yet. I only started turnin' into a huge ravenin' beast a week or two ago. ....well, 'less you ask my sister, but..."
Matt nods. "Sure, Oi went ta school, hung out with me mates. I didn't Change until around January. Oi woke up in a pool of my Stepmother." He is quieter, unsettled. "It wasn't a good First Change, and I still don't remember it well. The Garou didn't find me until I was in the states arranging details for the funeral with my sister in Portland, but I got to go to middle school, sure."
Bernie wrinkles her nose, and nods, evidentally imagining that. "Not 'zactly a good time had by all, I guess." She regards you a few moments, forehead wrinkling a bit again as she considers. "How old're you, y' mind if I ask?"
Matt pushes up from the table. "Seventeen as of September. Next year, I'm going ta look into going to SCCU, maybe a better job. Depends on what Oi'm doing for a pack."
"Th' one just past, yeah? Cool. Happy b'lated birthday." Bernie stifles a yawn, adding, "Mine's th' 22nd. 's a week away now I guess." She grins, "...'s a good thing I wasn't ever 'specting t' have a big ol' Sweet Sixteen party, or I mighta been disappointed..."
Hands on his hips, Matt bends backwards to pop his back again. "The 22nd, hmm? You may get one anyway, then." He yawns. "Oi need ta bo peep. Oi'm knackered. /And/ Oi 'ave ta work lunch tomorrow." He offers his hand. "Very pleased to 'ave met you. Oi know almost as many Gnawers as Oi do Fianna, and most of 'em are fine mates."
Bernie stands herself, and shakes the proffered hand, looking pleased. "'s niceta meet you, too. I don' think I know any other Fianna, but you seem pretty cool, so hey." She glances in the direction of the disappearing Kaz again, and adds, "...there anywhere here I c'n crash, too?"
Matt smiles. "Sure. There are spare bedrolls in the attic. Chances are pretty good you'll spend some time out here until you get the ground rules down. A few things you need to know to keep you from getting us all killed. Nothing too difficult, but when Kaz or another elder tells you something, it's deadly serious, roight?"
Bernie nods. "Roight. I mean, right," she corrects herself, a tad sheepishly. "Kaz taught me th' Lit'ny already; they wouldn' let me outta Signe's 'partment 'til she got done with that, a'least. I know there's a metric buttload more stuff t' learn though... attic, huh? I'm gonna go ahead an' guess I c'n find that in th' up direction."
Matt nods. "'m headed that way. If you got the Litany, you're a step ahead, and'll have an idea /why/ Megan and Kaz ask you to do or not to do."
Bernie nods again, pushing a couple more stray curls out of her face. "Yeah, I always did better with takin' orders if someone told me th' background reasonin' first... I haven't met Megan yet. Who's she?"
Matt smiles. His spikes are unruly, but out of the way. "Philodox elder, queen of the house, Fianna. you'll meet her. She'll probably tell you not to leave the farmhouse, at least until she's checked with Signe and Kaz, and not to answer any questions unless you know the person you're talking to is Garou, and not to shift unless you're in the barn." He looks up at the ceiling for a second. "Oi don't fink I'm forgetting anyfing, but there may be more."
Bernie laughs, and shakes her head slightly, which immediately cancels out the effort of moving the hair in the first place. "Oh, great, not house 'rrest again... I'm pretty much outta books t' read." She pauses, "...weird question... nowhere but th' barn? How 'bout, say, th' bathroom? 'cause that's where I was practisin' at Signe's, y'know," she pauses, cheeks gaining a slight shade of pinkness as she finishes, "'cause of th' clothing problem an' all."
Matt smiles. "Ah. Clothes. Note to Megan: Rite of Talisman Dedication for Bernie. That'll get you a set of Jekylls that stay wif you when you shift. Oi wouldn't worry about it, too much. You get used to nudity Oi suppose, or become terminally embarassed. Anyway, barn's pretty much it, so we don't have wolves wandering 'round in the Mickey."
