Yi bites her lip to hide the bubbling snicker, and pays up for the order. "Don't mind him," she adds to Benedict. "I let him out of his cage a little early, and he gets ... cocky."

Rotem scowls. "I don't get cocky! Rusty didn't want to." He then walks over and takes a seat, trying not to burst up laughing.

The door of the restaurant opens, letting in a quick, cool breeze and an equally quick but less cool cub. Bernie pushes the door shut behind her with her toe, and glances about as she wanders toward the counter, grinning as she sees Yi. The grin gains a fleetingly sardonic edge as she sees the other cub, and she shakes her head a little. "Hey, Yi," she greets the other raggie, "...'sup?"

Benedict shakes his head mostly calmly, still darkly. "It's ok, I get more then 100 of them a day, 101 won't kill me before it kills them."

Yi switches hands holding her K-Mart bag to wave at her newmoon tribesister. "Hi Bernie," she tones, nodding at Benedict's plight. "Have to wonder if working the register is worse, or working the fryer." She glances over at Rotem while waiting for the order.

Rotem finishes off another snickers bar and puts his legs up on the table, he watches Yi and Bernie from his seat.

Benedict looks back at the fryers and shakes his head towards Yi. "They just do what the computer tells em, and oh," a bunch of little wrapped food things slide down and he retrieves them, places them on a tray with drinks and slides them to Yi. "Thanks you for coming to McDonald's... and the small talk." he adds at the end with a slight grin.

Bernie grabs an empty tray off a table as she passes it, and thwacks it lightly down on Rotem's shoes as she passes -- not hard enough to hurt or break the tray, just enough to make the point. "Put 'em down, most people don't wanna eat off yer feet, thanks. 's jus' plain -nasty-." She drops the tray onto the pile atop the trashcan, and joins Yi at the counter, waiting her turn.

Yi nods with a smirk as Bernie chides the ahroun cub, and salutes with her tray to Bene. "Hope you find a little more to smile about while you are on your shift." Walking over to the table, she slides in and sets the Happy Meal in front of herself instead, giving Rotem the big mac.

Benedict just grins and looks now towards Bernie. "Welcome to McDonald's, may I take your order?" he seems a slight more cheerful now.

Rotem puts his legs down and unwraps the big mac, he takes a bite out of it, chewing and swallowing a large bite. "Mmm, meat. Good."

Yi is content with her own meal, slipping out the toy and gazing at it through the plastic. Dumping it back into the bag, she pulls out the fries and starts on the more edible part of the Happy meal, glancing at Bernie and Benedict.

Rotem takes another bite of the burger, he chuckles and looks to Yi, speaking with his mouth full as he chews, "You know this s-stuff tastes better h-here." He chuckles and swallows, then quickly takes another bite.

Bernie grins back briefly, and then her gaze shifts to the menus ensconced above and behind the counter she leans against, hands on the edge. "Hey, and sure," she replies cheerfully, "lessee. How 'bout th' Big an' Tasty meal? With a coke." She looks back down from the menu, and straightens up, slipping off her backpack and dropping it on the counter.

Benedict pushes a couple buttons on the counter and chimes up towards the 'customer'. "That'll be 4.67 please."

Yi decides to take up the fleece she'd bought earlier and examine it closer this time, picking through as she chews on a french fry and occassionally glancing up at the two cubs in the restaurant, as well as the mushy couple in the corner tables.

Bernie unzips a pocket of her backpack, pulling out a rather beat up change purse, and unzips that as well. Three dollar bills end up on the counter, and then a whole lot of coins join them, in fits and spurts as she counts out the rest. That done, she slides it across the counter to Benedict, and regards him thoughtfully a moment, brow furrowing a little. "...geeky thing t' say, I know, but I swear you look really familiar for some reason..."

Rotem shakes his head. "I'm gonna head back to the church. Ok?" he only half asks, rising and moving towards the exit before waiting for a reply.

Benedict looks down at the money and then up a Bernie, his face is very similar to Alicia's in angle and eyes. "Um... well..." he seems to ponder something for a moment. "Where'd you go to school?" he asks as he starts to count the coins quickly.

Yi watches the cub leave before returning to her own meal and making short work of it. She remains in the restaurant though, taking the tag off the fleece with a quick tug and slipping the tag into the K-mart bag as she gets up. Slipping the pullover on, she strides towards the counter to join the small talk for a bit.

