The front door leads into a small mudroom; coats are hanging on hooks. It opens into the spacious, well lit living room, with several battered old couches arranged into a sort of conversation pit facing the fireplace, a table in the center of them. There are a few chairs, some straight-backed, some plush and comfortable, arranged to make secondary conversation areas, with little end tables placed in strategic locations. There's a notable absence of either breakable objects, or elaborate electrical equipment such as televisions. The walls, painted an increasingly dingy white, have some sweeping dark fabric prints on them, but no paintings or posters. A steep, uncarpeted staircase leads up to the second floor. There are several doors that lead out to other sections of the house, as well.
Currently the moon is in the waning New (Ragabash) Moon phase (12% full).
Currently in Saint Claire, it is clear outside. The temperature is 51 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the southwest at 7 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.15 and rising, and the relative humidity is 92 percent. The dewpoint is 49 degrees Fahrenheit (9 degrees Celsius.) For more detail, see: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=98501
Compact is the word for him: wiry, maybe 5'6" in his beat-up black combat boots, with a sense of compressed energy and imminence like a coiled spring -- or a cocked gun. Never quite still for long, balance flowing through the balls of his feet. There's a striking intensity to his narrow blue-green eyes, the colour contrasting with his fair skin and spiky copper hair; just below the left is what at first appears to be a faint mole, but closer inspection reveals as a small, long-healed scar. His features are appealing, with high cheekbones and a good jawline, but it's the confident mien and roguish smile that most often seem to draw people in.
The above are probably the first things people notice on nights during which he is not also wearing a fluffy, thigh-length caramel-coloured probably-faux fur coat. This not one of those nights. Under it, he's more reasonably clad, in old black jeans with a rip in one knee and the cuffs half walked off, with a faded black band t-shirt ('Anarchy Burger - Hold the Government', parodying the In-N-Out sign) under an open dark red hawaiian shirt. There's a couple leather-and-bead bracelets on one wrist and a length of ball-chain disappearing beneath his collar; his nails were apparently painted black some time ago, since they're starting to show chips. Late teens, most likely, and when he speaks it's in a mellifluous, southern-accented baritone voice.
Isabella is a tall and lean girl, built with a model's proportions. She'd be beautiful in many eyes if she wasn't often dressed in shabby, old Goodwill clothing that serves as a contrast to her more refined looks. If anyone ever properly dressed and tended her she could easily make magazine covers, but instead she looks like a lily growing in a trash heap. She's certainly as pale as one for all she sounds used to heat and sun, given her Southern good old girl accent. Her hair is long and straight, though usually done up in messy informal styles. It's a pale cornsilk blonde with slightly darker roots. Her eyes are expressive and brown in color, accented with a moderate bit of make up on an otherwise largely natural-left face.
Shaggy brown hair and darker brown eyes frames this young boy's face. Justin has a slightly tanned complexion with a hint of Puerto Rican from his mother's side, Caucasian from his father's. He has a fairly lanky build that could use a bit of bulking upas he is built like a high school track runner. He wears loose fitted 'destroyed' blue jeans, simple tank tops, and worn down sneakers that are about five months in need of replacement, and during the cold, a thick green military jacket from his Grandpa. He looks like your average, ordinary American young teen that plays outside and is fairly active. Tall at five foot ten, he is a few inches higher than most his age for now.
Thick honey-blonde hair, styled in a poofy set of curls, rings this pretty blue-eyed young woman's head. She's in her late teens, and her hair's currently left down, though it's occasionally pinned up. She stands about five and a half feet tall, and is a little on the thin side of things, though not to an extreme. She dresses mostly in informal styles, from ripped jeans and tank tops to the occasional sundress.
Currently, she wears the former, her black tank top emblazoned with a large sequined red heart, and her jeans so ripped as to be nearly indecent. About half of the heart's sequins are missing. Her feet are clad in red strappy lightly-heeled sandals that have seen better days. She wears little in the way of jewelry, just a black wooden bracelet, a stainless steel and rhinestone mood ring, and (probably fake) gold earrings. When she speaks, a fairly thick Southern accent is evident.
This young black teenager's skin is dark from a majority of his time being spent out in the sun. He has the look of a young athlete, constant in his activity. However, his lack of significant height betrays him from being much more than a casual baller. Thin lips and blue eyes betray some mixture with, potentially European, caucasians in the kid's ancestry.
He currently wears a white basketball jersey with "Wizards" emblazed across the front in blue and red lettering which matches the trim of the shirt, he also wears baggy and long red shorts, rolled up to the knees. On his feet are a pair of clean fire red Air Jordans with a black swoosh that were the best selling shoes back in 2000. Around the teen's neck is a stainless steel chain with a strange snake-like medallion resting on it (look Ron's Uktena Medallion for details).
It is up and early in the morning and Justin is tucked away in the kitchen making Gnawer pancakes. Those of which consist of regular pancake mix coupled with Fruity Pebbles and chocolate milk. As he watches the colorful batter simmer on the pan, he blasts an old Scorpions cassette from his beat up walkman he has put together. The lanky youth is standing in a pair of bright red sparkly boxerbriefs and a wife beater. The headphones are settled around his neck and the bright yellow music player is clipped to his boxers.
