Matt returns the hug, holding it for a while. He knows very well what it's like to lose someone close, no matter what holiday it is. The kiss is a bit of a surprise, and makes him blush. Not enough to give up a good hug for, though.

Alicia squeezes hard, then releases, sitting back. "Thank you Matt, you really made my day, really, I've had a shitty week, and that was so sweet of you." She glances down at the gift again, then smiles. "Should I open it now? Or wait?"

Matt shrugs. "Moi family actually waited until Twelfth Night ta exchange gifts, but you've 'ad a bit of a time of it, sounds like. Open it."

The front door opens quietly, and Bernie slips in, bag over one shoulder as usual, a book in one hand. She pushes the door shut, pausing slightly as she notices all the affection going on. Blushing slightly herself at intruding, she pads quietly over to the bookcase, where she slips the book between a pair of its fellows

Alicia smiles and lets her fingers gently carress the soft ribbon, plucking it from the tiny box. Unwrapping the paper, almost too neatly, she settles it to the side. Cracking open the box, she peers inside, squinting, then grins widely. "Ahh.. too cool Matt." She takes out the earcuff and smiles, lifting up her hair, attaching it to her right.

"Looks good," Matt beams. "Oi fought you might like it." Seeing Bernie, he rummages in his shopping bag again. "And you, miss, 'ere's yours. Happy Christmas." He hands her a square package wrapped in red and blue paper with snowmen on it. Despite being crushed in his rucksack all night at work, the skill of the counter-people who wrapped this for Matt is readily apparent.

Bernie looks doubly startled; first just at being addressed, and then even more so at the gift. Not to mention being addressed as 'miss'. Her hand drops from the bookcase and she walks over, accepting the present, "Really, for me? Thank you!" She smiles at him, and looks at the package curiously. After a second something occurs to her, and she slips her bag off her shoulder and rummages in it a moment, "Hold on a sec... a'ight, there!" Rather triumphantly she produces a little orange plastic mesh bag filled with gold-foil wrapped chocolate coins, and passes it over to Matt. "Happy Hanukkah," she declares, adding, "...or Christmas if you pr'fer, I don' mind."

Alicia smiles and glances over to Bernie, not knowing who she is just yet. Pushing herself upwards, she dusts off her jeans. "Hi there." She says, a wide grin touching her features. "Ah'don't think we've met. Ah'm Alicia. O'th'Children o'Gaia. Galliard born."

"And cub," Matt adds, pulling out a gold coin. "Don't forget, Alicia, or some stick-in-th'-mud elder will remind ye the 'ard way." He is smiling as he delivers this sage advice, blunting its harshness somewhat.

Alicia adds. "And cub."

"!" Bernie squeaks, as the swiftly removed wrapping paper reveals a book, "Oh, kickass!" She turns it over carefully in her hands, looking at the back cover and then the front and back flyleaves, and gives Matt an impulsive hug herself. "Thank you! I've read -'bout- th' Beats but I never act'ly read anythin' they wrote..." She blushes slightly as she releases him again, and steps back a step, turning to Alicia to cover her embarrassment, "Hey. I'm Bernie, also known as Reads-In-Darkness these days, Ragabash Bone Gnawer cub. Niceta meetcha, Alicia."

Alicia laughs. "At this rate. Matt is ganna get a hug and kiss by every chick here. Lucky him." Winking, she wets her lips and glances to the Fianna Male once more.

Matt blushes to the scalp, making his pale hair stand out even more. He mutters to himself, "...should give gifts more often." Louder, he adds. "'m glad you like it. Reads-in-darkness, eh? Should I 'ave bought you a torch?"

Well... Alicia isn't helping much in the embarrassment department, is she? Bernie's blush deepens slightly and she pushes her curls back behind her ear, then adjusts her glasses. "Nah," she replies cheerfully, forcing herself to recover, and dips into her backpack again, withdrawing an old green plastic Scooby-doo flashlight, with Scooby and Shaggy sculpted on it, and flipping it on, "Got one." She grins and shuts it off, slipping it back into its place. The book gets another quick scan-through, and then is rather reluctantly and quite carefully placed in with her other things.

Alicia rubs the back of her neck and glances about idly, then wets her lips once more. "So Bernie, your a Bone Gnawer eh? Hey.. do me a favor, next time you see Nevada, call him Ashley, because thats his real name. He prefers it that way."

Matt quirks an eyebrow at Alicia, stirring up trouble. He offers Bernie a seat on the couch with a gesture. "Oi'm trying ta catch up on Alicia's week, which has apparently gone to Bristol over the past few days. Tell me about Tom?"

Bernie arches a brow at Alicia as well, and smirks slightly, "'zat so? I'll keep it in mind. Near th' musical chris'mas socks." She accepts the offered seat, dropping less then elegantly into it and pulling her legs over to the side. Nodding to Matt, she falls into listening quietly, for the nonce.

"Tom is.. my kinfolk." Alicia begins softly. "Ah've been seeing him for the past month or so, and well, things have gotten hot an heavy between the two of us. Only thing is he's 24, I'm 16 and.. ah'guess he kinda has a lil problem with it.... or did.. Not sure. He was just concerned you know, legal issues, despite what our hearts tell us. Thats coggies for ya." She drawls. "Anyways, ah'flipped out and left him last night, all in a rut an ah'ended up hanging with the Furies talking about it. Well, ah'came ta'a conclusion, that Im' just a freak job and I called him back up and apologized. So thats.. kinda settled. And he also gave me his christmas gift." She reaches to her collar, drawing out a small chain with what looks to be a house key on it. "Key to his apartment, he wants me to move in with him after my passage."