Bernie pauses slightly longer than usual translating that one, and then shakes her head, "Mosta 'em I c'n fathom, but, Jekylls? I can't come up witha proper word for 'em that rhymes with Hyde.... know whatcha mean though, Kaz was talkin' bout that thing, only she dunno how t' do it, so. Sounds a good plan t' me though..." She fingers the chain about her neck, which on closer examination is actually made up of several shorter and somewhat mismatched chains, "firs'time I was wearin' my necklace an' it took us a while t' find th' pendant; th' chain was a dead loss... jus' glad I di'n have my jacket on, y'know? Hard t' r'place." Another slight pause, "...an' thanks."
Matt says "Hyde, strides...trews, y'know." he shrugs. "An' yer welcome. No reason not ta make ye at 'ome. we're cousins, now."
Bernie snaps her fingers, "Oh! Got it, okay. Notta synonym in my normal vocab, y'know?" She leans down and scoops her backpack off the floor and over her shoulder in a quick, fluid move. "So, up, up, an' away?"
Matt smiles wider. "Yep, second floor. No, wait. third."
Matt ushers her toward the hallway with a grand, chivalrous gesture.
Bernie grins and makes a little bob of a mock-curtsey as she passes in the indicated direction.
Matt points up the stairs. "First floor, Ladies stockings, Megan's room, a little infirmary for when ye get hurt." He does not say, "if."
"Any of th' cool rainbow tie-dyed kind?" Bernie queries idly, starting up the stairs, "Always wanted somea those..."
Matt opens the door at the far end of the hall and climbs the stairs up to the attic.
Bernie looks around, and nods approvingly. "Lovely, that'll do nicely..." She tilts her head at the bed, "That b'long t' anyone in particular?"
Matt shrugs. "Oi've been using it on and off, but for yer first night 'ere, you take it. Oi'll kip over there in Bohemian decadence."
"Mmmm," Bernie replies, vaguely Homer-esque, "Bohemian decadence.... you sure? I mean, I'm pretty useta floors, so I don't mind that, if it's mainly yours an' all."
Matt waves her off. "Go ahead. Soon Oi'm going ta get a flat with some mates from work, but until I get past my Rite of Passage, I'm in limbo, too. Oi'd offer to share," he winks, "but that's against The Rules."
Bernie grins, that tinge of a blush returning a moment. "Well, cool. Thanks. Looks comfy..." She wanders toward it, and sits on the edge, giving it a little bounce test before she sets down her backpack.
Matt kicks open a sleeping bag and pulls his polo over his head, throwing it in the general direction of a duffel bag under the bed. His back is covered from neck to waist in thin scars, criss crossing one another like a roadmap of old pain. He steps out of his shoes one at a time and sits on the sleeping bag to begin removing his socks.
Bernie slips off her jacket and flannel and hangs them on the head of the bed, then leans down to untie her boots, quietly for now. She has them both off and her socks lying on them before she asks, "...not t' be rude, but what happened t' your back?"
Matt deadpans, "my ex-Stepmother. She favored wire coat hangers for discipline." He lets the implications hang, and pulls off his jeans. His boxers are pretty drab: plain blue.
Bernie makes a face, and unsnaps her belt, which apparently really -is- a seatbelt. "Glad she's ex," she comments, and stands, one hand holding the waist of her jeans to ensure they stay up, to fold down the sheets of the bed.
Matt wriggles into the sleeping bag. "She's ex- because I killed her, Bernie. And, unfortunately, I got me Da, too. I had no control over myself. Remember that when you get close to frenzy."
"Kinda gathered 'bout th' first bit, from whatcha said earlier," Bernie replies, slightly quieter than usual, "Sorry 'bout it..." She swiftly steps out of the jeans and just about directly into the bed, pulling the sheets up about her.
Matt shrugs, an up-and-down movement of the sleeping bag. "I'm all right wif it. I'd have had to go away from them anyay. I miss my Da, but Oi've got this huge new family ta take care of." He trails off. "Anyway, Sleep well. It only gets busier and more complicated from here."
Bernie laughs softly. "Great... well 's an a'venture, anyhow... g'night. Seeya in the mornin'." She snuggles down into the bed, remembers her glasses, hangs them on the head of the bed above her, and finishes getting comfortable.