Felix is in a hell of a good mood, which probably owes something to the phase of the moon and something else to the fact that it's Sunday morning, which makes several hours ago Saturday night. It has at least not made him any worse a driver than usual, which is to say he's been speeding, smoking, and singing along to the radio. Loudly, but at least well. He's got Isabella along with him, and at least she gets input into what's =on= the radio as they go. Acute ears inside might hear the Caddy pull up and park outside; less acute ones might hear the front door and the Galliard's voice, "...stylish porch, an' here we have our fashionable mudroom, openin' onto the fabulous an' fabled living room." A nice 'ta da' gesture with the arm not holding the door for her.
Isabella has taken the trip here with Felix fairly well for all the speed and smoke. Singing, at least, hasn't proven dangerous. She's riding along and not making a ton of input on musical selection, as the Rules of the Road still dictate driver gets the choice and the passenger shuts their pie hole. She's got a fairly diverse appreciation of music though so it proves helpful. As they pull up to the house and leans to the window to get a better look. Then the door is opening and she steps out with a smile and a, "Why thank you. So this is where everyone mingles?"
The scent of Gnawer cakes is in the air, mingled with fresh bacon as it fries in the pan next to the pancakes. Justin is bobbing and weaving to the music side to side now that the fuzzy rounded headphones are pulled over his ears. He has a fairly solid 80's groove down. Pancakes are flipped and landed back on the pan with a sizzle. He gives a quick fist pump, then bops over to the fridge to yank it open. So far he hasn't heard the others come in due to the loud volume in his ears.
The Caddy having its top down helps out on the smoke front, though not a lot on the hairstyle one. Or the chill, though Felix has the fur coat on today and presumably Isabella's taken the weather into account as well. "Yeah, this's prolly where you're most likely to happen to run into people who aren't us," he confirms, "an' frequently us, also, 'cause they got a decent gym in the garage, and--" He breaks off, taking in the smell and spotting Justin, "...the kitchen's always stocked pretty good." He heads in that direction, walking more lightly than he was before, eyes on his packmate's back. Sneaking is in progress.
"Huh. Kinda interesting that everyone comes here and don't keep to their own places." Isabella remarks as she walks towards the house and then inside. "But there's quite a few more tribes then back home, makes sense I suppose." She quizzically looks past Felix when his posture changes and glances to the kitchen, a wordless O forming on her face when she sees the target. Grinning, she casually meanders for the sitting area to find herself a comfortable seat.
As he heads back to the frying pan, Justin slips the pancakes out on to a plate, then starts to pour some more chocolate milky and pebbles batter into the pan. The bacon gets plucked out as well with his bare fingers, then he peels off a few fresh strips and lobs them into the pan. It looks like Felix may get his chance as he does not seem to notice them.
Coyote does smile on this sort of thing, after all. Felix pads carefully up behind Justin, grinning mischievously, and when he gets there, flexes his fingers. It's a quick thing, but a perceptive viewer might notice them starting for the pants before a flicker of a sidelong glance toward where Isabella's taken residence has them redirecting and instead he grabs the back of the tank top and yanks it up, immediately flattening his other notably cold, straight-from-outside hand right in the small of Justin's back. "Mornin'," he greets casually about the same time contact's made.
Isabella giggles quietly behind a hand as she watches the interaction, but the kinfolk makes no move to help or hinder. She just sits where she is and crosses one leg over the other to lean back and watch the reaction.
"Here I aaaaaammmm! Rock you like a hurri-AAACCCH!!" Justin yelps out as the shirt is jerked upwards and the cold hand is pressed to his back. The spatula clatters to the ground and he whirls around quickly, hands looking to snag the Galliard by the shirt and force him backwards until recognition dawns upon him. "DUDE." He yells over the musuic, then yanks the headphones off. "Dude. Man. That's some bullshit. Fuck your hands are cold." As he looks past his packmate to the kinfolk, he groans. "... dude, you had to bring her over while I'm wearing this?" He mutters as he reaches for the paper towel dispenser and holds it in front of him self-consciously.
Felix gets his turn to yelp, although perhaps not quite as impressively, as he's grabbed and pushed: a quick, "'s me!" As though that ought to make it fine. When that recognition does dawn and Justin relaxes at least out of physical retribution mode, the Galliard does absolutely nothing to keep it that way by cracking up laughing, and only harder at his packmate's complaints. He pulls out one of the chairs to drop into it. "Trust me," he manages between laughs, "coulda been worse. Sorry for not keepin' up to date on What's Justin Wearin' Now, guess TMZ's fallin' down on the job. Anyway, 'least those got style." He indicates the boxerbriefs with a tilt of his chin, still laughing a bit. "...So, g'mornin', sunshine. The hell're you cookin'? An' did you bring enough for the whole class?"
"They are quite shiny." Isabella remarks from where she sits as she props up her chin in her hand and the elbow on the armrest. "It smells like bacon and... burnt sugar? Or something like that, can't pinpoint it. All I've had so far was coffee but then I tend to have that for breakfast most days. Speaking of, there a coffee pot in there? Could use another cup."
