The library's ground level is one large room punctuated by even rows of pier columns that confidently hold the weight of the upper floors. The building is old but solid, its lath and plaster walls dark with age. Here and there some of the plaster has worn off to reveal the wooden slats beneath. Heavy, dark grained and decorated mahogany wainscoting runs the length of the walls, complimented by thick, ornate crown molding along the ceiling and each of the columns. It's clear from the dilapidated condition that the building's been abandoned for decades. There is a somber, sepulchral quietness to the place, even when alive with people, that is perhaps a ghostly echo of the rigid, required silence that its wardens demanded when the library was in its heyday.
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.
He's in a well-worn biker jacket of the traditional sort, all fairly closely fit black leather and silvery zippers and snaps. Beneath it, he's got nicely-fitting dark indigo jeans with a plain white tank, its ribbed cotton skimming close enough to hint at the musculature beneath. Over that, he's wearing a long-sleeved, navy blue shirt, unbuttoned; judging by the white-on-red number patches on the left arm, the flag patch on the right shoulder, and the round fleur-de-lis patch to the left of the collar, it was once part of someone's Scout uniform... probably not his. Okay, the 'Boy Scouts of the USA' patch over the right pocket's a hint, too. 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.
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.
Linnaea is a petite young woman, just under five feet in height when she stands fully straight. Dark hair with auburn and even lighter blond highlights hangs in a braid slightly past her shoulders, with stray hairs that escape to form bangs and frame her face, and brown eyes. Her skin is fair but tanned, with freckles across her cheeks, and features that are not delicate so much as they are strong and simply there. She wears practical clothing, jeans and a brightly colored teeshirts, and sturdy looking slip on shoes.
Wednesday night, and the Library is currently doing an even worse imitation of its past than usual: Felix is in the recreation portion of the room with his battered blue electric guitar, and the rather better-looking amp is turned up loud enough that the music is leaking out the heavy front doors onto the street. Since he doesn't also have a microphone, the singing is only audible rather closer, "...Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage!" There's some smoke in the air, and half a bag of chips plus a half-full plastic Coke bottle on the ground near his feet.
Too near the amp for it to possibly be healthy sits a Lilah, humming along with Felix. Though one would be hard-pressed to *hear* her humming, she definitely is, and she's dancing in her seat to boot. She seems to be in a good mood, judging by the bright smile on her face and her animated features.
One minute, there's no one by the bookcases closest to the makeshift kitchen, and then the next minute, a young woman, petite, edges into sight, unannounced, fingers half-tangled in her hair. The announcement she does give, though, is polite, if perhaps too quiet to be heard over the music. "Hullo?" There's a distinct British accent to the words, muted by some time spent in the region, but not muted much. "Don't suppose Maddie's home?" The second is said even softer than the first.
"Then someone will say--" Felix is singing when the unexpected movement catches his eye -- bigger than a rat, that's notable -- and he turns in that direction, eyes narrowing and fingers flattening on the strings to stop them when he doesn't recognize the source. And he would've noticed if the doors had been opened... "Fuck'd you come from?" he greets her, taking a couple steps her way. The movement's not so much aggressive as, a perceptive person might notice, just happening to end up with him decidedly between her and Lilah. "An' for that matter, who the fuck are you?"
For Lilah's part, she entirely misses the arrival of the new Library patron, and so when the strings still, she continues to hum for the briefest of moments. She follows Felix's gaze, blinking twice rapidly, and cautiously rises to her feet. She doesn't say anything to Linn or Felix, merely taking a half-step back, though she aims to make it look casual. Yep, just caaaaaasually getting the hell away. Just in case.
If anything, Linnaea looks... moderately disappointed, as she's looking around as if expecting... someone else, and then just shrugs her shoulders, leaning back against the bookcase, and points at one of the dangling pieces of mirror near the staircase. "The other side. The Umbra, the Shadowland, across the gauntlet," she offers. "Sorry, I... er. I'm Linnaea Griffin-Macey, but everyone calls me Lin. Rises-Like-The-Dawn-From-Night. Cliath theurge of the Children." Polite as it is there's an expectation of an introduction in return, as she looks up towards Felix for just long enough to not be challenging, and then back down off that way. "Maddie-rhya's not here, I guess?"