Bernie laughs, "...totally nowhere near here..." She ponders a moment, regarding him, and then asks somewhat tentatively, "...d'you by any chance have a sister, don't s'pose?"

Benedict nods to this and looks hopeful for a second as he drops coins in the register. "Alicia Jackson?"

Bernie breaks into a wide grin, and nods, "Yeah! Which'd mean you'd be," a tiny pause as she thinks, "Benedict, yeah? That'd be it, then, 'cause she showed me a pica you once."

Benedict slams his register shut and gives Bernie the signal to wait one second, he runs back to the oldest guy in the place and talks with him a second. After a few moments the manager grudgingly nods and Benedict takes off his hat handing it to him with many many thanks streaming from his mouth. He runs around the backroom coming out of the door on the other side of the counter marked 'employees only'. He walks quickly up to Bernie and looks between her and Yi. "Take me to her." is all he says. It is demanding, unyielding, passionate, and definatly pleading in tone. "Please."

Bernie pauses, mouth opening slightly, as if to say something, and glances over to Yi. "Uh... I dunno if I can right now. I'm mean, she's okay an' all, 'f you're worried, so don't be..." She runs a hand through her curls, considering, and looks at Yi again.

Yi glances at Bernie, then Benedict. "Take you to see her?"

Benedict looks over at Yi and seems to be quite anxious. "Where is she? She isn't with... Nevada is she?" he says this as he looks to the door and his agrivated manager. "Let's step outside at least, I don't want to lose this job."

Bernie makes a sudden realisation, evident in her face, and nods. "Sure, outside's fine. C'mon..." She zips her bag back up, hanging it on her shoulder, and pauses, glancing across the counter. Oh well. "...yeah." She leads him toward the door.

Yi pockets the small toy from the meal and nods, heading towards the outside with the two others.

Benedict pulls a pin off his shift and stuffs it into a pocket of his black work slacks. "So... You both friends of my sister's?"

Yi, chewing on the last of her cheeseburger, nods as she stuffs the wrapper into a trashcan outside the restaurant entrance. Glancing to Bernie, her eyebrow arches slightly. When did Alicia all of a sudden pop up with a brother?

Bernie nods, "Yeah, we are..." She glances about, and finds a handy lamp post to lean against. "Okay, so, first of all, no, she's not really hangin' out with N'vada these days. An', I dunno when you last talked t' her? But she's okay now..." She regards the boy as she talks, trying to determine from his reactions how much and just what to say.

Yi on the other hand, tries to determine whether this brother of Alicia's should know anything at all. Her mind clicking inside, she puts the facts together - Alicia is a Garou. He is her brother. And, he is not at all bothered by the presence of the two groo he is with.

Benedict glances again between Yi and Bernie then off in the distance for a moment. "Nevada is out of the picture then?" he seems ever demanding as he comes to his own conclusion. "Good, That son of a bitch was killing her."

Yi tenses slightly, jaw tightening as Benedict berates the galliard cub when Nevada is not around to defend himself. Then again, it is probably better that way. She keeps silent about Nevada, judging it better not to mention the cub is still around.

"Pretty much outta th' picture, yeah, they're def'nitely not t'gether anymore," Bernie confirms, "...an' he's prolly changed a decent 'mount since y'saw him last, too..." A half-smile flashes fleetingly across her face, something about that sentence amusing her a bit. "...'licia, also. I figure she'd prolly be really happy t' see you, but, y'know, she's onea my best friends, an' I don' wanna jus' spring anythin' on her, y'know? So, c'n I get, like, a way t' contact you, an' then I c'n go tell her, an' arrange things?"

Benedict seems to take note from something in Yi's slight movement and Bernie's words. "Maybe... I have to make an appointment to see my sister? What, does she have a job or something?" as quickly as he asks he shrugs it off and continues. "Ok ok, my cell phone number is 690-0616, this area code. Please, be quick. I need to find her and tell her about... mo... our. Our parents." he finally settles on a wording but it still seems to leave a sour taste in his mouth.