"Uhh.. yeah.. They are shiny." Justin says as his cheeks flush with embarrassment, giving Felix a 'look'. "... coulda texted me." He mutters as he turns back to the pan and slides the next round out. "Gnawer cakes. It's pancakes made with chocolate milk and fruity pebbles. It's da' bomb." He motions to the plate. "Go ahead, you can have it. I'll make some more. Ladies first though."
"I don't keep track of where you sleep when neither, man," Felix says, still amused. "I ain't gonna text you every time I happen to go anywhere with her on the offchance you're hangin' out there in your skivvies. Just don't wear shit you ain't good with bein' seen in, easier for everyone. Anyway, seein' as she's stayin' at the Library now, it was only a matter of time." He shrugs, and glances around, considering. "Reckon there's gotta be coffee here somewhere, yeah," he decides, and gets up to poke around and figure out where. There's a brief detour to look at the Gnawercakes up close, though, and he looks faintly dubious, but intrigued.
"Sounds like diabetes." Isabella remarks with a chuckle. "Being of the fine South, I heartily approve of anything with excess sugar and or butter. Or fried. There's a reason coffee was popular. You need the caffeine to keep your blood flowing through your hardened arteries. It all works out perfectly. I wish I could cook though. My grandmother is amazing at it. Me? Not so much, sorry to say."
"Cooking is easy. You just throw stuff on the fire and make it edible. Cook books are straight forward." Justin says with a grin on his face as he pours more batter into the pan, then flicks in a little bit more butter. "It takes practice, or dying of starvation to get creative."
Felix grins at Isabella, agreeing, "Or fried with excess sugar an' butter." He does find the coffee pot, and apparently that's a kitchen appliance he can use properly, adding it to the ranks of 'fridge' and 'microwave'. Though there may have been dissent regarding the latter. "Startin' to think Justin's the only one of us who =can= cook," he says, "...though I reckon Lilah'd prolly do pretty good if she had a cookbook." He gets the coffee started, and heads over to check out the fridge while he's up. Yup, definitely got that one down too. He snags a beer more or less by reflex and heads back to his chair, pulling out a second chair to put his legs up on. "My nana's pretty amazin' at it too. Maybe you get hit by the cookin' fairy when you hit, like, fifty or somethin'."
"Hey, one can't be perfect at everything!" Isabella says with an easy laugh. "Sounds like it. I guess if you live long enough you eventually get tired of everyone else cooking for you. Good dose of food poisoning from someone who can't is likely a catalyst for that. Everyone ends up there sometime, especially after family reunion potlucks. I suppose the day I can afford a decent kitchen is the day I'll learn."
"I can only cook because of my mom and my grandma. They're Puerto Rican, all they do is cook." Justin says as he fishes the rest of the pancakes on to a new plate, then heads over to the table and flops down upon it to eat. "The Gaians are always cooking up here though, especially during holidays. So much food it is ridiculous. Thanksgiving is coming up and I'm stoked."
"Yeah, I guess we gotta leave some perfection for everyone else," Felix says, giving Isabella a grin, and opens the beer, taking a sip. "Bet they'd let you use this kitchen, if it's decent enough." He leans over and attempts to steal one of Justin's pancakes, or at least part of it. And maybe a slice of bacon if he can get away with it.
With food being offered, Isabella pulls herself out of her chair and moves for the kitchen. "Alright, well, let's see those cooking skills." She says to Justin with a grin and grabs herself a plate so she can collect a few of the pancakes and bacon. She's in the fridge then, withdrawing a tub of cheap butter that she begins smearing over the cakes. "Sugar and butter. It's law you have to have both."
There is enough food for Felix to steal from. Justin takes a cake in his hand and rolls it up into a cigar after tucking some bacon into it, then starts to eat it that way. "It's a free kitchen for the friendly. Anyone can use it. Just gotta make sure we re-stock up once in awhile too." He tilts his chin upwards and stares at the ceiling. "I take it I got about two and a half weeks to go before my challenge."
Felix rips a piece off the 'cake to try it as is, chewing it thoughtfully. "'s not bad," he decides, and tries it next the way Justin has his, adding sugar and butter to give that a go as well once Isabella's used them. "Too bad I didn't see syrup nowhere," he says, though he seems fairly happy with the amalgation of all the available methods, buttering and sugaring the cake and then rolling it around the rest of the strip of bacon. And washing the bites down with beer. Breakfast of champions! "...yeah, sounds about right. You got any more news on it yet?"
Isabella eats her the proper way - with utensils. She is a lady after all. She takes a seat while she eats and waits for the coffee to finish percolating. "Oh, challenging for rank by the sounds of it? Big event, that. Can't say I'm all too familiar with the workings but I remember my sister telling us about her's. I can't say I ever understood putting someone through something dangerous just to prove what they've already accomplished but I guess it's that I'm kin and don't get the details."
"It's a mind over matter type of thing. If you are going to step up to the next level, you got to put yourself through some type of trial. Like a test." Justin says as he gives the pancake a poke. "I haven't heard anything new though from Marcos but I'm sure he will give me more information on the night he decides to do it." He shrugs his shoulders upwards. "Gotta make sure I have a last meal also because if I die on this thing, I don't wanna die hungry." He casts a look to Bella with a grin. "Maybe you can give me a kiss for the road?"
