Alicia nods her head and smiles. Leaning over, she gives the Fury a strong hug, sighing softly. "Be safe sis."

Leda smiles at that, something amusing her greatly, "You too."

Alicia lets her go and steps back, then peers out towards the living room, wondering what Lucca is doing.

Leda then heads out the back door, still bemused.

The back door opens quietly, and Bernie steps in, gently closing it behind her with one foot. Seeing Alicia, she grins, and gives a slight wave. "Heya, 'leeshuh..." she glances at the unknown girl and just adds, "...hey. Happy Holidays!"

Alicia turns as she hears her name and grins widley. "Yo! Dancing Queen! Wassup Frida!? Merry Christmas!" She turns on heel, heading to the Gnawer. "Ah'got a shit load of Turkey an stuff in the fridge."

Leda pauses at Bernie's entrance. "Leda Benos, Keeps-Her-Sisters'-Faith, cliath ahroun of the Black Furies. Happy Holidays to you as well."

In the front rooms, Lucca finally starts to slowly relax, and lets out a long 'whew' as she slumps to the floor from her crouch. *tud* "Oh my god," she gasps, glancing at Baney. He doesn't understand, no doubt, but -still-. Boy howdy.

In the front rooms, Banecruncher is, thankfully, clue-free of silly twoleg stuff.

Bernie flashes a wider grin at Alicia, and takes a moment to reply to Leda before responding to the other cub. "Bernie Rosenberg, Reads-In-Darkness, Bone Gnawer Ragabash cub. Niceta meetcha," she declares, offering a hand to the Fury.

Leda shakes the cub's hand, still a bit bemused. "Luna guide you this night as well." And then she heads out.

Alicia looks to Bernie, then plops something on the Gnawer's head, tugging it down a bit with a grin. "Merry Christmas."

Bernie turn to Alicia, and giggles, "Technic'ly I'm a year too young t' be th' Dancin' Queen, an' -Frida-? Where th' heck'd -that- come fr..." She trails off, blinking, and reaches up to pat her head experimentally.

Alicia bursts out laughing. "Frida was one of Abba's singers." She grins as Bernie finds the 'beret'.

"I'm more Muriel, I think," Bernie replies absently, removing the hat from her head to take a look at it, "oooh... nice! Wow, with this an' Matt's book all I need's a black turtleneck an' jeans an I c'n live th' beat life!" She grins, and resettles the beret atop her hair at a slightly jaunty angle, "Thanks!"

Alicia feels her grin broaden wider. "No, thank you! I finally got a present for someone who..well... liked it. Besides Luke, I got him a gun an he's male, so go figure." She reaches out and hugs the Gnawer. "You up for some cake and ice cream, or some turkey? There's plenty to eat, and I cooked, so you know it can't be half bad."

Bernie looks mildly startled, but hugs back cheerfully. "I think, technic'ly, if I turn down a proper meal they boot me outta th' tribe," she replies in deadpan tones, "you wanna hand with anythin'?"

Alicia grins and takes the cake out of the fridge. "Its ok, grab yer'self ah'plate and a fork and dig in. Anyways, how ya like being a Gnawer? You know, from all ah've heard.. ah've yet ta'see a...bummish Gnawer yet."

Bernie wanders over to the cupboard and procures the neccesary china, glancing over at Alicia, "You need a plate too? An' I like it fine, so far... 'course 's not like I got a lotta experience with other tribes to compare it to, y'know? ...also, it prolly depends whatcha think is bummish, really. Far as I c'n tell mostly we're just poor, which describes mosta my old neighbourhood anyhow... but, y'know, I'm still new t' this."

Alicia grins and shakes her head no to her first comment. "Yah, we are all new it seems eh? Don't worry, ah'm sure we'll both get really good at this when the time comes. I'm poor, and I'm not a Gnawer. Looks like we don't have much in the way of differences eh?"

"I dunno," Bernie replies, carrying her plate to the table and setting it down before snagging a soda from the fridge and taking a seat, "prolly not so much, no. D'you play rpgs?" She sounds rather hopeful.

Alicia takes a deep breath and scratches her neck. "Like.. Dungeon an Dragons an all that? Nah.. Um.. unfortuantly I was well, pretending to be a hooker to earn money on the streets and I was doped up on five too many drugs.. I never got into that kinda stuff.."

Alicia heads to the counter and picks up the fencing sword which she did have leaning against after depositing the cake on the table.

Bernie considers that for moment, and nods, matter-of-factly responding, "A'ight, then since you gave up -that- hobby, y' wanna give this'n a try? I mean, if I ever find enough people t' run a decent game, obviously." She pops the soda open, and takes a sip.