Bernie edges the bag around and pulls out a pen and scrap of paper from the small pocket, scratching down the phone number. "'s just like I said -- I don' wanna spring it on her." She glances up at the guy, slipping the paper and pen back in place, "...like I said, she's onea my best friends, an' y' watch out for yer friends, right? So I'll tell her an' all, an' make sure 's all well." She grins, with a shrug, "'s prolly a formality an' all, I bet she'll be thrilled, from when she talked 'boutcha, but still, y'know." A slight pause, and she offers a hand, "...I'm Bernie, by th' way. Hi. Niceta meetcha."

Yi nods, though she does notice Bene's hesitation. "We will tell her as soon as possible." She glances at Bernie, hoping the newmoon would remember the number somehow in that seemingly unending well of knowledge in her head.

Benedict accepts the hand. "Te... Benedict Jackson, Alicia's protective older brother, McDonald's staff lead, and smart jock extrodinare. I'm staying at the hostel for a while, it's cheap enough while I look for a roomie for an apartment, so if you need to find me on land, I should be there most of the time if I'm not her. I don't want to shock Alicia any more then you do, but I need her to know that I'm still alive, and I'm still here for her."

Yi nods, casting a glance at Bernie. Then, she offers her own hand, the unfrench-fry greased one. "Song Yi Ling. Or just Yi." She pauses, then adds, "Or Mulan, if you want to be smart." She smirks a bit.

Bernie shakes the hand, with a slight laugh, "'Te-'?" she queries, "...an' y' can't be -that- much older, coulda sworn 'licia said you were twins. Yeah? An' no problem, I get my mail at th' Hostel, so yeah, c'n find ya there, easy. I'll make sure t' let her know right away..." She pauses, and then grins again, arching a brow slightly, "...so, Mr. McDonald's Staff Lead, any chancea my dinner t'day?"

Benedict shakes Yi's hand as well not saying anything on the naming matter except for this. "Texas... it's what Alicia's old gang used to call me. I'm not fond of it but I've heard it so often it's been ingrained in my damn head. Oh... yeah," he pauses looking back towards the building, "Food. Sure, it's on me. Part of the perk of the job is all the free food I want, you'd be suprised, or not so much so maybe, how rediculously cheep all the food really is to MickyD's themself. Don't tell anyone I said that though."

Yi quirks her head, knowing how those perks work. Or at least, used to. "So, are we going back inside, or..." She glances at the fast food mecca curiously.

Bernie smirks, "...glad I wasn' there, I prolly would ended up Mississippi or somethin'. Don't worry, I'm sure we c'n find plennya other things t' call you..." She slips her hands into her jacket pockets, where they seem to naturally reside. "An' my lips are sealed, as long as I get 't put somethin' in 'em soon. I haven't eaten all -day-." She makes a face, and starts back toward the door.

Benedict just nods and steps over to the door holding it open for them.

Yi takes up a spot at one of the tables again, leaning back to take a short rest off her feet while Benedict gets Bernie her deserved chow.

Bernie drops her backpack off by Yi as she heads back toward the counter. Good thing about McDonalds, the food won't be cold despite the pause...

Benedict steps back in with a wave to his manager, who is behind the register with a really old man with only partial knowledge of english on the other side of it. "I'll take over Jason." he says and helps the customer rather quickly, getting him a chocolate shake and large french fries, presumable to dip in the shake it seems. "Your turn Mississippi." he shoots at her knowing what he is opening himself up for in return, "I'll have your food ready in a snap." and as he snaps his fingers another employee steps up with a tray that has the order she placed a while back on it, all supersized. A second later he hits a couple of buttons on the register and it pops open as he calls over to the manager while taking some money from the drawer. "I'm gonna comp this one."

Yi gazes around at the various stragglers, also glancing as the old man does dip his fries in the chocolate shake. Her eyebrow raises curiously, but she turns her attentions back to Benedict and Bernie.

Bernie smirks slightly, accepting the tray. "Why thanks, Eggs," she shoots back innocently. "...neat trick, that, I'll really hafta learn it sometime." She snaps her fingers once, as if trying it out, and shrugs. "...damn, must be harder'n it looks."

Yi snickers softly at Bernie's antics, and adds comment, "Use the Force, Bernie." She grins widely... it must be Yi's favorite line nowadays.

Benedict just shakes his head subtly. "You just tell Alicia and I'll be all good." He says as the next person in line, a single mother with two small children comes up, "Welcome to McDonald's, may I take your order please?"