Matt nods, leaning forward in his chair a bit. "Our laws don't exactly match human laws. Though you /will/ have to deal with a few glances, if you do see him." He frowns a little. "He knows how dangerous it would be for him? For you to move in?"

Alicia nods her head in reply, leaning back some against the couch. "Yah...he does."

Bernie cocks her head curiously at that. "...how come?" she queries, with a half-smile, "You real bad at rememb'rin' t' shut th' oven off?"

Alicia shakes her head. "Our rage.. doesn't make us think straight, 'specially during the Full Moon."

Matt gives Bernie a glance. "And there are lots of things, smart things, out to kill us all. The Betrayers, for example. Few of them would stop at killing a kinfolk to get at his room-mate."

"Ohhhh...." Bernie makes a face, nodding slightly, "THAT kinda dangerous..." She glances sideways and up into her mind, then shakes her head, "Don't think anyone told me 'bout these B'trayers yet. Only thing I'm pullin' up is Cleopatra 2525, an' that isn't even a very good show..."

Alicia nods her head slowly and quirks a brow upwards. "Ah'guess.. Ah'aven't seen TV in over three years.." Stealing a glance to Matt, she grins faintly.

Matt furrows his brow. (Cubs!) "The Betrayers are a tribe of Garou who follow the Wyrm. Don't ask me why. From what I hear, they're all barking mad, homicidal sociopaths. And tough as we are. Oi don't know how that matches up wif your show, but, there ye go."

Bernie shrugs at Alicia, "Not missin' much. My sibs had it on pretty much twenny-four seven, though, so 's hard t' avoid alla it. An' my brothers're inta any show with half-nekkid skinny chicks, so yeah, but no, tha's not th' same thing, 'course. I think someone mentioned your B'trayers t' me b'fore, but they didn' call 'em that." Another renegade curl gets wrangled into place behind her ear, and promptly pops right back out.

Alicia mmm's lightly and changes the subject. "I want to go dancing. Dammit. I want to get sweaty, all riled up, lights flashing, bass pumping and just get freak nasty." A pout forms the coggie's lips as she stands up, brushing her fingers along the fabric of her jeans, smoothing it down.

Matt ponders and approves. "Mmm. A bit o' Jack Palance /would/ hit the spot. Pity you can't leave the Farmhouse." He tries to maintain a serious face, but can't hold it for long. "Good thing there's a CD player in the Mickey somewhere. I'll bet we could bodge together a decent mix from somewhere."

Bernie looks a tad apprehensive about this whole dancing idea, but offers helpfully, "Seems likely if there's a player there oughta be a disc or two about as well, yeah? Plus there's always th' radio an' all..."

Alicia grins. "I got a bag full'ah' CD's yo'." She says with enthusiasm. "Actually, ah'gotta CD playah too. Its not much, but ah'got tiny lil external speakers that we can use. They sound like shit, but if ya blast it, it comes out alright."

Matt shrugs, smiling. "All roight then. May Oi reccomend the barn? Not much of a light show, but ye won't wake the grumpy elder types, and there's plenty o' space."

Alicia nods her head, giggling a bit as she heads for the kitchen. "Sure, Ah'm game. Ah'got my bag of stuff in there anyways."

Bernie shrugs slightly, with a shyly game smile, and fastens up her bag, pulling it up into her lap.

Matt says nothing, but grabs his pack and stuffs the Christmas presents and laundry back into it before standing. He offers a hand to Bernie to help her off the couch.

In the back of the house, Alicia slides open the door in the kitchen, passing through into the back yard.

Bernie accepts, slinging the bag onto her shoulder as she rises, with a touch less trouble than one might expect -- though still not gracefully. "Thanks," she murmurs, taking her hand back, and starts to head after Alicia.

Matt stops by the fridge to jam a couple Macready's into his rucksack before heading out to the barn.

Bernie eyes the contents of the fridge over Matt's shoulder, but leaves it alone for now, preceding him to the back door, and holding it open after she passes through.

(In the barn)

Alicia heads over to her bag which rests comfortably near by some haystacks. Picking it up, she digs out the small, compact CD player and a few CD's which look like they were probably burned ones. Plopping one in, she plugs in the small speakers and turns the volume up to full. Glancing to the door, she can't help but grin at the others.

Bernie sets the door closed behind her as she trails in, and glances around, bag slipping gently back off her shoulder again. Wandering toward a handy bale of hay, she rests it there, hands going into her jacket pockets.

Matt glances over the CDs, realizing quickly that he isn't going to recognize any of them. Maybe, he appears to hope, she's made liner notes.

A simple finger taps play and a high energy beat quickly comes to life. There's a pounding back beat, thundering bass. It seems to be European techno, the good kind. A woman's voice lifts into the air, a song to be free, to live for the moment. With a smile, the child of gaia is already tapping her foot, getting a feel for the soon to be rush, if it comes.

(Unfortunately at this point all needed sleep....

Matt pages to the room: Matt was thinking along the same lines, actually. (Not the being at work part, but) We can let the scene trail off if you want. Say we danced all night, etc.

...so we did.)