A moment later, and as if remembering, Lin adds, "And packed under Otter, in the pack Otter Space." Which might explain something, if only the space-case-ness.
"Dunno a Maddie," Felix replies, regarding the new arrival with head tilted, chin slightly up, eyes still narrowed. The addition of the pack name seems to relax him slightly, though not 100%, as yet. "An' I ain't seen you around before, neither. You got a Ragabash an' a Galliard in your pack, right? Name 'em." The tone's quite conversational, but he keeps his gaze on her firmly, and apparently his return introduction is on at least temporary hold.
Lilah shifts from side to side for a moment, but seems more curious than nervous at this point. She peeks at Linnaea's feet rather than at her directly, and those feet are given SUCH a staring.
Linnaea chews her lower lip, and there's a half-mumbled, "No, you prolly wouldn't," to the first one, and then she nods. "Bri, and Charlene." Her lips purse. "I spend most of my time at Terminus, or over working on my degree at SCCU, or at Charlene's barn." There's another pause, and then the Brit offers, "So."
Another brief moment of considering the girl, and then the redhead breaks into a grin, shrugging. "Well, seein' as ain't no one seen fit to gimme better ways to tell this shit, I reckon that'll do okay. Don't no one in your pack ever knock?" He shakes his head, amused, although there IS a faint edge to the question. "Felix T. Sinclair, Chugs-the-Mystery-Brew, Fostern 'Gnawer Galliard, packed with Tactical Frivolity, under Coyote. An' that over there's Lilah," who indicates with a tilt of the head, and a smile in the kin's direction before he looks back to Linnaea. "Nice meetin' you, an' sorry your friend ain't here. Who is she? An' you want a drink or somethin'? We got chips." He gestures vaguely toward the bag.
Lilah waits until Felix has started introducing himself to peeeeeek around him at Linn. She gives a waggle of her fingers and adds to Felix's intro, "'Gnawer kin. Nicetameetcha." Felix's smile is returned with interest, and then she turns that smile on the Theurge.
Linnaea giggles a little bit, and whatever tension there was has been replaced with an easy-going grin. "Sorry about the knocking, I er." She grins. "I didn't think it would be good to just pop out of the umbra in the /street/, now would it?" comes what she points out. "Pleasure to meet the both of you, though. That'd be lovely, if it's no trouble." Lin jams her thumbs in her pockets, and unzips her sweater, and go figure, the bright blue shirt has a unicorn and a rainbow on it. Typical Gaian hippie stuff that would fit right into a corporate office just as well. "Maddie Broken-Toes was my teacher when I was a cub, here, but when I came back from my rite back at the Gaian sept I grew up at, she'd left, which was kind of bollocks... I just kind of always hope she'll come back, like people tend to."
Felix considers this. "Nah, also not ideal," he allows, "an' showin' up from the bathroom's not any better'n in the kitchen. But moon's full an' some people ain't as chill as me." Another grin, just enough to make the comment perhaps a bit self-deprecating. "So she's a Theurge too, then? I'll keep an ear out, never know whatcha might hear." He reaches over to give Lilah's hand a squeeze, and indicates the fridge with a tilt of the head, "You mind, doll?" For his part, he steps over to put the guitar down and flick off the amp, then picks up the chips so he can offer Linnaea the bag. "Gotta be someone knows where she is. Everyone else who's there, for starters." There's a pause, with a curious look over the Gaian, "You really actually go to SCCU?"
<OOC> Lilah says "Be right back, need to grab some food. Feel free to assume Lilah's being squirrely, but does reply to anything directed her way. And she says she doesn't mind, and probably fetches Linnaea something to drink as well. Some RC Cola, perhaps. ;)"
Linnaea grins and frees one hand and grabs a few chips, and then almost imperceptibly steadies herself against the bookshelf, before going over to sit down on one of the chairs. She walks slowly and carefully, although steadily enough, but seems glad to sit down. "At worst," she jokes back, "I'd have fallen back over into the Umbra. I figure it takes most people at least twice as long to get through the gauntlet. Glad I didn't have to, though." And there's a nod. "She's a theurge, yeah. My tribe didn't have any, when I was a cub, so Topsy asked if Maddie would teach me. Full moon makes me restless, a bit, thought I'd see what I could get up to." And there's another nod. "I do. I grew up thinking I was kin, and had come here to go to university, and then I firsted and that cocked up those plans for a bit. But I got it deferred, and did a few distance courses in the mean time, and now I'm trying to finish the going to school."
