There's the sound of voices, muffled, upstairs, and then the thud of two pairs of feet on the stairs. Kaz's voice echoes on the stairs, as she mutters, "...Don' ask me, I jus' /tell/ people shit, I don' judge 'em for it."

Junior shrugs at Rotem. "Some of 'em are better about it than others. We just can't stay around all the time."

Rotem rolls his eyes. "Yeah, m-makes for a good family life eh? N-not being around."

Bernie follows Kaz down, hands in her jacket pockets. "I dunno," she replies, "it's just... eh, never mind. I'll figure it out an' all." Shaking her head slightly, she follows the Galliard into the basement proper.

"Although admittedly, I'm don' a lot more judgin' people's, I dunno, inherent worth, now that Elan's opened my brain out and sprayed it with soap." Kaz pokes her head around the corner, and gives the two men a surprisingly warm grin. "Yo, hey."

Junior doesn't answer, as he hears the others approaching. He turns towards the stairs, and smiles as they come down. "Hey there."

Rotem looks to Kaz, waving and returning to Junior. "Well?"

Junior sighs. "Ain't the best, no."

Bernie tosses a quick wave toward the boys, taking up a spot leaning comfortably against the wall. "Hey," she echoes.

Here's a shock -- Kaz, being nosy. "What ain't the best?"

Junior shrugs. "Not being around in a family, cause they get ccared of us if we're around."

Kaz's face tightens slightly. "Yeah. So we have to make new kindsa family. In /addition/ t'th' old kinds. It's hard. But we do the best we can."

Rotem perks up slightly, as he relalises something, "Hey, you're one of them, aintcha, Kaz?"

"I'm one of 'them'? What them're we talkin' here, bag ladies? Insurance salesmen? Governesses?" This would be sarcastic Kaz.

"You're onea -Them-," Bernie says, putting a spooky Twilight Zone tone on it, and grins.

Junior snorts. "I ain't just talking about us, Kaz. Talkin' about the kids, too. I grew up without Dad around because he didn't know about me. But I doubt it's easier if we ain't around because they get scared shitless if we stay too long."

Rotem shakes his head. "No, one of those metis things. You know, mom and dad got a little /too/ close for packmates.

There's a slight hint of steel in her tone when Kaz says, "I ain't no thing. But yeah, I'm a metis. I wouldn't recommend th' practice." Shaking her head, she relaxes again, and adds to Junior, "What I mean is, I grew up with a family -- but it was my mom's pack. It ain't like we can take alla them lost cubs an' stick 'em in with Garou, but th' point is, a lot of us Gnawers, we have new definitions f'what family actually is. More flexible."

Junior snorts. "I know that, Kaz. But that ain't what I'm talking about. I'm talkin' about the effects on the kids we leave behind, too."

Junior shrugs. "Whether they're Garou or not."

Kaz jerks a thumb at Rotem. "He don't know much about us. So. I tell him it ain't all pain an' hate. It's also family. But shit yeah. The ones we leave behind, that's our biggest crime, an' that's the truth."

Bernie listens quietly for the moment, finding herself without much input on this particular topic. She just gets comfortable, watching.

Rotem nods softly. "Yeah, but then tell me, what is so wrong with b-being a metis? I mean, it's n-not like it is your fault! Why d-do the people s-say that metis are b-bad? I mean, n-not making them, but, you know."

Kaz shifts upwards, slowly, into glabro. Her voice is a little lower, in this form, but perfectly understandable. Evidently, her point is visual as well as auditory. "It ain't our fault, no, but th' sins've the father're passed on t'the children, a little. We're every single one of us deformed in some way, mentally or physically. That's most've why people don' trust us. Why people think we're mostly scum. An' also, we're sterile, which, given as we need all of us we can get f'this fight, it ain't a real good thing. Now, yeah, ok, us Gnawers, we actually do mostly respect Gnawers, but you gotta understand, most tribes think, basically, we're an insult t'the Mother. They think we're closer t'the Wyrm, an' they think we're weak. An', well, a lot of us /are/ weak." She shrugs. "Thass why."

Rotem lifts his hand towards Kaz. "What's your problem then? You seem f-fine. Heck, I'm m-more messed up then you."

Kaz, as if Rotem is slightly slow, points to her ears.

