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.
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 A variety of out-of-date magazines are strewn atop a low coffee table; more neatly presented are the plethora of books filling the small bookshelves which line the eastern wall.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.
Alicia steps in through the kitchen from the living room, stiffling a soft yawn to herself. She's dressed in cargo pants and a exercise sports bra. Her hair is pulled back by a scrunchie, a lost, tired expression on her face.
Bernie comes in from the backyard, humming softly to herself and holding a fairly lrage book in one arm, against her side. From what of the side and cover are visible, it appears to be something along the lines of "Flora and Fauna of Washington State: A Spotter's Guide." "Heya," she greets Alicia cheerfully, "'sup? Y'look tired..."
Alicia glances over and shrugs her shoulders a bit. "Yah.. ah'am." She gives a slight smile to the Gnawer, then opens up the fridge. "Just been a long day of doing a lot of nothing but studying the mechanics of Garou phisiology." Plucking out a cheese stick, she attempts to tear the wrapping off with her teeth.
Bernie plops down into one of the seats at the table, setting the book down, and reaches into her pocket to pull out and offer up a very small and basic (and beat-up) Swiss Army Knife. "'s got scissors on it," she explains, and arches a brow. "Th' m'chanics of G'rou Physiology? A'ight, 'splain that one... startin' med school?" A quick grin.
Alicia reaches to the knife and flips out the blade instead. Twirling it around in her hand, she draws it down the package, opening it up. "Nah. Y'know, just doing a bit of practice with my other forms. Doing the hispo an crinos thing. Getting used to those forms since I spend barely any time in them."
Jarred continues reading the paper at the table, oblivious.
Bernie ahhs, and nods, glancing curiously over at Jarred and his paper, and pausing a moment as she scans the side of it she can see. "...yeah, I was doin' somea that t'day too... I really gotta learn t' talk in Crinos, drives me nuts, y'know?" A slight pause, "...y'spend much time in Glabro?" She sounds surprised.
Alicia shakes her head. "Um.. no.. fo'get ah'still got that form." She mummers, glancing to Jarred for a moment, then back to Bernie. "I'm still practicing th'fuzzy ones y'know. Anyways, ah'm learning the Garou language bit by bit. Ah'can say sentences and stuff now."
"Help me out then, huh? 'cause no one's taught me -any- of it, an' I am -not- down with bein' a mute. 'f I c'n 'least get you an' Matt t' teach me it I oughta get -somewhere- y'know?" Bernie crosses her arms on the table, resting her chin on them. "Anythin' t' drink in there?"
Jarred mutters, "There's water in the fridge."
Alicia smirks over to Jarred, then looks back to Bernie. "Hey, Ah'm no pro eitha. Matt is way better suited to teach you that." She shrugs a bit.
Bernie grins, and shrugs slightly, "...an' don' think 'm not gonna try an' get as much help from 'im as possible on that front... but he's workin' double shifts all this weeken' an' I can't 'zactly get practice on that down at th' rest'rant, y'know?" A smirk, "...'scuse me, sir, d'ya mind 'f I turn inta a huge monster? Oh, this is th' no monster section? Sorry 'bout that..."
Alicia grins back to her and shrugs slightly. "That may work." She says, then heads out into the hallway, nibbling at the cheese stick. "So, whats up with you and Matt?"
Alicia passes through the open doorway for the front part of the house.
Bernie stands as well, reclaiming her book and wandering to the fridge to open it herself and grab a soda, since her subtle hint didn't pierce the surface. She bumps the door closed and wanders into the front room after Alicia, giving her a bit of a look. "Y'know, 'licia, you're 'bout as subtle assa brick t' th' head somedays... d'ya wanna megaphone, 'd that help?" she chides quietly and reasonably gently as she gets close, though she can't help a bit of a smile. "Showed 'im 'round th' big library yest'day, an' he showed me where he works an' stuff while we were out lookin' for flats an' all. Was fun..." She pops the top of the drink, and takes a sip, murmuring, "...wish 'e didn' hafta work so much this weeken', though."
Alicia glances over her shoulder. "Subtle? I'm never subtle, Ah'm a Galliard. Besides, all ah' asked that what was up. Ah'm not asking if yer sleeping with him or anything. I don't get th'time ta' really chill with you two anymore." She shrugs her shoulders a bit. "But, Ah'm glad yer out having fun and stuff. Thats cool ah'guess."