Felix snorts. "It'd prolly take me all night," he agrees, then scoops up the soda bottle off the floor and flops down bonelessly on the couch, where he attempts to set the chips down within reach of both of them. It's more or less accomplishable. "...yeah, firstin's hell on plans," he agrees, with a fleeting glance toward the guitar, and takes a drink. "But that's pretty cool. Ain't met many of us managed to keep doin' the other shit too. 's a pretty nice place, the U. Good parties." Another grin, this one a bit toothier, and he rummages in his pocket, coming up with an Altoids tin which he balances on the arm of the sofa for the moment. "Whatcha studying? You actually gonna try an' get a job after?"
Lilah does, indeed, indicate to Felix that she doesn't mind, and she goes and prepares to fetch a drink for Linn. She tilts her head at the bit about Linn's firsting, or maybe her growing up as seeming-kin, and rummages a bit more. When she emerges from the maw of the fridge, she's got a twenty ounce bottle of Coke, as well as a gas station pickle. These are offered out to Linn with a smile, and the words, "How long ya been goin' there, now?"
Linnaea grins and accepts both of these things with a nod, fiddling with the bottle more than perhaps opening it at first. "Engineering," she answers, grinning. "Somewhere in between where mechanical engineering meets civil engineering, more or less, and that's part of the studying, is figuring out what I want to do and such and learning what I can do with it. Stuck-up types would say it's a little overly Weaver-y of me, but it's still just all tools we can use to make the world a better place to live in. I started on-campus classes... th' very beginning of 2015, and did the online thing before that for one term." One shoulder lifts in a shrug. "I kind of work for the Terminus Group right now, in research and development, and the company is owned by garou families, which is the only reason I can pull it off, because I can call in for werewolf business and no one cares, I don't have a schedule, or demands. I also live there."
Felix leans up a bit and reaches out to slip two fingertips up beneath the back of Lilah's shirt and into the rear belt-loop of her jeans, giving it a tug in his general direction. "Gonna be honest: I got no idea what the difference between mechanical an' civil engineerin' actually is, 'less one's more personable'n the other," he says toward Linnaea, "I know 'bout enough not to assume there's trains involved." A small pause. "There ain't, right?" It's about 90% a joke. "What's the Terminus Group actually =do=? I mean, aside from create jobs for deservin' werewolves?"
Lilah definitely doesn't seem to mind being tugged in Felix's direction; she steps backward and gets comfy leaned back against him. The 'gotta be honest' and what follows makes her smile, but she doesn't comment on it. Instead, she's quiet until a moment after he's finished talking, at which point she comments, "Sounds like a good gig, workin' for them. You get free coffee there?"
Linnaea grins and opens the soda. "Mechanical engineers build weapons, civil engineers build targets," she retorts, clearly amused and clearly joking. "Really though, civil engineering is... it's buildings, and roads, and city planning, and even making sure people have adequate access to a building, or that a bridge won't collapse under weight. Mechanical engineering is just tinkering with stuff, if it's not broken, it doesn't have enough features yet." There's a shake of her head to get one of the braids out of her face. "It's decent. Terminus, or at least the department I work in, it's research and development. Making things, sometimes with a little help from the spirits as appropriate. I'm allowed to choose most of my own projects or research, most of the time, and even when I don't work for a bit, I live there. And yeah, there's coffee."
"So you're gonna make weaponized targets? 'cause I think we already got the targetable weapons," Felix jokes back, getting comfy in his corner of the couch and wrapping an arm around Lilah now that he's got her sitting down with him. "That's pretty cool, though. Reckon a roof makes a decent perk, if you're gonna have that kinda job." His hand moves to absently steal one of the kin's curls and wind it around his finger, without actually looking.