"It's like the SAT or somethin'. You already know the shit, yeah, but you gotta prove it under pressure if you wanna move up," Felix says, nodding to Justin's explanation. He wrinkles his nose at the answer about more details, and polishes off the pancake, eyeing what remains on the plate for a couple seconds before going for a second (and bacon). "No dyin'," he tells his packmate sternly, and looks to Isabella, "Good idea. Might help him try harder to stay alive an' come back, like knights in olden days."
Isabella gives a nod of her head in acceptance of the explanation. "At least you don't need a number two pencil to fill in the bubbles." At Justin's request she gives a little huff of a laugh around her mouthful of pancakes. She doesn't answer until she's swallowed. "Well, ladies usually gave tokens if I remember my stories but I'm fresh out of handkerchiefs. I'll see what I can do though before you set out." She passes Justin a wink.
"Yes, I will try a lot harder if I had a kiss from you." Justin says as he nods his head furiously towards her. "You can be my Princess that I have to slay dragons for. Except they will probably be banes." He takes another bite of his pancakes, crunching through the bacon happily.
Felix leans back, rolling his freshly-slathered pancake around the bacon, and nods. "I'm pretty sure sometimes kisses're tokens," he says, "...or, y'know, along with them. Either way." He glances sidelong at his packmate and then informs Isabella with imperfect innocence, "An' I have it on good authority he ain't married, y'know."
<OOC> Felix says "That's probably the best entirely accidental alliteration I ever did. *^_^*"
Isabella raises her brows oh so faintly to Felix. "I left home to buy some time before I was married off to the best suitor. Kin have their duties and all but I'm entirely too young to be stuck in a house! Besides, we've already discussed my lack of cooking skills. I'd make a poor wife." Ah! Coffee's done. She's up out of her chair and heading over to pour a cup and to add yet more sugar.
"Yes, but, we live in a /library/ so technically you wouldn't be stuck in a house." Justin points out to her. "And I am hardly the best suitor so you would be totally giving your family the finger if you hooked up with me. Perfect revenge and it satisfies Coyote requirements as a pretty good prank." He tries to give her the most charming grin he can muster. "And as you see, I have great taste in ... uh .. underwear."
"I gotta admit, man's got some points there. Plus, =he= can cook, so really, that part's handled," Felix agrees, continuing to fail not to look amused. He shifts his weight, tilting the chair to balance on two legs while he munches his pancake, and looks unreasonably comfortable.
"I must admit, gentlemen," Isabella says with a demure sip of her coffee, "That you do make valid points. The underwear may be the only questionable statement but what you choose to girdle your loins with going into battle is your business. We just need to spruce up that library some more to be a home and not a crash pad, at least without drawing attention why an abandoned building is getting an overhaul."
"Sooo... you're saying if I ditch the undies I'd have a chance with you?" Justin asks as his eyes pop open, then he looks to Felix. "Dude, bathroom, now. We gotta switch. Take one for the team man. Bro code." He rises upwards, giving his bright sparkly gold boxer briefs a snap. "And we're working on the library thing. We got running water and electricity so far. We could use some paint I guess."
It's still bright and early in the morning. The trio are in the kitchen, eating what Justin calls Gnawer cakes -- pancakes made with chocolate milk and fruity cereal -- and bacon. Felix is washing it down with beer, like ya do. "We do that. We're valid point =machines=," he tells Isabella with a grin, though Justin gets a dubious look. "Y'know, I'm pretty sure gettin' in another guy's underwear is specifically disallowed in there somewhere," he tells his packmate, "Even if he ain't in 'em anymore. Didn't you bring pants or somethin'? Put 'em on and go commando." He finishes off his current sugar-and-butter laden pancake, wrapped around some bacon. "Although I still say they're pretty stylish, as skivvies go. You oughta try an' warm up to 'em, Bella. They might be the start of somethin' big."
The front door opens, cool air from outside wafting in to clash with the warm scents of a breakfast that is questionable in its healthiness. Ron steps inside, shirt held in his right hand rather than worn like most people do, on their general torso area. This is probably because the Uktena cub is currently quite sweaty and his breath comes strongly, as if he just finished some strenuous exercise. He closes the door behind him with a foot encased in a one of a pair of surprisingly clean looking red Air Jordans, modern-vintage. He uses a short white towel, wrapped around his neck, to wipe at his face and heads over to the kitchen.
"Hey, I said the underwear's your call." Isabella remarks, holding up her spare hand in a deferring gesture. "They're your unmentionables, you choose what suits you. Mine are all from Walmart because I can't go affording the fancy bits but they do their job. I'm not out to impress anyone. I certainly know my mother and grandmother would be shocked at us discussing our underclothes around the breakfast table." At the door opening, the kinswoman looks over her shoulder to the arriving young Uktena.
The Gnawer ahroun is currently wearing bright sparkly gold boxer briefs and a wife beater. As he eats his Gnawer cakes, he gives a grin to his two friends. "Sides, it only matters what's /under/ the undies that counts." He puffs up a bit as he gives a waggle of his brows to Bella, then peers over at the Uktena cub. "Yo Ron, whaddup?" He calls over as he gives a wave of his hand. "I have very healthy Gnawer cakes on the counter if you want some." Also with a smirk to Felix, his eyes roll upwards. "Yeah, I got pants but they're upstairs with my clothes. I just showered and headed down to make food type stuffs."