Bernie rolls her eyes, gaining a shade of pinkness, "Well -no-, anyhow!" She shrugs back, adding as something resembling an apology, "I dunno, maybe I'm paranoid or somethin', jus' don' fancy bein' thrown outta window, y'know? Not 'zactly my idea of a good time." A quick half-smile, there. "...anyhow, plennya subtle storytellers an' singers an' all in th' world, so no 'scuse!" she points out, obviously teasing. "Whatcha been all busy with?"
Alicia shakes her head. "Nutt'n at all. Bored outta my head mostly. Um.. doing some shifting ta' get familiar wi'the forms. Practicing my swords out in the barn. Cleaning, cooking, breathing." Lifting her shoulders. "I talked with Cindy again, she an ah' are becoming good friends. She's a coggie born who was traded to the Glass Walkers."
Bernie lifts a brow, "...not lit'rally? I mean, not like I was jokin' 'bout yesterday, was it? An' tha's cool, though. Sometime I gotta meet her when she isn', like, runnin' away, right?" She gestures with the book, "I've been lookin' up stuff 'bout th' outta doors 'round here, figure it can't hurt t' know 'bout th' s'roundin's."
Alicia dips her head in a nod and smiles. "Thats cool, ah'guess. You finding anything intresting?" She asks, plopping down into the couch, drawing her knees up against her chest.
Bernie grins, "...well, I'm pretty sure I know which plants not t' eat, now... not that I was plannin' on chowin' down on 'em anyhow, but hey. 's int'restin'. I dunno, I was jus' kinda tryin' t' figure out why might be useful that I c'n learn by myself, y'know? Since I'm not findin' a lotta people with th' time an' inclination t' teach me stuff at th' moment."
Alicia nods her head and leans into the arm of the couch a bit, her mind wandering. "Why don't ya jus' do what I do, and learn off everyone at once. It makes it easier I guess you can say."
Bernie nods, sipping her soda, "..well, yeah, 's what I'm tryin' t' do, bas'cly."
Alicia offers a quick grin to her. "Yer lucky ya can run all around the place."
Another quick nod, with an almost sheepish, "I know." Bernie takes another drink and adds, "...I r'member bein' stuck in Signe's 'partment, an' that wasn' any fun. So, yeah."
Alicia smirks a bit and stretches out her arms. "What I wouldn't give ta' be back in the city an ta' hit the malls on the weekend. I'm so bored here. Adam says I just gotta be patient." She grumbles a bit.
Bernie stretches as well, suggestion can be a powerful thing. "Yeah... he say how long it's gonna be? I mean, are y'stuck here 'til y' rite, or what?"
Alicia shrugs her shoulders. "Ah'dunno. No fucking clue."
Bernie makes a face, nodding. "Tasty. Oh well..." She adjusts her position on the couch, getting more comfortable, and glances sideways at the other cub. "...no luck convincing Tom t' come visit, don't s'pose?"
Alicia shakes her head with a solid sigh. "No! I can't even use my cell phone in the house, and I can't go into the woods to use it. And now I hear I can't even play my CD's in the barn. Good lord."
Bernie blinks, "Wait, you can't play music in th' barn anymore? When'd this happen an' why?" She shakes her head, making a face. "...hey, 'f you wann, like, write notes t' him or anythin', you c'n tell me where he lives an' I'll drop 'em off for ya," she offers.
Alicia shakes her head and shrugs. "Its ok.. an ah'm not sure 'bout the music thing. Cindy said they couldn't do it when she was a cub here. So she told me to be careful."
Bernie mms. "Yeah, be careful then, I guess..." She trails off, and shrugs, looking mildly frustrated as she finishes off her coke.
Alicia shrugs as well and glances over to you. "Whats up? Is it just me, or have we been growing a bit distant lately?"
Bernie shakes her head, somewhat troubled. "I dunno, seems kinda like it, yeah... I mean... I dunno." She pushes her errant curls back into place.
"Is it something I did?" Alicia asks the Gnawer, wetting her lips, furrowing her brows in concern.
Bernie half-smiles, "...was startin' t' wonder 'f it was somethin' -I- did..." She sighs, pulling her legs up to sit crosslegged in her corner of the couch. "'s like, every time I try t' start talkin' t' you lately, y' go t' bed... an' anytime I try t' do somethin' nice, y' don't want me to or anythin'... an', I dunno..."