Rotem shrugs. "So? big fucking deal. You got messed up ears. I g-got only one kidney! The one I do h-have is hyperactive. I'll n-n-never be able to talk properly either! And p-people complain about you guys? Seem's s-some garou are idiots."

"Y'got -that- right," Bernie murmurs quite softly to herself, thought ot which comment isn't completely clear. Louder, though, audible to everyone now, she adds, "People're like that, always got prejudiced people 'round, y'know?"

Kaz shrugs. "You feel free to feel that way. You'n Max'll get along fine. Me, you ever looked at my eyes good?" She brushes her hair away from her face, to let him. "What I am, in homid /or/ glabro, is a damn threat to the Veil. Most metis are. Even aside from the shit about bein' an insult t'Gaia, we're fuckin' dangerous on th' streets." She shrugs. "I ain't sayin' you gotta hate me or nothin'. I'm just sayin', them folks as hate metis, they got good reasons. They take it too far, a lot of the time, but they got reasons."

Junior nods. "Prejudiced people always got reasons."

Bernie nods to Junior. "The neighbourhood was fine until Those People showed up," she remarks dryly, quirking a half-smile, and rolls her eyes.

Rotem rises up shakily, moving towards Kaz. "Look, threat or w-whatever, I'd still rather have you behind me then some of the o-others. And I'm not mad about the legs." He puts his right hand out towards her. "I'm s-sorry I forced you to do that."

Kaz casts a brief, very brief, glance at Bernie at this gesture of Rotem's, and takes his hand, firmly. She looks him in the eye, a hard glint briefly there before it melts into a small smile. Her casual phrasing is gone, for the moment. "Thanks, Rotem. I'm glad of the apology, and I accept. I will say, I'm /not/ sorry I did it. I'm still angry I had to, and -- Well, you're on probation, but you knew that." She lets go, and measures him. "But I think you're making progress. Slowly."

Banecruncher pads down the stairs and yawns.

Bernie nods slightly, though she still regards the other cub with a modicum of wary suspicion, not yet convinced. A hand slips up and through her curls as she watches.

Rotem nods softly and replies, "I know. I've got a l-lot of making up to do. But I've got time. Before y-you came down I was asking Junior about advice on how t-to stay calmer." He pauses for a moment then mentions, "Ah, that reminds m-me. What was that you m-mentioned to me once about meditation?"

Kaz casts a glance at Junior, eyebrow raised, then looks back to Rotem. "It's a thing I learned offa Chugs. He does both meditation and Tai Ch'i, daily. The Tai Ch'i, I ain't so good at, but I can describe it, at least. With meditation -- I'll bet you hate just sittin' still, yeah?"

Rotem nods softly. "Yeah, but that Tai Ch'i stuff is cool. Slow mo'." He grins. "Think he could teach me that?"

Junior smiles over at Kaz, and shrugs.

"See, I have a type of meditation where you walk. Real slowly, but you're still /doing/ stuff -- and it calms you down. Just -- focus on the wall in front of you, on your walking, on your breath. It works surprisingly well." Kaz breaks into a real smile. "Chugs? Chugs'll teach that to anyone, at the drop of a hat. He's like that. When you can find him, anyway."

Rotem nods softly. "I'll have to track him down again then. Last time he w-visited I was too busy bleeding on the floor to really b-be a good conversationalist."

"At least you've met him," Bernie pipes up, sounding almost glum there, "I've only heard legends."

Kaz, just slightly disgruntled, says, "Yeah, 'least you saw him. He's m'damn packmate, and I ain't seen him in months."

Rotem sighs, "If I see him again, I'll let him know you m-miss him. I promise." He looks to Junior and Bernie, then Kaz. "Since w-were all here, how about giving m-me a hand?"

Bernie arches a brow at Rotem, smirks sardonically, and starts a slow, sarcastic applause.

Junior snickers at Bernie.

Kaz snorts, amused, but asks Rotem, "With... What, walkin' meditation, or somethin' else?"

Rotem arches an eyebrow, looking at Bernie. "Huh?" Obviously not understanding, however he does turn to Junior, "This is where I count to a hundred, right?"

Kaz explains, "Givin' a hand is used as a euphemism f'r applause, often. So. She applauded. An' yeah, if it makes y'tetchy, countin'd be good." She appears to be back to her normal mode of speech, fairly firmly.

