A few thumps from upstairs, gradually getting louder as someone bounces down the stairs. Shortly, the perpetrator is revealed, as Bernie comes into view, quickly moving down the last few steps.

Alicia is lounged out across the couch, flipping through a magazine. She's wearing her sports bra and spandex shorts, lazing about tiredly. Turning the pages, she glances over to the stairs, spotting Bernie with a huge grin.

Bernie spots Alicia, and squeaks. "'licia!" she exclaims, grinning back as she hops down the last couple stair and heads for the couch, "you're human again! Kickass!" She plops down on the couch, barely missing the other girl's leg. "..and you missed th' new outfit I got, alas! I'll show y'later. So -'sup-?"

Alicia grins and reaches over, hugging her tightly. "Not much. NightFlash took off ta' another Sept to help them out, so.. Adam took me back here until whatever is clever. You look so good! Wow, you lost a lot of weight. Your hot." She winks, squeezing around her tightly. "I am /so/ glad to see you again."

Bernie blushes and hugs back. "Thanks... missed ya too. Oh, stuff! Stuff has been happening! How long've you been back? I didn't see ya when I came in last night... lessee... there's a new Gnawer cub, an' Matt's got his new flat, an' I got yer brother's phone number, wan' it?" she teases, grinning broadly.

Alicia giggles over, not about to ruin the new moon's enthusiasm. "Yah? Really? My brother eh?" She says, putting on a good show of charisma. "No way! Um.. is he ok? Whats he doing?" Her eyes sparkle over brightly as she releases the gnawer.

Bernie nods, picking up her backpack and unzipping a pocket as she speaks. "'pparently, he's th' Staff Lead over at McDonalds. I'm not 'zactly sure what a Staff Lead -is-, honestly, but he was workin' th' register, so hey." She hands a slip of paper to the other cub -- seven digits on it, seperated three and four with a hyphen. "'s his cellphone, he said. An' he's stayin' at th' Hostel." She considers. "...he wan'ed us t' take him t' see you right 'way, but I kinda thought bringin' him to a wolf'd be a bad plan, so I told 'im I'd hafta make sure you were okay with it first an' all."

Alicia nods her head and lets a smile cross her lips, tucking the number in..her sports bra. "Thanks.. A lot. Um.... I'd love to see him again. I can't leave outside the bawn tho'. Or the Caern.. No city just yet." Wetting her lips, she blows out a soft breath. "Mmmm.. he cute?" She asks, grinning widely.

Bernie arches a brow. "...dude, he's your brother, you're disturbing me," she replies, jokingly. "...but yeah, I s'pose he's pretty cute." She pushes a curl back, and a thought seems to strike her, leaving her looking slightly sheepish. "So anyway, I guess you could meet him in the forest though? Or maybe he could come here, but I dunno 'zactly th' rules on that."

Alicia nods her head a bit, chuckling. "Well, Yi said we should at least figure out if he's kin or not first before we do any of that. Don't want to have a risk you know." Shit! Um.. Great Alicia, spill the beans why don't you. As soon as the words leave her mouth, she looks as if she regrets it.

Bernie does look kind of disappointed. "Yi already said, huh? No fair! I found him." She sighs, and shrugs. "...well... anyway she's right, but I dunno how you figure it out, so."

Alicia bites her lip a bit, giving a sheepish look. "Well..she mentioned that /you/ found him an all, an.. just wanted to let me know that he's ok." Her cheeks tint a bit. "I wrote him a letter.." She points to the closed journal. "I was hoping you could deliver it to him or something. She says that he wasn't showin signs of the curse.. maybe you can do the big bad wolf deal with him if it comes down to that."

Bernie shrugs again, and nods. "Sure, I'm good at th' go-between thing," she agrees, cracking a quick smile. "Only I'm pretty sure I'd get my ass kicked if I went furry on him... not by him, but later an' all. Might be a Veil thing y'know?" She considers. "C'n do letters though, that's f'r sure, an' I'm gonna be in th' area anyhow, so hey."

Alicia smiles brightly and squeezes your hands tight. "Thanks Bernie. You know what? If he is kin, I'm going to hook ya up wi' em." Her eyes flash a bit. "That is, if ya' want ta' give it a shot. He's a real smart guy, really inta' sports tho'. I look at him as some kinda...super hero type person. He's always wanting ta' be the best an save the world or some shit."