"Maybe she's targetin' targets, and weaponizin' the weapons further." Lilah grins at the talk of free coffee. Clearly to her, that's a huge perk of Linn's job. "I get free food sometimes at Denny's, but not all the time." She pats Felix's knee, and brightens even further as he wraps that curl around his finger. "That sounds real nice, all o' that."
Linnaea makes a phhhbt sound with her tongue, though thankfully after she's taken a sip of the soda and not in the middle thereof. "I'm a Gaian. If I had my way, none of us'd be having to be fighting anything." The Brit furrows her brows for a minute, and then shakes her head, seemingly shaking the tension of the moon off right with her. "No, most of my work has to do with accessibility, and wheelchair ramps, and making there be wide open spaces and green and growing things." Her head tilts, and then she stands. "I should go, I should get to the park glade soon, I think Fetch is going to be there and I hope he doesn't try to eat the lunes again... And yeah, a bed and a roof are kind of important... to everything. I'll see you around!" She pauses. "I think." Nonethemore ceremony, Linnaea's stood up, and tilted her head to one side and gone back out, the way she came in.
"But would we GET to?" Felix teases, with a grin entirely appropriate for the size of the moon; some people probably aren't meant to be in Linnaea's tribe. He looks pleased at the mention of the park, and of his tribemate, just barely getting out a "Tell him hi, then," before she's gone again. He eyes the spot she was for a moment, then looks to Lilah and remarks too casually, "Well, she seems nice." This is what too much TV does to impressionable children!
All Lilah's able to do is open her mouth to speak, and then Linnaea's poofed. She looks as impressed as she always does when she sees someone sidestep. Which, to be fair, is still 'quite a bit.' Some things never do get old. "Yeah, she does. Real nice." She leans back a bit more and kisses his cheek, then looks thoughtful for a moment. "Wonder how she feels 'bout not bein' kin, nowadays?"
Felix pulls that curl down and lets it escape his finger, so it boings back up, and looks just as tickled by it as he ever does. "Maybe you oughta ask her," he says, "I was wonderin' how it happened anyhow... baptism go bad? I mean, everyone knows sometimes Rites go wrong, but..."
Lilah lowers her gaze a little, shaking her head once he's spoken and is no longer holding her curl. "Reckon that don't seem like a good idea. Might be a sore topic. Or a happy one for 'er, but ya never know." She kisses the tip of his nose, and then his forehead, before murmuring, "I reckon either way, it'd be a sore topic for somebody. If the baptism went wrong, 'r she wishes she didn't have all that responsibility... 'r heck, even if she's glad about it, maybe she's sore she hadda be a kin f'r so long. Ain't no way to know 'cept stick my foot in m'mouth."
"Well, maybe I'll stick mine in mine instead, then," Felix says, with a slight shrug, "I'm a Galliard, we're supposed to be nosy bastards. Among other things." He turns his head, giving her hair a light nuzzle. "...anyway, 'm glad you're kin. 'cause I'm a selfish fucker like that."
"Aw, I ain't gonna make you do that. You wanna know, I'll ask for ya." Lilah nuzzles at his neck for a moment, stopping when he says he's glad, and why. He gets a ridiculously fond look, and she murmurs, "'m glad you're a selfish fucker, then. 'm glad you're-- glad." It's not in neon lights, but there's a sense that she changed the wording on that last bit. Not that she's lying, but that she just ... changed the tone of it. And then, she leans in to try and kiss him to (hopefully) disguise having done so, one hand cupping his cheek. Subtle, Lilah. Subtle.
Felix, surely shocking no one, is quite easily kissed, and puts the soda bottle between the couch cushion and arm to free his other hand and let him wrap that arm around Lilah as well, pulling her even closer. Still, after the kiss breaks, and after he kisses the corner of her mouth again, he does quietly ask, "What were you gonna say?"