"Sure." Alicia says truthfully, canting her head to the side. "But I mean.. we can turn into werewolves. What can we do that'll be any more exciting then what we do now?" Her lips pull into a grin, then thrusts forward with the sword, the blade straight and true.

Bernie shrugs, shooting a grin back, and cuts a slice of cake. "Just 'cause y'gotta boxa Godiva doesn't mean y'gotta give up Hershey's... even if you think of 'em that way. 's just fun, y'know? Like dancin'. Only, completely diff'rent."

The Galliard's movements with the sword is swift and graceful, her body in synch with the motions of her left arm. She twirls the blade quickly, flipping it around in her hand, then strikes in a combination of swipes. "True, I'm game then. I'd love to give it a try."

Bernie nods once, with a slight bounce in her chair. "Cool beans. Just gotta recruit a few more, then," she replies around a mouthful of cake, managing to keep it relatively polite anyhow. "Mm. Maybe Matt'd wanna play, y'think?" She munches a bit, watching the swordplay with interest.

Swipe, swish, slice. "Maybe.. He's a damn good dancer, thats for sure." She says, whipping the blade around in half moon circles, setting up a perfect ground to sky manuever, lifting up into a uppercut. "Maybe Dove could give it a try, or Nevadah. Definitly Christohper and Karin."

Bernie nods, lifting a forkful of cake and regarding it, "I don't think I was meant t' be th' next," a slight pause as she gropes for the name she wants, "...Ginger Rogers. Or Isadora Duncan. Dunno Dove or Karin.... Only met Sheeps ac oupla times but he seems nice an' all..." She pauses again, glancing about. "Not so sure 'bout Christopher though, t' be honest..." Another pause, as she eats the cake, and a bit of a grin, "Also Collin implied he might, so there's a possibility."

Alicia shudders at the thought of even being in the same room as Collin. She stops her dance and takes a breath, glancing to her. "Cool." She doesn't lead on about her feelings regarding /God/. "Dove is of my tribe, Karin is a Fury who's really big on fantasy stories. And Nevada can be nice..when he has his clothes on."

"I thought he was pretty nice even without 'em," Bernie replies in all innocence, and suddenly blushes, "oh... that didn't sound right... he was in lupus mosta th' time I saw 'im, is what I mean..." She finishes off her slice of cake, shaking her head slightly, "so... nifty, then. That'd be plenty of people, like, what...5 t' 7 or so? that's 'bout perfick."

Alicia nods her head slightly. "Do you know 'bout me an Nevada?" She asks, glancing back to the Gnawer.

Bernie shakes her head, "Nope. 'cept you wan' me t' call 'im Ashley"

Alicia smiles a bit and begins a story.

"Ah'met Nevada two years ago when he helped break me out of a Juvie school. Ah'got caught smoking cigs at school and they booted me out for a bit. They had really strict rules and shit. Anyways, Nevada came into my life, and then, into my heart. He and I were notorious on the street for screwing people over. Drugs, stealing cars, creating havok. I'd pose as a hooker, he'd be my pimp. Steal money that way, maybe had to bash a few heads in while we were at it. He ran this big ass gang, pretty damn popular on the streets, even feared. And I was his bitch, his main squeeze. Two young kids, not even knowing about the wolf inside." She pauses for a moment in thought. "Well.. the last night we saw each other, before his cubnapping..we were in the back of the Sharkie, his best steal. A silver caddy or something, it was dope, and we nailed each other like no one's buisness. Unfortuantly, I got pregnant, he got napp'd. Never saw him for months. During that time, ah'got picked up by the cops and took to Juvie again, where I lost the baby due to someone beating the shit outta me. Ghetto abortion if you must. After that, Kyle helped get me out an that was it. Woosh.. into the world of Garou as you know it. And here is Arizona.. A tree hugger."

Bernie considers that quietly, eating a second slice of cake. Well, it's good cake. Then she nods, commenting, "Well, that pretty well sucks ass." That appears to be all she has to say about it, except for a lingering sense that there's a question or something similar on her mind. For some reason she doesn't seem inclined to ask it, though. Instead, she asks, "Where'd you pick up fencing?"

Alicia slips down next to her, placing the sword against the table. "My father taught me when I was like two until he died when I was seven or so. I wanted to be just like him. Found out he was garou too."

"Good start then," Bernie replies, polishing off the current slice and pushing the plate away a bit. "I got no idea where it came from for me. 'rou stuff, not fencin', I dunno any fencin'. No one ever let on there was anythin' t' know, but seein' as I hadda kinfetch someone hadda know, right? So now I wonder if any of my sibs are too, or just me..."