Bernie blinks. "Um..." Yup, speechless Gnawer. She blushes a little, and glances down at the floor, curls cloaking her face, though she does extract one hand to push one side of them back behind her ear, where, as always, they immediately refue to remain.

Alicia giggles and pushes you back some, laying against you as she peers into your eyes. "Well...? He /is/ cute. And you know your damn well a hotty also. I'm sure he's a good kisser too. "

Bernie continues to look rather embarrassed, and somewhat uncomfortable. "...um," she repeats, looking away. "...I dunno," she says quietly after a while. "I dunno if it'd be... fair."

Alicia quirks a brow. "Whats fair 'bout it? He's a guy, yer a girl. He's a kin, yer a groo.' He's hot, your hot." She sits up and shifts away from her. "Um... is this about.. you know..whats his name?"

"It just..." the Gnawer continues to study the floor, speaking softly, "...I know I don't have a lotta 'sperience with all this, but it just... doesn't seem fair t' try an' get involved with someone when you still just wanna be with someone else." She shrugs once, weakly.

Alicia dips her head in a nod, brushing a hand back through the thick folds of blonde and brown streaked hair. "I gotcha.. That is completely understandable. In a way, I know how you feel.. It was hard ta' get over Nev, but..well..it got kinda easier when Tom was showing me affection." She shrugs a bit, then pats the Gnawer on the shoulder, drawing her into a tight hug. "You'll get over it sister."

"...so they claim," Bernie replies, accepting the hug. "Only, it's diff'rent, 'cause..." She sighs, and trails off, shaking her head slightly. "It's all so stupid," she murmurs, almost under her breath.

In the back of the house, Yi opens up the kitchen back door, stepping inside and shrugging the pack she carries off her shoulder to glance around. Hearing voices, she calls back to the living room occupants, "Hey."

"It is stupid.. isn't it?" Comes the Galliard's warm breath as it flirts past her ear. "Time will heal the wound upon your heart, hon."

In the back of the house, Rotem keeps prodding his clothing suspiciosly, he looks up to Yi, "How long will this last?"

In the back of the house, Yi glances back at the cub and clears her throat. She looks a little wearies as she answers, "It lasts as long as you want it to."

In the back of the house, Rotem nods softly, looking up towards the other rooms as he addresses Yi oncmore, "Who lives here?"

"So they claim," Bernie repeats, in a whisper, "...but sometimes I think it only gets worse..." She sighs, and glances up as Yi greets them. "Hey," she replies, sitting up straight again.

Alicia turns her head, sitting up on her knees, leaning forward a bit against the couch's back as he gazes towards the two male with intense, brown eyes. "Hey Song Yi. Who's the fresh meat? That Rotem?" Flipping her blonde and brown streaked hair back, she wets her lips, giving a feral grin.

Yi comes in from the kitchen, looking a little tired. The running back and forth, the rite, taking its toll on her small body as she nods to Alicia, dips her head to Bernie, sets her pack down in a corner and drags over a floor cushion to flop down on it.

Rotem steps in behind Yi. "That's my n-name. Who are you?" he asks, looking towards Alicia as he crosses his hands over eachother.

Alicia grins widely, pushing herself up. Staring dead even with the other cub, she says with a smirk. "Either your dream come true, or your worst nightmare. I'm Alicia Jackson. Blooms From her Pain. Cub and Moondancer for the Daughters of Gaia's Children."

Rotem nods softly. "What is a moon d-dancer?" He arches an eyebrow, looking towards Alicia.

Yi closes her eyes slightly, thunking her head against the wall audibly once as she leans back and simply...breathes.

Bernie just sits in the corner of the couch, leaning against the back, and pulls her knees up toward her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Her eyes stray toward the window, which she just sort of stares out of for a while, lost in thought.

"It means ah'm a Galliard. I sing the songs for our mother's warriors history. I spread the word around the Sept." Alicia responds, crossing her arms over her barely clad chest. Her stomach tightened with newly formed muscle from staying in the woods. She almost has a feral look about her eyes now.

Rotem shrugs. "So basically what you're s-saying is, I do the work, you write it d-down?" He chuckles, not waiting for a reply as he moves to take a seat by Bernie. After ploping down rather ungracefully upon the couch he looks to Bernie "Well, do you d-do something worthwhile, or you a singer too?"