"Mine ain't," Felix tells Isabella, grinning again, "...but I didn't buy 'em, an' everything's afforable that way." He glances over at the sound of the door as well, and waves a hand to Ron, then uses said hand to snag another pancake/bacon pair. Things must be kind of moreish. "Damn straight, though," he agrees toward Justin, regarding what counts, and laughs at the Ahroun's eyeroll. "Hey, man, I've SEEN you walkin' around without 'em, so don't act like there ain't no question here."
Ron steps properly into the kitchen and pauses with an expression that says what he is thinking, that what he sees is straight up weird. "Sup, J," the Uktena cub offers in a bit of a halted statement that mixes well with his voice, like this isn't the first time that he is unsure that he wants to know what is happening in this kitchen. "I interrupting sum'in?" He gives a short glance over to Isabella then over to Felix and nods again. "An' is breakfast served to the gen'ral public?"
"And what's under them is certainly inappropriate for the breakfast table." Isabella says with a faint note of horror and amusement suggesting that while talk is all fun she's actually concerned someone is gonna go commando right there in the kitchen. "We may be Gnawers but there still needs to be /some/ measure of decency and civility." She plucks up a piece of bacon from her plate to bite off a piece. A nod is given to Ron in greeting, but she stays quiet in regards to any extra food availability.
"Depends on where you have breakfast." Justin points out to Bella with a wink, then straightens up at the table a bit. "Sure, Ron. Snag food if you want. I don't hoard the pancakes. I got extra batter in the bowl if you want something fresher." He points over to the stove top. "I'm gonna throw some proper clothes on I guess." Rising upwards, he heads out of the kitchen, pulling the wedge out of his buttcrack.
Felix gestures vaguely at Ron with his own pancake-roll, properly sugar-buttered and prepared, asking, "Are you the general public? 'cause I reckon in that case, yeah, Justin already offered. But corporal punishment an' major pain in the ass can get their own breakfast. Assholes." He gives the Ahroun in question a mock salute with the 'cake in acknowledgement of his temporary departure, and looks to Bella again, "He's got a point again. See what I mean about us an' valid points? =Machines=. But I reckon we can be decently civil, at this particular breakfast table. What with bein' in the presence of a lady, an' all."
With a nod to the Gnawer just before he heads out, Ron walks over to the batter. On the way, he gives a laugh to Felix's joke that remains inside his throat despite being quite audible and genuine. Many might be considered rude for making more food rather than eating what was already cooked... Ron does it however, surprisingly, without an aire of pickiness or judgement. It was an option he was offered, and he took it. The Uktena starts the pan heating up again. "Lady?" He questions, glancing over at Isabella and looking like he just saw her for the first time, then adding, "Aw shit. She's too damn pretty to be real in a place like this. Thought she was a statue... or a painting'r sum'in."
It still qualifies as 'breakfast time', and Ron and Felix are in the kitchen, as is some bacon and some of Justin's Gnawer cakes, which are pancakes made with chocolate milk and Fruity Pebbles in them. Best eaten slathered in butter and sugar and wrapped around a slide of the bacon, in Felix's apparent opinion. With beer. There is, however, coffee for more reasonable people like Isabella, who has just disappeared to the loo. "Lady," the Galliard confirms, pointing the direction she's just departed, and grins to Ron, "Our newest kin in town. Isabella." He's sitting with his feet up on one chair, and the chair he's actually got his rear in tilted back on two legs. He looks much more comfortable than he has any right to. "You been runnin', or workin' in the garage?"
Lilah steps into the Edgewood House from outside with little fanfare, though sharp ears may have heard a car door open and shut outside first. She smiles broadly when she spots faces she knows, though seems to be looking for one in particular. Once her eyes set on the way-too-comfortable Felix, that smile broadens yet further, and she heads on over to his side, giving him a quick kiss on the side of his neck. "Howdy," she greets him, and then turns her attention to Ron. He gets a polite smile, and, "I don't reckon we've met yet." Which is apparently only going to be remedied by extending a hand to shake and saying, "Lilah Sinclair, 'Gnawer kin. Nicetameetcha!"
Heading back down the stairs fully clothed, Justin bumped into Bella who had to take a phone call outside after her bathroom break. He is now wearing black cargo pants and a simple gray v-neck shirt. Flopping down at his chair at the table, he picks up another piece of bacon and crunches into it. "Hey Lilah, whaddup?" He calls over to her with a wave of his hand.
Ron gives a nod with a "Sup." Then with the hand reaching out, he moves the hot pan to a cold burner and pushes away from the stove to accept the handshake. "Ron. Dey call me Quickstart. Philodox Cub an' Uktena," for all his street-style slangy pronounciation of the English language, suddenly Uktena is spoken with perfection as his tribe name is offered. Ron then glances up towards Justin and heads back to the stove to finish what he started.