Alicia shakes her head and sighs heavily. "No, its not that Bernie, Ah'm just detaching myself from everyone ah'guess. Ah've always been an independant person. I guess Ah'm a bit jealous y'know, an its been eating me up 'bout that Aaliyah girl. Its stupid to think like that, ah'know." She brushes a hand through her hair. "Thinking 'bout dying muh hair blonde again."
"Well, me too," the Gnawer replies, "...'bout bein' independent I mean... y'know how they say middle kids are s'posta get overlooked in fam'lies? Well, I'm onea th' middle kidsa -six-. But, I mean, 's no reason not t' have friends an' all..." She sighs, biting her bottom lip lightly. "I never really had a lotta female friends, like, any, 'cept this one girl b'fore I left. So I dunno, like, what I'm s'posta do. But anyway -I- think this Aaliyah girl sounds like she'd be a -crappy- Gal'yard. So why should you feel like y'hafta be a 'dox?" She pauses, looking at the other cub's hair. "...an' I'll help if y' wanna go blonde 'gain. Bet it'd look cool..." There's another slight pause, and she looks somewhat embarrassed, glancing down to the floor. "..an' I was kinda envious of you, for a bit, y'know? So, I dunno, there was a point t' admittin' that, only now that I did I can't recall what..." She shrugs, and flashes Alicia a sheepish smile.
Alicia blinks a bit and looks startled. "You? Envious of me? Why? Whats there to envy about me?" She sighs heavily, running a hand back through her hair. "Ali' is a good cub tho'. I mean, she's, like ah'said, the epitome of a Child of Gaia. I'm only jealous that ah' can't jus' ah'dunno.." She shrugs. "She has something ah'dont' got. Its like she has th'Garou thing down pat already an I'm still a baby."
"...y'wanna borrow my pacifier?" the ragabash queries, with a slight smile and a quirked brow. "I mean, hey, 'least -you- c'n talk a bit in Crinos an' all... but we all start as babies, right? One point she hadda not know all that crap too, di'n' she? Y'might's well be jealous of what Matt knows, or hell, what Adam knows, really. 's nothin' wrong with not knowin', jus' with not bein' willin' t' learn... y'know?" She breaks into a briefly mischevious grin, "...an' anyhow, no one likes a know-it-all. Ask me 'bout second grade sometime." A quick sigh, as she blushes slightly and continues, "...an' why? 'cause, well, lessee... f'r one thing, y'r pretty, an' doesn' matter how much I know I'm smart an' nice an' good at lotsa things, jus' watch TV or read a magazine, girls are s'posta be pretty. Silly, yeah, but once in a while... I dunno. An' everyone likes ya, an' guys are int'rested in ya, and... y' cook better'n me!" The last somewhat teasing, with a grin. "...I know it's not, y'know, big ol' 'rou stuff, but 's not really any sillier t' be envious 'bout..." A pause, and still grinning, "...an' if you tell anyone that I'll kick yer ass."
Alicia blinks a bit at all that and stares at her.
Bernie giggles. "Uh... 'd I mention I gotta tendency t' run on at th' mouth once inna while?"
Alicia blinks again. "Um.." She bites her lip. "Don't be jealous of those kinda things Bernie.. trust me." She says softly. "Guys only want me for one thing... they don't want me for me."
"Yeah, well. Sometimes it'd be kinda nice. An' they've never wan'ed -me- for -anything-... 'cept t' round out a D 'n' D game. Mostly I didn' care too much 'cause I wasn't int'rested in more'n that from them either, but, y'know... even if y'didn' really wanna -go-, 's better things for th' ego than never bein' invited t' th' dances. Oh, right, an' you c'n dance, too, left that one out. ...anyway, 'sai'ght, been pretty much over it for a while already." Bernie nibbles lightly on her lower lip, then shrugs, and smiles a bit.
Alicia takes a deep breath and sighs. "Ah'd trade places wi' you in a second if I could Bernie." She admits quietly.
Bernie arches a brow. "Why? I mean... not that it's so bad bein' me, but..."
"I'd rather be smart, intelligent, funny. Ah'd rather not be stared at like a piece of meat like my Step Father did, and what every guy on the street did with me." Alicia bites her lip hard. "Ah'd give up my life ta' start it all over again an be like you, into books and shit, into school. Being a good dancer, or even cute won't get you anywhere in the Garou world. Being smart will, and thats what ah'don't gotta lot of."