Yi half opens her eyes, gazing at the gibbous moon with a slightly arched eyebrow. With a slow turn of her head, she growls out in a tired tone, "You don't remember the tribe sister who saved you from having your head ripped off? That's Reads-in-Darkness, a new moon of our tribe." She furrows her brow at the forgetful cub.

Alicia gazes upwards to her moon, then grins. "Guys.. lookie lookie.. I think its story time." Walking around the couch, she faces all three Gnawers, grinning. "Should I enlighten you on a tale of my encounters with the wild outdoors and hopefully thrill you to no end?"

Bernie is distracted from the window long enough to give Rotem a distinctly unimpressed look. She doesn't even deign to answer for the moment, not at all her usual cheery self at the moment. Alicia gets a light nod and shrugs, and a quiet, "...sure." Her gaze drifts off again, though.

Rotem shrugs, lifting his head to look at Yi, "I remember her, but I didn't know what she did. Come to think of it, what does a new moon do? You're one too, aren'tcha?" He then turns his head to Alicia as she speaks, replying with a grin, "Go ahead, I could use a snooze story."

"Trust me son, you won't fall asleep during one o' my stories." Crossing the room, Alicia kneels down next to Bernie, sliding a hand into hers, squeezing lightly. "But it can wait... until later perhaps." A flicker of concern fills her amber pools as she peers up at her sister and best friend, feeling a shard of guilt stab at the recesses of her heart.

"Tche," Yi snorts at the cub. "Junior told you that stuff the first lesson. "I'll tell you later." She nods to Alicia, casting a glance that only in her eyes could one deem troubled at the raggie cub.

Yi gets up with a small show of effort, leaving the pack where it is as she glances over to Rotem. "Come on. I have to get you back to the church before something thinks I've let the dogs out." She motions for the cub to follow her back out into the kitchen. Giving the zoned Bernie a short glance again, she sighs softly and waits for Rotem to head into the kitchen before following herself.

Rotem shrugs, moving to follow Yi as he continues talking, his voice fading as they move into the kitchen. "I heard w-what Junior said, doesn't mean I g-get it. I mean, the half moons I get, they g-got a job, the fullmoons I get, they got a job too. I e-even kinda, well, I don't really get what the cresents do, b-but they seem to have a job as well. So what do th-the new moons actually /do/?"

That, Bernie actually does answer, though she doesn't look at the newest cub to do so. "We're the questioners of the ways, the scouts, thieves, tricksters, and the 'rou's sense of humour...." The ghost of a smile, and softly, "...despite possible current appearances."

Alicia takes a deep breath, letting it out for a moment, then squeezes Bernie's hand again. "Hey, you eat yet? I can whip up some world famous Alicia Lasagna if you want."

Bernie sighs, and shakes her head. "Didn't. Not really hungry right now, though. Though, don't let me stop you. Prolly get lynched if anyone 'round here found out there was a chance t' have 'licia's World-Famous L'sagna an' I screwed it up for 'em."

Alicia looks up at her sadly for a moment, then tugs on your hand. "I'm not hungry, not at all. Are you ok babe? God, I'm sorry.. I feel like shit now. I so didn't mean to."

Bernie sighs, and shakes her head. "'s not your fault," she replies quietly. "'s just..." She sighs again, and shrugs helplessly.

Alicia sulks a bit. "I wish I could go to the city, I'd so get you some cool clothes and buy ya some ice cream and like...paint the town red or something." Standing up, she releases your hand and lets out another loud sigh.

Bernie runs the released hand through her curls. "...wanna see th' clothes I bought last week?" she suggests, making the effort to be cheerier. No good depressing both of them, after all.

Alicia nods her head and smiles. "Yah, I sure do. Ya ganna pose fo' me?" She asks, tugging you up to your feet.

Bernie laughs a little, "..yeah, maybe, but no cameras..." She stands, leaving her backpack on the floor beside the couch. "'s upstairs, 'course."

Alicia giggles and clears her throat. "I'm ganna make sure yer' on th' covah of Rolling Stone Magazine." She heads for the stairs.

Bernie follows, shaking her head, "Only if y'buy one, put it on th' floor, an' make me stand on it..."

Alicia follows her up into the attic, blinking her eyes to adjust to the light.