Felix glances toward the door at the sound of it opening, and brightens as well when he sees the new arrival, not that he seemed glum before. "Doll!" he greets her, "Come have some breakfast!" As she approaches to give him that kiss, he kicks his feet back down off the chair they're on and lets the one he's seated in settle on all four feet again, the better to create room in his lap to try to pull Lilah into, his pancake-free arm reaching out to wrap around her waist and draw her in. It possibly doesn't help with the hand-shaking, but surely that's still doable. He gives her a proper kiss of greeting if he can get away with it, as well. "Justin made Gnawer cakes. They're pretty good actually."
"A pleasure t'meetcha." Lilah shakes his hand and then laughs as she's pulled into Felix's lap. She shakes her head in amusement and wraps an arm around his neck amiably, the better to grab that greeting kiss. Then again, it's not exactly 'proper' since it's merely a peck, but you take what you can get. She peers down at Felix's pancake, and nods her head approvingly. "They look dang good. Hey, Justin! Thought I'd come up here 'n bother y'all before work later this afternoon. S'apparently a 'specially slow day today, so they didn't need me this mornin' after all." She shrugs, not too put out about it. "Those Gnawer cakes look delicious." And she doesn't change her tune after stealing a bite of Felix's. "mmmmf."
"It's a small moon. Should take the girls out to the Caern and show them around." Justin says as he gives a nod to the kinfolk with a grin. "Gnawer cakes are the best cakes. Pretty much it's just pancakes with chocolate milk and fruity pebbles mixed into the batter." Giving himself a stretch upwards, he glances over to Ron. "You know how to use a stove, right?"
Ron thinks for a moment as he is putting some butter in the hot pan, letting it melt and lifts up the batter to pour. He looks back over to Felix and offers in answer to an earlier question with some humor, "Was out for a run. If I'm gonna be the best, I can't sit around all day." The shirtless Uktena suddenly loses his humor when Justin asks the question of Ron and straightens out, which doesn't do too much to make the short cub taller. He swallows then slings his shirt over his shoulder, "Yeah. Why? What you tryna say?"
Isabella returns from her double break, visibly pocketing her cell phone as she steps back in from off the porch. "Sorry about that. My mother does have the worst timin' when it comes to calling me. I see nothing has burned down in my brief absence." Yet, seems to say the faintly raised brow as she looks to the bit of chest puffing at the stove. She promptly angles away from said appliance and user and towards the table to recover her coffee.
Felix gives Lilah a pout and the Big Puppy Eyes for her mere peck, but does indeed take what he can get for the moment. The fact that one of the things he =does= get is a Lilah in his lap probably helps. "See? Tasty," he tells her, "...what time they want you comin' in later?" Justin's suggestion gets a faint look of surprise, but a nod. "Sounds like a plan," he says, and snorts softly at Ron's reaction to being asked. "We were talkin' earlier 'bout how most of us can't cook," he says, "I'd prolly just end up drinkin' the batter raw." Which may be an exaggeration, but then again, who knows?
Lilah must have a heart of steel, for Felix's Big Puppy Eyes get only a smile as reaction. "They didn't 'xactly say... said they'd call me, but that I'd prolly be called 'in the afternoon.' I s'ppose they mightn't call me at all, 'cept to say 'don't come in,' but we'll see." She shrugs again. "Chocolate milk 'n fruity pebbles with batter?" she asks of Justin. "Now that's thinkin' with yer noggin'." She has another bite of Felix's pancake, and admits on the topic of cooking, "I dunno how to cook, neither. Ya'd think with m'daddy bein' a line cook he'd'a taught me, but by the time he got home, that's the LAST thing he wanted t'do."
"What Felix said. I was gonna offer you help if you needed it." Justin says with a shrug to Ron, then turns his attention back to Bella who causes him to goofily grin. "So, how about it? You wanna take a trip to the Caern and soak up all that is pure and shit with the world? I think it'd be nice if you two knew how to get there and back, just in case."
Ron swallows down again, and takes a breath. "Shit man." He looks back to the pan and pours in the batter with a lively sizzle coming up, "My bad. Mom stopped cooking when I was five and dad... well, dad was a hero. Apparently. Heroes got more time for killin' and dyin' than the domestics." Ron bites at his lower lip with a shake of his head. "Still getting used to this rage thing." He grabs the spatula and waits for the lovely bubbles to form on the cakes. "An' yeah, can't go to the Caern yet. Need my tribe wit' me."
Isabella gives a gleeful little hoot at Lilah's mention of lack of cooking. "Hah! Glad to see I'm not the only failure when it comes to the 'right and proper kinswoman'. I mean, when all you have to eat some nights are baked beans and ramen what's there to learn to cook? Not my family. Me. Father has a real paying job." At mention of visiting the caern, Isabella blinks with genuine surprise as she looks between the Garou. "Really? We're allowed there?"
"See, I reckon you could if you wanted," Felix tells Lilah, "Y'know, with a cookbook an' all." He doesn't sound too terribly invested in whether she does, though. He doesn't bother giving any excuse for his own professed culinary incompetence, but Ron gets a brief sympathetic look. "Yeah, we got a regular outbreak of heroes," he says, and for no obvious reason gives Lilah a kiss on the shoulder, just above the collar of her shirt. "Been seein' more of your tribe than last time I ran into you, though?" he asks the Uktena; the caern issue he leaves to Justin, for now, although Isabella gets a quick grin.