Bernie grins and takes the tray to Yi's table, setting it down and slipping into a seat on the other side. The straw is denuded and popped into the cup, and then she, too, begins on the fries. "So howzit, Yi?"

Yi blinks as one of the children simply glance at her as keeps staring. Her eyebrow arches back at the kid. What, has the poor child never seen an asian before? At Bernie's question she blinks back, distracted. "Mm?"

"'sup, 'snew, how goes it, how's tricks, what's th' good word, what's th' story, mornin' glory, how are ya, an' other expressions t' that effect," Bernie replies, rapid fire, as she unwraps the burger. Someone's apparently in a pretty good mood today.

Yi gives Bernie a look almost equivalent to a lupus listening to human speech for the first time. "Uh... Wassup? Uh... nothing..." She blinks at Bernie.

Bernie laughs at the expression; well, face it, it's funny. "Nothin' at all? How's th' kid shapin' up?" From the expression on her face, she doesn't really expect to hear glowing reports... after all, he -was- putting his feet on the tables in a restaurant.

Benedict just relaxes, leaning up against a wall now that no one is at the counter. He gives someone a barked order and with mop and wheeled bucket she sets out to clean the section with no people in it.

Yi continues to look at the kid who is now madly running around with frenchfries in hand, only to stop and gaze at her, and then run back to his momma. "You mean Acts-Without-Thinking..." she says in a growl, almost incomprehensible at far distances. "He's... Trouble. All he is."

Bernie snickers, and nods, "That official? I like it. Fits nicely." Shaking her head, she starts in on the burger, careful as usual not to speak with her mouth full, talking between bites. "Been babysittin' him all th' time?"

"Like a child," Yi nods affirmatively. "I let him out before, went for a walk in the park." She keeps in mind the company she's in, occassionally glancing at Benedict and the customers. "Let's just say he has a cage with his name on it at the shelters." She snorts softly. "Told him to pick out some clothes today. How about you?"

Benedict just stands there, taking orders till the place closes down. When it does so he lets the two stick around as long as they want until everything is finished and they actually lock down the building.

Bernie rolls her eyes, "Well, we c'n live in hope he'll join th' rest of us in reality b'fore reality catches up with him..." At Yi's question, though, she brightens, breaking into a smile again, "Matt got himself a flat... been helpin' him do th' furnishin' an' all that jazz. 's been fun. Only, we gotta get you guys t' give a hand gettin' th' couch up there, 'cause it's on th' fifth floor an' all, an' th' elevator doesn't work..." She pauses, an idea occurring to her, and laughs, "...oooh, 'f we found 'nough people, we could even s'prise 'im, 'cause I c'n get in an' all..." She goes back to eating the fries.

Yi arches an eyebrow and nods. "Of course. Anyway to help Matt. He's given us so much."

Bernie smiles a bit, and nods, pushing a poorly behaved curl back behind her ear as she sips her drink. The curl promptly, as always, pops right back out. "He's good like that," she agrees, picking up the burger again.

"Do you have the couch already?" Yi inquires. "Maybe if it would not be intruding, I could visit his place sometime."

"Mmmhmm," Bernie replies, "'s sittin' in th' U-Haul, waitin' t' be lugged upstairs. We'd hafta find a couple more people though. Or stronger ones anyhow, 'cause carryin' th' other shit up there pretty much wiped me out, an' it's all lighter."

Yi takes a fry, chewing on it softly as she nods. "We could ask Guido. I think he could carry it himself with us sitting on top." She chuckles, imagining the picture of Banecruncher hoisting the two new moons sprawled as lazily as cats atop the comfy sofa.

Bernie giggles at the idea as well. "...you, maybe," she comments, "but I think I'd be an undue burden... we could go see 'f we c'n find him, maybe, after we finish here? Matt's closin' t'night so he won't be there 'til late." She polishes off the burger, and returns her attention to the remaining fries.

Yi takes up a fry and grins, chuckling softly at Bernie's self-deprecation. "Don't say that. I didn't say what we looked like if we sat on it, did I?" She chomps down the fry and mms at Bernie. "We'll go look for him. Maybe even do it ourselves, since there are three of us. With a little help and a little change, we can lift that sofa up."

Bernie nods, washing some fries down with soda. "Let's, then. I don't think Matt'll mind 'f I letcha in t' drop it off an' all... an' plus, surprises are fun." She grins, returning to decimating the remaining fries.