Alicia nods her head. "I have a twin brother who may be Garou, or even kin at that. But he's missing now." She shrugs her shoulders. "Well, if your a Garou, that means /someone/ in your family had to have been kin or something. Maybe its a few years removed or whatever, but it did happen."

Bernie nods back. "Yeah, I know. I grok genetics. But someone knew -I- was, y'know? Kinfetch spirits don' just glom on by 'emselves, way Kaz told it t' me." She shrugs, "Not that it matters right now, y'know? Prolly I'll find out sometime when I go back an' see how they're all doin'."

Alicia nods her head and grins. "Yah, walk into the living room, go fuzzy an go Rarr! Hi Mom! Hi Dad! See who runs out or not." She picks up your empty plate and carries it to the sink.

Bernie snickers at Alicia, "Not quite what I had in mind, but hey, could be fun..." She trails off as the door opens, and shoots a friendly smile at the vaguely familiar face as she finishes off her soda. "Hiya. Happy holidays."

Alicia plops the plate into the sink and turns her head to regard the Mule. Wiggling her fingers, she waves. "Hi there Roger, enjoying the Christmas season? I got a shit load of food in the fridge."

Roger steps up to the sliding glass door and stares inside a moment before offering a mostly quiet knock and opening it to step through. "You too... I guess. Not sure exactly what you would celebrate."

Roger turns to Alicia now and grins slightly. "Food? Oh... you really know the way to my heart, as per usual... via the stomach."

Alicia grins. "Hey, two ways to a man's heart. Through the pants, or through the fridge. Eat up big guy." Heading back to the table, she slips down. "So Bernie, we really should hang our more often. If you want, I can really style yer'hair."

"Hanukkah mostly, pers'nally," Bernie remarks, "but hey, when in Rome. Try th' cake, 's tasty..." She gestures toward where it sits on the table, several slices already eaten, and then glances at Alicia in surprise, "Like how? 'less you're gonna braid cornrows it's prolly not gonna behave. I jus' let it do what it wants, mosta th' time, now. 's not real compliant."

Roger groans ever so quietly and heads over to the fridge almost as if obeying a command. "Hey be careful who you tell to do what... some elder's might see what you just said as a grave insult. Get are a bit picky about that kind of thing and Silver Fangs especially don't ever like to be told what to do, even in fun... though thats just stereotypes."

Roger adds to that. "And try to keep the sexual innuendo down unless you know the person you are talking to. Many people keep the first tenet of the litany a bit more sacred then I do. Being metis, I don't really have to worry bout it."

Alicia grins. "Oh well, I am bound an determined to make sure this place gets a bit of humor in it. That or die trying." Turning her gaze to Bernie, she laughs. "We can straighten it out, then maybe...do stuff with it."

Alicia glances over to Bernie for a moment, catching her gaze, staring, drinking deeply of her eyes.

Alicia pages: You begin to feel a soft voice in your head, pictures slightly forming in soft clouds of smoke. ==Peek'a'boo, is it just me? Or is everyone around here have a 10 foot pole stuck up their rump? By the way, talk in your head, not out loud. Neat trick eh?== **Using MindSpeak**

Bernie suddenly bears a startling resemblance to a deer who's just looked up from a tasty patch of grass to see two huge lights and the grill of a semi heading toward her. She blinks several times, and then it passes, with a slight shake of her head, and she grins. "I dunno, I kinda like th' curls, but I guess you c'n mess it it some time if you wanna."

Long distance to Alicia: Bernie thinks .oO( Heh... yeah, lots of people are like that. Sometimes you've just got to reach out, grab the clean foot or so, and wiggle it... )

Roger opens up the fridge and retrives a soda of some odd cheap brandname variety and a packet of turkey slices, minus bread or any kind of other sandwich fixings.

Alicia raises up both of her brows with a grin, then leans back as she continues to make eye contact. "We can do both you know. Maybe straighten out the bangs, pony tail the curls in the back."

From afar, Alicia continues to speak. ==Yah, Ah'kinda see us as Generation Z or something of the Garou farm house. Looks like we are all ganna have ta'stick together or something. I like ya a lot Bernie, Ah'm glad to have met you, your real cool, a nice person, kinda like a breath of fresh air.==

Bernie attempts, by all appearances, to look at her hair by glancing up at it, which is, of course, not particularly effective. She shugs a bit, "Sure, whatever... warnin' ya now, though, 's never behaved for me, my mom, my sisters, or anyone else. 's stubborner 'n I am. You Have Been Warned!" The capitals are audible, and she follows it with a rather silly maniacal laugh, "Muahahahaha!"