Banecruncher would give a hand, but would have to go out and hunt one up first. Do you prefer fomor or bane hands?

Bernie glances upward to the heavens, seemingly pleading to be delivered from something, but breaks into a grin at Banecruncher's comment, relaxing back against her patch of wall.

Junior nods to Rotem. "Countin', yeah."

Rotem chuckles and looks to BaneCruncher, his humor releaving the tension. "How about both? Let me come with you?" He asks, hopefull.

Banecruncher thinks that if I weren't confined here, I would take you out. You need to learn how to hunt. As it is...

Banecruncher yawns and rests his head on his paws. I'm as frustrated as you are. I think I'll sleep now.

Kaz says, a little glumly, "When Elan says, Rotem."

Rotem sighs. "Ok, I can wait. I j-just want to help beat this Wyrm thing." He shifts up to glabro and walks towards one of the backrooms his voice dropping an octive, "I still c-could use a hand." He returns, carrying a large wooden door. "Got a little job to do."

"You got months yet, kid. Y'need to do that control thing before we're even gonna let you /near/ Wyrm -- but I'm glad you wanna help." As he brings the door out, Kaz starts, slowly, to smile. "You, m'good cub, are makin' more progress than I thought. You got hinges somewhere?"

Rotem waves a hand towards the back room. "The p-plastic bag. Other door in there too." He then makes his way towards the steps to the sanctuary. "C-can you help?"

Bernie lifts her brows slightly, and nods a bit, pushing off the wall, apparently aiming to help as well. She sets her bag down,a nd heads for the backroom.

Kaz stuffs her hat on her head, which doesn't precisely hide her ears, but does make them less obvious, and follows Bernie. Between the two of them, they get both plastic bag and door, and haul them out to the steps.

Rotem motions to Kaz, "Can I do this like t-this?" He motions to the tarp, "Or should I shift d-down? Veil, you know."

Kaz considers Rotem's glabro, and then shifts down into homid herself. "You c'n stick the way you are. Lemme get the ladder, I can hammer th' hinges an' stuff in while you hold it, inside." She seems to assume Bernie and Junior can get the other side of the doors.

Rotem carries the foor over to the enterance, ripping down the tarps and then placing the door in its spot. "Ok, g-go ahead."

Bernie helps Junior place and steady the second door, making sure that both fit properly within the space.

Kaz quickly clambers up the ladder. Inspecting the hinge plates, she says, "Huh," and unscrews the old ones. Much more rapidly, she screws in the new ones, and then guides the door in so that she can hammer the hinges down correctly. "Voila," she mutters, and climbs down again.

Rotem moves to help Bernie hold the other door. "Ok, one m-more."

Kaz moves the ladder, and does the same thing on the other side. "Voila times two, aooga."

Bernie grins, and tries the new doors, opening and then reclosing them. She gives them a critical look, and nods, satisfied. "Not bad," she declares, flashing Rotem an actual smile.

Rotem chuckles and closes the doors. "So now I can walk around in Crinos without worrying, right?" He chuckles and shifts up to crinos, moving towards the several pews scattered about the room, seeing as no one ever picked them back up.

Kaz grins, just slightly, but glances outside and sighs. "Yokay. I'd love to help, chief, but I gotta patrol -- Realmside. Bern, you wanna come with?"

Bernie nods at Kaz, looking actually slightly enthused about that idea. "Yeah, jus' lemme dart down an' grab my bag, an' I'll go with." She starts toward the basement.

Kaz waits, leaning against the door, watching Rotem work, a small smile on her face.

Greenstreak places the pews back in place then shifts back down. Pushing one of the pews to get it straight. "That's better." He then looks about the room. "Thank you, both of you." He moves towards Kaz, "If there is anything you need, let me know. I g-got a lot of free time down here."

Bernie returns quite quickly, bag on her shoulder, just in time to catch Rotem's comments. "No prob," she replies, giving him a considering look, and heads over to the metis. "A'ight... ready now. Shall we?"

Rotem waves to the two. "Have f-fun. I'm going to work on the wall downstairs.

Kaz also gives him a considering look. "I'll 'member that. Thanks." Grinning just slightly at Bernie, she nods, and heads out the doors.