Yi waits as the cub finishes off her fries quickly, and gets up to open the door for her after she's done.

Bernie slips her backpack back on, and gathers the trash together on her tray, dumping the refuse into the bin and setting the now empty trays atop it. She waves at Benedict, at the counter, and heads toward the door with Yi.

Yi waves and dips her head in a nod to Alicia's brother and follows after the cub as the two of them exit.

Bernie flashes a grin at Yi. "So where d'ya think we oughta go hunt for him?"

Yi thinks for a bit, then nods in the direction of the Junkyard. "You mean Guido?"

Bernie nods, "Yup. 'less you wanna find someone else t' ask..."

Yi rubs her neck, and motions towards the Junkyard. "If we don't find him in the yard, then we should find him at the church. Shall we?" She grins and bows, as a doorwoman to an invisible door.

[At MacGregor's Junkyard]

Yi opens the gate with a small amount of *chink* sounds as the two Gnawers make their way into the junkyard. Glancing around for the lupus ahroun, Yi moves around a few carpiles.

Bernie follows Yi, picking her way through the piles. The speculative looks she gives some of the things lying around should either worry most people or give them the distinct feeling she's pondering entering Junkyard Wars next season.

Banecruncher charges around the building at the sound of the gate opening, barking excitedly - as if he's expecting someone in particular. When he sees the two of you, he skids to a stop, his tail drooping miserably.

Yi blinks, seeing such a charged ahroun immediately fizzle to flat soda. "Not excited to see us?" she laughs softly.

Banecruncher whines miserably. Twoleg gone. Not know where.

Bernie blinks, and looks to Yi, then back to the lupus, "...who?"

Banecruncher raises his head and howls miserably. ~Ellie.~ Smelled blood and pain by front fence but she was gone. Almost half a moon ago. And not able to find her since.

Yi also glances down at Banecruncher, squatting down and scratching him sympathetically. She glances up at Bernie.

Bernie looks rather confused. "...I'm... sorry to hear that?" she ventures, looking back at Yi helplessly.

"Who is Ellie?" Yi asks softly, scratching the lupus ahroun.

Banecruncher whines miserably. She my twoleg. She kinfolk and care for business so we have secure yard. She MY twoleg!

Bernie crouches down and scritches as well, not knowing what to say.

A rattle of keys sounds from the direction of the gate.

Banecruncher raises his head and looks hopelessly toward the noises.

Yi glances over her shoulder towards the gate as well. She shoots a glance at Bernie.

Bernie shrugs at Yi, and stands, peering back toward the gate. "...this Ellie," she queries, "...wha's she look like?"

The gate creaks open, and a tall redheaded woman slips into the darkened yard, glancing about her warily. Her hand lingers on the gate, as if she doesn't quite want to leave its safety behind. She sees them in an instant, drawing in a sharp breath and calling out, "Who--who's there?" Her silhouette shrinks against the edge of the gate.

Banecruncher raises his head and barks excitedly at the sound of that voice. It's her! It's her! It's her!

Yi rises from her squat position, turning to face the visitor and peer out into the darkness. "Hello?"

Ellie takes a tentative step away from the protection of the gate. "Do I know you?" She walks toward them, a slight limp marring her strides.

Bernie shakes her head, "Nope, but he does..." She gestures toward Banecruncher, with a slight smile.

Banecruncher pads toward Ellie and whines, his head lowered and his muzzle split in a placating grin. (Boy, does this mutt have it bad, or what?)

"Hey--" Ellie's voice is hoarse. She bends a little, offering one wrapped hand to the dog, barely brushing fingers against his ruff before drawing them away.

Ellie glances up, warily, to the two strangers. There is a guardedness in her eyes--perhaps unsurprising.

Banecruncher leans against the twoleg's legs, his tail sweeping happily as he puts just enough weight against her to reassure himself that she's real, and not just his imagination.

Yi dips her head slightly in a greeting. "I'm Song Yi." She glances down at Banecruncher, wondering. She eyes the woman too, but more appraisingly than guarded.

Bernie waves a bit. "Hi... I'm Bernie." She smiles, almost sheepishly.

Banecruncher barks happily toward Yi and sits on Ellie's feet. Or on her good foot, at least. She is kin. She smells hurt. We not surprise her tonight, ok?