Bernie heads over to her stuff, still stored below the bed, where Matt's no longer is, and pulls out a couple things, holding them close to her and very hard to see as she edges out toward the bathroom to change into them. "With or without jacket?" she asks, as she goes.

Alicia grins to her. "With the jacket of course." She says, slipping onto the bed, drawing a knee to her chest.

Bernie nods and disappears, returning after several minutes. She's made a slight change to her makeup, too, the better to suit the outfit. "...tada," she remarks, rather tongue-in-cheek.

Alicia giggles and looks her up and down, then whistles loudly. "Woo! Watch out Bern, yer ganna make me go Black Fury with those duds." She pretends to wave herself off.

Bernie blushes a bit, but grins, pushing her curls back. "Thanks. Matt said you'd be proud..." She giggles slightly, hand sliding into the pockets of her jacket.

Alicia grins widely and nods her head. "I'm very proud. Your such a hottie Bern." She leans over and picks up her own jacket, taking out a pair of baggy jeans, pulling them on.

Bernie shakes her head, blushing another shade. "Nahhh," she protests, "...thanks, though. Gonna change back now..." She starts to head for the bathroom again.

Alicia nods her head and smiles, then pulls out her denim jacket, sliding it around her body. She now looks back to Alicia sorts. The jeans, sports bra an jacket. Total toughie.

Bernie returns, back in the jacket, tanktop, and jeans herself. The other clothing gets replaced beneath the bed, which she gives a light pat as she rises again.

Bernie finishes getting ready, and glances at her bag under the bed, pulling a few things out of it and making a bundle. "....I'm gonna go inta th' city, do a few things... you want me t' drop off that letter for ya, 'licia?"

Alicia glances over to her as she runs a brush through the thickness of her hair. "Oh! Yah." Shoving her hand into her pocket, she pulls it out, handing it over. "Thanks a lot. I so owe you one."

Bernie takes the letter, slipping it into her pocket. "Nah, no problem, I'll be out that way anyhow, right? Prolly see you tomorrow, yeah?" She smiles at the other girl, then turns and heads toward the stairs.

Alicia nods her head and flops down onto the bed, crossing her legs. "Prolly. Take care shorty, be careful on the streets." Leaning back, she arches out her body, feeling joints pop and snap into place.

Bernie smirks, looking back at Alicia, no taller than herself. "Shorty?" she queries, and shakes her head. "Later, beanpole." With that, she heads on down.

[McDonald's]

The door opens, and Bernie slips in, pushing it shut behind her to keep out the cold air. She wanders toward the counter, peering in that direction as if looking for someone in particular, not merely joining the line.

Benedict stands in a corner behind the cash wrap watching the empty floor and occasionally glancing over at the semi-busy drive through. Upon spotting Bernie he perks up slightly, but never the less... looks like he wanted a bed about ten minutes ago. "Hey Bernie... Um... Whats going on? Alicia ready to see me yet?

Bernie grins quickly as she hears and sees Benedict -- objective sighted. "Dunno for sure," she replies, pulling a well-folded note from her pocket and offering it over, "I didn't read it. But she was all happy t' hear 'boutcha, so yeah, I figure she wants to."

Benedict sighs, it seems a mixed expression. "Good good... I'll read it. I feel like I'm dealing with the fucking government red-tape officals." he glances up a moment with a look at Bernie, apologetic it seems. "Sorry, I'm a bit frustrated. As you perhaps can imagine."

Bernie half-smiles, and shrugs. "Yeah, well... somea th' rules I'd changes 'f I could," she replies, somewhat cryptically, considering. "Anyway, I told 'licia I'd bring that by t' you, so there ya go, yeah? 'f you want, I'll come by t'marra or th' nex' day or somethin' an' see 'f you've got somethin' for me t' take back t' her."

Benedict just nods to her question as he eagerly sets out to read the first words from his sister in years.

Bernie pushes a curl behind her ear, where it doesn't stay, and grins, watching. "...well, hope it's good. Catch ya t'marra or so, Eggs." With that, she turns, and strolls toward the door.

Benedict wonders on why she calls him eggs for a moment before it dawns on him and he actually chuckles at the joke... it's actually original and yet still about his name, who knew? "Thank you, I'll see ya later..." he mutters distractedly while reading.