Roger brings the munchies back to the table, grabbing a seat and popping open both the soda and the cold cut packet. Relaxing back in the chair he just raises an eye at Bernie. "I thought /I/ was supposed to be the insane one?"

Roger adds to that, "She reminds me of Lucca."

Long distance to Alicia: Bernie thinks, .oO( Thanks! I like you too. Even if you did insist on making me try those dances... )

Alicia simply remains silent as she feels her lips tug back into a grin, following the flickering of Bernie's eyes.

From afar, Alicia responds softly. ==I always insist. I thought you did pretty good, trust me, practice makes perfect, and dancing is great excersie. Its probably why I'm able to hold down this anorexic figure of mine.== There's a bit of a deflated huff as she forms in the dark vacness of your mind. ==Well, that or the heroine. A combo I'm sure.==

Bernie grins over at Roger. "Oh, sorry, didn't mean t' poach on y'r territory," she returns cheerfully. "'s okay though, honestly I'm Mostly Sane. Which is utterly unlike Mostly Harmless." A slight pause, and then the confession, "...which I also am. What, no cake?"

Roger just munches on a slice of turkey and shakes his head. "Lune." he chuckles out.

Alicia quietly smiles as she watches the two, propping her chin up in the palm of her hand.

Long distance to Alicia: Bernie thinks, .oO( Kind of tiring, though, and I know I look silly... plus I think I need a sport bra or something for it... aaanyway. Um... can you read ALL my thoughts, or only what I think at you? )

From afar, Alicia replies. ==Only what you think to me. Or, if you form pictures in your mind. I have a few sports bra's if you need them, Not sure if they'll fit. If not, I'll have my homie in the city pick up some stuff. He does my shopping and Tom, my kinfolk brings it over. And you don't look silly dancing, not at all.==

"Nah, just a li'l gull," Bernie replies, making a horrid pun. "'curs t' me I oughta intr'duce myself t' you? Bernie Rosenberg, Reads-In-Darkness, Ragabash 'Gnawer cub. 's nice to meet you..." She offers a hand across teh table.

Alicia stands up and smiles, waving to the two, then slips out into the main room after snagging the sword next to her.

Alicia passes through the open doorway for the front part of the house.

Roger reaches across with the hand that wasn't till now holding an oily piece of turkey. "I know who you are Bernie. And the whole reading in near dead light thing isn't new, donno quite why its deed name worthy myself. Think they should name you Confuses-the-Listener myself. But I digress." with that he offers a kind wave to Alicia and looks a bit confused at the sword she has with her.

Bernie shrugs, "'sonly a cubname. Took 'em forever to come up with that, so hey, it'll do. I kinda like it." She glances curiously at Alicia's abrupt departure, and then pauses, tilting her head at Roger, "How come you know who I am? 'cause, no 'ffense, I'm almost pos'tive no one's intr'duced us..."

Roger smiles to the cub and chuckles softly. "A while back I was passing through the farmhouse when you were talking to someone in the back of the other room and I faintly heard your introductions. I can remember it perfectly... almost too perfectly. You can say that its what marks me as a metis, as you might have noticed... I'm not physically deformed in any real manner. I'd rather not get too far into it, but lets just say I have an open mind... a bit more open then anyone's really should be." With that, almost for a demonstration, he blinks a while and shivers. "I see thinks that would turn you white with fear."

Bernie watches that with some interest, and nods, "Think I'll go ahead an' stay pinkish, for now... 's gettin' kind of late, so I oughta go up an' indulge in th' Bohemian Decadence, I think, but, not t' be pushy, but maybe I could get y'r intro first?"

Roger nods and sighs to himself. "Must be tired from all the challenge foolishness going on. I'm Roger Cohen. Howls-When-Dreaming. Cliath Galliard of the Glass Walkers of St. Claire. Of the Sept of the Hidden Walk."

"Niceta meetcha," Bernie replies as she stands, pushing her chair back, and then adds, "...challenge foolishness?"

Roger sighs once again. "Yeah... I'm slipping." He then addresses the cub calmly, "Forget I said anything... If you must be curious and remember something, just remember this. Between me and her, I'm the less dangerous one. She will bring an end to sanity and herself eventually... even if she means her best. Now... run off to do your... bohemian thing. Good night, and nice meeting you."

Bernie regards him a few minutes, curiously, with a slight smile, and then nods, widening into a proper grin, "Right. See ya, then... g'night." She pushes the chair back under the table, adjusts her bag, makes the slightest ghost of a bow, and heads out the door toward the stairs.