Ellie winces slightly as the dog leans against her. "Yeah," she murmurs, "good to see you too." She reaches down again, scratching gently at the dog's ruff. When she straightens, she looks at the women, offers them a weak attempt at a smile. "I'm Ellie. Um, used to live here. How did you get in?"

Yi rubs the back of her neck, shifting her weight from one foot to the other hestitatively. But seeing Banecruncher tell of her kin to the Garou, she motions to the door. "We unlocked it," she says, simply.

Banecruncher whines at the "used to" and looks up at Ellie with biiiig saaaad eyes.

Ellie swallows, studying the woman for a minute. "You're... one of them?" Her voice is a little unsteady.

Yi looks down at the ahroun, tilting her head slightly. Glancing back up to the woman, she nods once, a curt movement. "Yes. The same family as he is," she notes with a hand wave towards the hefty looking bull terrier.

The redhead wets her lips, nervously. "Ah." She carefully does not look toward the junkyard proper. "Pleasure to meet you both," she offers, with a pained little half-smile. "I just... um, came by to get some things..."

"He wonders why you have not come for a long time," Yi volunteers on Banecruncher's behalf, also curious as to why this kin decided to leave. Surely the ahroun was protective enough to guard this place.

Ellie pales slightly, and turns her face away; she straightens, wrapping both arms around herself protectively. "Something happened," she says hoarsely. "Something very bad." Abruptly, she looks away and begins limping toward the garage building.

Yi glances down at the fullmoon, offering a small shrug and an inquiring look of whether she should continue to press the kin.

Banecruncher whines worriedly. What I smelled was real, then? But why couldn't I find her after? Going away? Not coming back? His ears and tail droop sadly.

Bernie remains quietly in the background, listening, but feeling rather awkward and staying out of it for the most part.

Yi is pretty sure the kin could hear Banecruncher's whine, also looking a little worried in Ellie's direction. Of all things, she did not want to see her tribemates getting hurt. And moreso, the kin of her tribemates getting hurt. Yi presses forward a bit, stopping a distance from the garage. "What happened?" she queries with concern.

Ellie moves slowly, gingerly; it's quite clear that whatever 'happened' left her with serious injuries. She pauses at the sound of the woman's voice, her head slightly bowed. "I was attacked. Here. It was--" Her voice fails for a moment, until she takes another breath. "One of them."

Banecruncher raises his head and growls under his breath. Garou hurt my twoleg? I'll kill whoever it was.

Yi narrows her eyes, tensing slightly. "Do you know which one?" she asks this softly, though an undercurrent strains in the concern.

Ellie shakes her head quickly. Her hands tremble a little as she searches through the keys. "No," she whispers. "I don't remember. It's probably better that way."

Bernie runs a hand through her curls, listening.

Banecruncher whines softly and rubs against Ellie's legs. Not remember? I smelled hurt but could not smell who did hurt. Thought I was imagining.

Yi doesn't try to approach the kin, but even in the dim lighting of the junkyard she can see the woman shaking with what doesn't seem like cold. "Well... a man, or a woman?" Yi keeps her tone level, soft, trying to coax some information out of Ellie in hopes of identifying her attacker.

Ellie presses her lips together. "It was a man," she answers unsteadily. "At first." She keeps her eyes on her hands as she finds the right key. Then she opens the side door and goes in.

Yi is confused by this, glancing behind her at Bernie and down at Banecruncher. "Two?" she murmurs before turning her gaze back to the open door. Her brows furrow in sign of a mind working.

Yi peers out into the doorway, maybe seeing what the kin is up to inside. She casts a glance back at her fellow Gnawers, lips scrunching in a 'What-now?' look.

Bernie runs a hand through her hair again, uncomfortable with all of this. "Um, Yi?" she asks the other ragabash softly, "...I think maybe t'night isn't gonna be such a good time for it after all.. d'ya mind 'f I head back t' th' Farm? I'll be 'round t'marra, maybe then... 'f ev'rythin's okay. 'less you need me for somethin'?"

Yi glances back at the cub and nods, letting her go. "We can do our task another time," she replies, casting a look to the side door of the garage before giving the newmoon the go ahead. "Good night Bernie."

Bernie nods, and murmurs, "G'night, botha you..." She adjusts her backpack, and heads out.