Bernie considers, and answers somewhat carefully, "...far as brains, you almost cert'nly got more'n y' think... an', y'know, y'don't technically hafta start -over- t' get int'rested in books an' shit. They got whole libraries of 'em 'round here, y'know." The corners of her mouth quirk up, as she makes fun of them both a bit, "...an' if y'don' wanna be noticed by guys, hell, jus' emulate my style, sure I c'n find y' some suitable Salvation Army chic an' there's a shitloda cookies in there jus' waitin' t' go t' -someone's- hips..."
Alicia grins. "That'd be nice an all, but ah'kinda am stuck wi'this lifestyle. AH'dunno, its like th'matrix. Its all routine ya'know." She shrugs. "An ah'd like ta' wear some real cool camo pants if ya got 'em. Y'know, they'd look really hot with a black half shirt o'something."
Bernie shakes her head, "Nahhhh, y'r not stuck less y'wanna be... an' act'ly I -do- havva pair, but y'wouldn't wanna use 'em. What size d'ya wear? I'll see 'f I can't scare some up... an', tell y' what," the grin returns, "...I'll help y' be more like me someways if y' help me be more like you someways... deal?"
Alicia grins at her and leans over, hugging tightly. "Sure, if'n tha's what ya want Bernie. Ah'm not really big on me, but if ya want a few tips in th' how ta'be a hot chick department, ah'gotcher back. Definitly. Not that ya'need any tips tho'." She teases, poking.
Bernie blushes a bit and laughs, hugging back. "Deal, then... an' yeah, right, I'm gettin' down wit' my bad make-up wieldin' self..." She giggles, shaking her head. "...hey, I was wond'rin'... is there a way t', like, straighten my hair temp'rarily? T' see if I like it b'fore riskin' a permanent way, y'know?"
Alicia um's and thinks for a moment. "You know, just use water actually.. Just get it real wet, brushbrushbrush! An blow dry. That should do it. Give ya a good straightner for 'bout a week or two before it starts to fade." She pauses for a moment. "You know.. You don't really need to change anything 'bout you..."
Bernie considers that a few moments, "...help me with that sometime, then? F'r one thing, I don' have a blow dryer... an' I know I'm okay how I am, but hey, nothin' wrong with tryin' out things t' be better, right? 'least then, 'f I don' change anythin', I know I'm doin' it 'cause it's how I wanna be, an' not 'cause I don' know any alternative."
Alicia nods. "Ok, I'll definitly help ya out wi' it if thats what ya'wanna me ta' do." She runs a hand back through her hair, looking it over. "Maybe ah'won't do the blonde... I dunno.. if ah'do, ah'll end up looking like Britney Spears or something. Shit, ah'already dress like 'er."
Bernie looks at Alicia's hair thoughtfully. "Lotsa other colours you could play with, right? What's th' one you were born with, anyhow?" She stretches a bit, and glances down at herself thoughtfully. "...huh. Think I lost some weight. Funky. Must be th' wolf thing, I guess."
Alicia grins and pokes your belly, doing the pilsbury voice. Hee-Hee! "You have. Anyways, my hair is solid brown. The red streaks are mostly from the sun, and a bad dye job out on the streets using Kool-aid."
Bernie giggles, swatting the hand away gently, "Hey now! ...an', hmm. I like th' red, y'could do that... or black... or, like, blue or somethin'..." She pauses, thoughtfully, and pulls her backpack from behind the couch, where, apparently, she'd earlier left it, opens a pocket, and rummages a minute.
Alicia laughs. "No way Ah'm doing blue. I'll prolly stick ta' blonde or brown. Doesn't matter ta'me. Maybe I'll do black also." Her mind whirls a bit, thinking things over. "Whatcha looking fo'?" She asks, peering over her shoulder.
Bernie nods, "Yeah... blue's kinda out there, but this one girl at school looked really cool with it, so I always thought it was nifty... Ah!" She carefully pulls a book out of the bag, and offers it over. "When I was sayin' I might lend you my christmas gift? 's th' book Matt gave me. Check it out, 'f y' don't like it y' c'n just give it right back t' me, 'kay? Jus' be careful with it an' all." She passes it over.
Alicia takes it and blinks, glancing down at it for a moment. "Ok.. ah'll give it a try." She says with genuine honesty. "Anyways, sleepy coggie.. ah'm ganna go." She yawns, then smiles, then starts heading for the stairs. "I'll catch you tomorrow. Have a good night."
Bernie grins, and gives a bit of a wave. "Sleep well, 'licia. See ya in th' mornin'."