"You might be right," Lilah admits to Felix, though she does spare a grin for Isabella and her comments about 'proper kinswomen.' "I reckon I ain't a right an' proper anything, let alone that. Ya just do yer best an' that's all ya *can* do. Whether that's makin' delicious Easy Cheese 'n cracker hors d'ouevres or like, not pissin' off all the locals." She nods at the talk of heroes, and reaches out to brush her fingers through Felix's hair just briefly.
Justin nods his head. "Yes, kinfolk are allowed on the bawn and the caern." He says, then grins to Ron. "You can come with us if we're there. We're cliath. If things go sideways, we'll take the blame. We're coyotes, it's what we do. We get in trouble." He drawls out with a crooked grin. "Sides, you can't just stay cooped up here forever."
Ron nods over his shoulder to Felix and flips a rather sizable cake in the pan with a decent amount of expertise. He takes a moment to flip his shirt off of one shoulder over to the other as he steps towards a cupboard then the sink to fill a glass of water. "Yeah, met my elder, Reggie. And Watcher, the same time as Justin and the others who napped me." Then towards Justin, "Coyotes? I thought ya'll were rats?"
"That'd be pretty amazing to see a caern." Isabella lets out a gleeful breath. "So many ideas for new artwork - inspired, of course. Not about to do a picture perfect copy." She shoots a wide grin over to Lilah, "We definitely should check it out! There's always time to learn cookin'. When I can afford decent ingredients to make it worthwhile."
Felix grins wickedly and murmurs to Lilah, "Bet I can think of right an' proper things you are," which works much better as some kind of innuendo if you don't actually try to figure out what kind exactly it would be. "Also, you do make delicious Easy Cheese an' cracker hors d'oeuvres," he says more conversationally, "If we ever have a cocktail party I reckon we're set." Justin's claim that getting in trouble is what they do gets a nod, and another grin. "We're packed under Coyote," he tells Ron, "Tactical Frivolity's our pack, him an' me an' Watcher an' Benny. He's Alpha," a tip of his head toward the other Gnawer. "So, yeah, we're Rat's, but we're also Coyote's."
Lilah smirks at Felix, shaking her head in amusement, and then nods to Isabella. "Either way sounds like a plan. If'n Ron here decides not to go, I can stay behind 'n keep 'im company, I reckon. Maybe he'd be kind enough to teach me how to flip them cakes. An' if he decides to go, that's a plan in an' of itself." She kisses the side of Felix's head, apropos of nothing.
Ron considers what Felix said as he pulls a well-browned griddle cake from the pan and drops it on a plate. He doesn't bother with any more toppings, just grabbing a fork and digging in. He seems rather pleased with the bite of food and offers towards Justin after swallowing, "Good shit, man." Then to Lilah he shrugs, "I'm stickin' 'round here. I ain't exactly a chef or nothin' though. I mean, I'll teach what I know but that ain't much."
"Well, how about Justin and I can go take a looksee." Isabella remarks as she looks between the Garou and fellow kin. "If Felix and Lilah wanna hang out here with Ron then you two can do that. Lilah can take cooking notes for me then and share experiences later!"
Felix gives Lilah a disappointed look at the suggestion of staying behind, and then Ron's saying he is, and the Galliard shakes his head. "No sense of adventure," he complains, but at Isabella's suggestion he tilts his head slightly, glancing briefly at Justin, then back to her, and brightens a bit. "Yeah, that'd work," he decides, adding to Lilah, "Plus I could take you later. An' meanwhile I could eat things. Although I think I gotta get me another drink, if I'm gonna do that."
"That's me in a nutshell: no sense o' adventure," Lilah teases, and leans in to give Felix that proper kiss at last. "I reckon that works on all counts," she says with a nod, and to Ron, she comments, "Well, ya don't hafta be a chef. I 'ppreciate any bit o' learnin' you see fit t'give me." She smiles at him, and then says to Isabella and Justin, "Y'all have fun!" That said, she rises up off Felix's lap, saying, "Gotta powder m'nose."
Ron gives the two departing Gnawers a nod with a touch of a smile, though not so much that he doesn't still come off as 'tough'. He shrugs to Lilah, "Well, ain't like I'm gonna withhold nothin'." Then towards Felix, he gives a short but appraising look and properly grins after Lilah steps out, "Ya done good for yourself."
Isabella takes her dish and coffee mug to the sink and dutifully gives them a wash and sets them aside to drive. "Alright then! Figure we can meet back up here around dinnertime, carpool back into the city when we're done. If plans change though we have some cellphones between us." She gives a grin to those gathered as she and Justin head for the door. "Catch ya'll later!"
"I meant him," Felix tells Lilah, with a gesture toward Ron, and is perfectly happy to finally get that proper kiss, if less happy to let her get out of his lap. He watches her go a few steps before offering, with a slight lift of one brow, "You want a hand with that? My nose-powderin's renowned in five states." She laughs, shaking her head at him, and asks, "Only five?" The Galliard seems unsurprised at the demurral, not having moved to get up as yet, but grins broadly at her reply. "Well, two of 'em are Texas an' California, an' those are massive," he says, continuing to watch as she heads away. The departing others get a slightly distracted nod and a wave, and it's only when Lilah's gone that he glances properly back over to Ron. The grin doesn't dim at all with the cub's verdict. "I know," he says, "She's awesome, ain't she?"