That kiss lingers a bit, Lilah watching him fondly as it goes on. After he kisses the corner of her mouth, she briefly shuts her eyes-- and reopens them at his question. Her thumb strokes his cheek, and then she looks away, embarrassed, and drops her hand. Cheeks slowly reddening, she breathes out, "...was gonna say-- that 'm glad you wanna be with me. That ya *can* be with me. That ya ain't wantin' to leave." She frowns a little, not out of upset, but out of concentration, before she adds, "'m glad I'm with ya, too." All this without looking directly at him.
It's Felix's turn to do the cheek-touching, drawing the back of his fingers across her cheek while she talks. "I'm glad you're with me, too," he replies, giving her a crooked little smile. "...an' that you ain't wantin' to leave. Pretty sure I said before, ain't plannin' on goin' nowhere. An' I like you bein' here with me." He turns her head so she has to look toward him, and steals another kiss, trying to catch her eyes afterward. "More'n anyone," he adds softly.
He'll have no trouble catching her eyes; once he's spoken, she seems to relax, and she looks over toward him. Similarly, there's no trouble with the kiss, either! She's quiet for a moment, and then smiles softly, saying, "More'n anyone." More kissage follows, heartfelt and thorough, before she'll add, "I ain't plannin' on goin' nowhere, neither. Not ever."
Felix twists a bit when Lilah kisses him again, more fully sideways along the couch and his hands moving to her hips to pull her to face him, guiding her knees to rest either side of him on the cushions. Easier and more comfortable for kissing, and easier also to meet her eyes again afterward, when she speaks again. He doesn't immediately reply, just keeping her gaze with that strangely intense focus he sometimes has.
Once she's fully facing him, it's easier to see that soft smile grow, particularly as she's being pulled in for that kiss. When he keeps her gaze, Lilah doesn't look away, and doesn't seem at all hesitant like she was earlier. She just meets his eyes with hers, watching him, less intently perhaps, but certainly with a focus. And as the moment lingers, her smile does, too, growing. She looks content at the very least, perhaps even happy.
Felix's expression is harder to read; there's something of contentment in it, certainly, but also an attentive thoughtfulness, too direct to quite feel searching this time. It continues that way for several seconds before he smiles back, also small but slowly growing. It's not a large change, objectively, but somehow it takes the general impression directly from content to happy.
Without saying a word, Lilah presses one hand to his cheek, watching him fondly with what eventually blossoms into a big goofy grin. It's only then that she leans further in to kiss him, a lingering and gentle kiss for a change. When it breaks, she reaches for his hand, squeezing it gently. That done, she scoots off of his lap, trying to draw him to his feet so she can wrap her arms around his neck. Swaying to some unheard music, she moves a half-step closer, the better to continue that kiss.
There's a moment of resistance to letting her up, but only a moment -- after that, Felix is easily enough drawn up to standing. He wraps his arms around her waist in return, pulling her in another half-step before finding her rhythm and joining it, a dance to whatever melodies they may have put to it in their heads. This time, the kiss doesn't stay gentle indefinitely; after a little he starts deepening it, gradually.
That moment of resistance is met only with a smile, one that broadens yet further as he picks up the rhythm with her, her body pressing close to his. As the kiss deepens, Lilah returns it in kind, not putting up any kind of resistance, herself. More to the point, she nibbles at his lower lip, her fingertips rubbing at the back of his neck.
Felix smiles a little in the kiss at that nibble, and one of his hands moves up to the back of her neck as well, the other sliding lower. Another half-step on his side closes what little room remains to be closed, and he intensifies the kiss again.
Lilah gives the softest of sighs as the kiss gets stepped up again, one of those pleasant little contented sighs. He can hear her breathing slowly increasing in pace, particularly during one moment, as her tongue seeks his. Her hands, though, those are innocent enough for the moment, continuing to rub over the back of his neck.
When that kiss breaks, it's after quite a while, and abrupt. Felix pulls away with a sudden wicked grin, and shifts up to Glabro, which surely feels odd under her hands and with their bodies so close to each other. He takes a step back as it happens, enough to lean forward and scoop her up, tossing her easily over his shoulder with his suddenly much greater strength. Soda bottle and smokes abandoned where they rest on the couch, he heads for the stairs with her, humming to himself.