<OOC> Felix made her tell me what Lilah'd do/say before she left. Muahaha.
Ron has been taking measured bites of the pancake, chewing throughly before swallowing each. "Yeah," he offers in an agreement and then takes a drink of water. He finally seems to have cooled off enough and puts his shirt back on, or perhaps it's because there's no more women in the room to impress. "Aside from breaking rules, what do y'all do for fun?"
Felix pushes up from his chair to hit the fridge for a replacement for his empty beer, tossing the can casually into the recycling; it goes in nice and slick, but it's not exactly a difficult shot while strolling by. "The whole pack, or me specifically?" he asks as he settles in again, having claimed what little remains of the original plate of pancakes and bacon on the way.
Ron is chewing down another bite of food as Felix asks the question to a question and then shrugs. Another bite down and he looks around the farmhouse. "Everyone. Ya know? We all got a fuckin' apocalypse barin' down on our heads and I feel it like my moms gettin' on my nerves all damn day. I get my run in an' exercise an' shit and I clearly see you got a girl to help y'out but like... ya ever have parties? Or maybe race or play some ball or somethin'?"
Felix grins again, getting comfy again. "Well, =I= have parties. Mostly other peoples'. This time of month's best, obviously, but I was at a great one over by the University last night. Go to clubs sometimes. But yeah, there's runnin', other kinds of workin' out -- I come here prolly most days to use the bag in the garage, don't got one to use in the city -- I play guitar a lot. Drivin's good sometimes. Hang out with folks. Head out into the city an' find some trouble to get into. I get bored easy, but I'm good at findin' ways to entertain myself." A pause. "An' of course there's actually goin' out an' findin' shit that needs killin', an' killin' it. That takes the edge off somethin' fierce," he says dryly.
Around about when Felix is talking about killing things, sharp ears can hear the sound of Lilah making her way back to the kitchen. She returns to her seat in Felix's lap quietly, and loops an arm around his neck once more. She has a smile for the two of them, but she doesn't interrupt the flow of conversation.
Ron listens as he eats and finally gains a bit of a feralness to his expression which is harder than a grin but not without mirth. Then as Lilah returns he sobers up a bit and finishes his pancake. "I never liked judgin' no one. I mean, I'm gonna be honest? Always did. Inside. Always was just thinkin' on what's fair or not. People make deals, gotta own up to 'em. So I get my being a Philodox. What's it like for you? Galliard. Storyteller. That what the guitar is for?"
Felix wraps his arms around Lilah's waist when she resettles in his lap, and gives her an exaggerated look over. "Hmm. That nose ain't lookin' particularly powdered, from here. Next time I better go along just to be sure," he teases, before looking back to Ron. "Yeah, pretty much. I'm a good performer, mostly music but I ain't bad at other shit either. Always have been. An' I got a hell of a good memory for what I hear. I'm pretty good at talkin' with people, got no problem with speakin' in front of 'em, either. And I'm pretty damn good at celebratin', not that we get that one officially a lot. But, hey. So all in all, I figure I fit well enough."
Lilah arches a brow as he gives her that look over, and then grins at his conclusion. "Powderin's a delicate art. It cain't *look* powdered. Gotta go all nat'ral." She gives a firm nod, and then listens to the two of them speak. She doesn't move to comment on their various roles, instead leaning forward a bit to steal more of Felix's pancake. Unless I missed it and he finished it!
Ron nods then looks to Lilah and back to Felix, with a light grin showing pearly white teeth. "Should I leave you two alone? I could make myself scarce."
"Hmmm," Felix replies to Lilah, giving her his best dubious eyebrow lift. He laughs at Ron's question, and does actually look somewhat tempted for a moment before he answers, "Nah," and after a moment, with another quick, wicked grin, "Not yet, anyhow. We still got us some pancakes need eatin'. Wouldn't want their destinies to go unfulfilled."
For her part, Lilah gets a bit of a blush, and nods agreeably to Felix's demurral. That dubious eyebrow lift is entirely ignored. Instead, she opens her mouth to speak, when a buzzing comes from her pocket, and she withdraws her phone, checking a text. "They need me t'come in, I'm sorry," she says. "Looks like I might never learn to flip them 'cakes." She smiles despite this, however, and starts to rise from Felix's lap.
Ron grins and gives a non-commital shrug, "Don't worry 'bout it. Next time." With that, he closes up the batter with some plastic wrap and goes to put it in the fridge.
Felix gives her phone a brief glare, and sighs. "Well, now they're doomed," he says, shaking his head, "Unless..." He leans to snag the plastic wrap once Ron's done with it, and wraps up the remaining pancakes and bacon from Justin's original platter into a workable package. "I'll take you back," he tells Lilah, gently guiding her off his lap so he can stand, and taking her hand. "Later, good seein' you again," he says to Ron before starting for the front door, asking the kin as he goes, "So... exactly =when= do they need you to show up...?"
"It was great seein' ya!" Lilah says to Ron, and then nods her head. "Next time." She laughs lightly at Felix's question, and points out, "They need me there purty soon, but I reckon that all depends on how..." the rest is cut off as they exit the building.