All doorways in the front part of the house lead to the front hallway, a J-shaped area with the short tail starting at the stairs, the front door hitting the bottom curve, the doorless opening to the living room halfway up the long side, and the also doorless opening to the kitchen and dining room at the very top. The hall has a simple wooden floor, and decorated with a generic print of soft-colored flowers hanging on the wall to the right of the front door, and a tall table sitting under the print which serves as a place to toss keys. A closet under the stairs serves as a place to hang coats or to toss shoes.
The doorless opening to the living room is halfway up the side of the hall's J, and the word cozy might spring to mind when looking into is, as it seems to radiate comforting vibrations. A long couch sits against the south wall beneath a large bay window curtained only by sheers that manages to obscure the view in but only filters the day's light. A variety of out-of-date magazines are strewn atop a low coffee table; more neatly presented are the plethora of books filling the small bookshelves which line the eastern wall. Three chairs sit about the room, focused inward, to allow group conversations. Large floor pillows are stacked in one corner of the room, except one, which lies carelessly in the middle of the floor, apparently left out the last time it was used.
An opening in the northern end of the hallway allows access to the kitchen and dining room at the back of the house, while carpeted stairs twist up at the other end of the hall, leading to the second floor. A door at the base of the J lets out to the front porch.
Low-ceilinged and dimly lit by a window set low in eastern wall just above the stairs, the attic is permeated with a strong, lingering scent of herbs and the sense of old power. The only furniture is a large bed on the western wall and a full-length mirror on the northern one. A large pile of second-hand sleeping bags, a stack of washed sheets, and a jumble of pillows occupies one corner, usable by the temporary inhabitants of the farmhouse. A single globed light bulb dangling from the peaked ceiling is the only source of light at night.
A steep stairway leads down from here, the door at the bottom opening on the eastern end of the hallway.
This clearing has recently undergone a bit of construction, though it seems that at least some attempt has been made to keep the new structures harmonious with the landscape around them. The central area is dominated by a cookfire; in the southwest corner a shelter has been dug into the earth and covered, while to the northwest, an open-air cabin of sorts has been built. Except for the area around the fire, it seems nature has been allowed to take its course. However, those of a naturalistic bent might think that some minimal landscaping or planning had been done, for nestled among the winter-browned grasses are a few hardy perennials that, come spring, will create a profusion of color in the clearing.
A faint trail leads off to the east, and a bit north.
In the back of the house, Tecmessa calls, "Can come sit in here, but -- what would you like to drink?"
Cameron steps through into the living room from the porch, and takes a look around, hands deep in his jacket pockets, a neutral expression on his face. Seeing the stranger, he nods to her and says, "Hello." with a considering look.
Bernie slips in the front door not too terribly far behind Cameron, and flashes both him and Glissa a quick grin as she closes it behind her. "Hey," she greets them, "'sup, Dr. Nicholson, Cam?"
Glissa looks up and flinches, as always, at the sound of the door, but gives Bernie a warm smile. "Good evening. I was just delivering some papers with news stories on our Bigfoot problem."
In the back of the house, Tecmessa bustles about and makes several mugs worth of hot chocolate, since she didn't get an answer, and brings them out on a small tray. Putting it down on the coffee table, she asks, "Care for food, as well?"
Glissa gives an embarrassed laugh. "N-no. Not hungry, thanks." She takes the mug too quickly and burns her hand and sets it back down to cool.
Cameron stalks quietly over towards Glissa, and gives her a friendly smile. "Dr. Nicholson, is it? My name's Cameron Fullerton. Pleased to meet you." He smiles at Tecmessa, and nods his head respectfully. "Any for us young 'uns?"
There are, in fact, 4 mugs on the tray. Well, three, now. "Certainly. Feel free. She is, by the way, Kin, so if you're feeling constrained, don't."
Bernie grins at Glissa, "...well, I read footbinding did th' trick, but that's kinda drastic not t' mention we'da hadda start a long time 'go..." She takes a mug from Tecmessa with a quick, "Thanks," and asks, "...so what's bein' in th' papaers now, then?"
Tecmessa produces several clippings from her back pocket, and hands them to Bernie. "Looks like they may already be going the bear route anyway, so if some new moon would just do it... We may be all set."
Glissa stares at Bernie with a shudder. "Footbinding?"
Glissa says belatedly, "Oh. Oh, right."
Cameron takes a mug and starts sipping, casting sidelong glances in Bernie and Tecmessa's direction. What's all this...
Bernie nods slowly, looking over the clippings with, actually, rather surprising speed. Maybe she's just scanning them. "Do we -have- some handy short-nosed bear remains lyin' about t' c'ntaminate it all with?"
Tecmessa says, with a faint smile, "Well, /I/ don't, but I assume the no moons can liberate things."
Glissa makes a second go at her drink, taking it in her other hand and sipping gingerly, rather the same way she's regarding the people in the room. Not with too much familiarity.
Cameron tilts his head, looking at Glissa. "So what are you a doctor of, Doctor?"
Glissa shoves her glasses up her nose. "Well, that is a question, isn't it. This year they have me Associate Professor of Classical Civilization in History, although I've been in various language departments and/or Archaeology or Art history. But my doctorate is in Classics. You know. Old dead white Europeans."
Cameron grins at that. "Nothing wrong with old dead white Europeans. Most of me ancestors are old dead white Europeans." He sips the cocoa, and gives Tec a little smile. "Good."
"Best kind," Bernie remarks, grinning, and returns the clippings to Tecmessa before starting in on her cocoa. "I didn' find Leda yet, so I didn' get t' talk t' her 'bout th' whole thing..."
Tecmessa doesn't actually drink hers, yet. "Thanks," she tells the Fianna, then adds to Bernie, "I told her you were looking for her, at least, so she won't turn you away."
Glissa listens edgily, still sipping at her drink. But the name can't help but catch her attention. "Leda? Tecmessa? And I seem to remember an Eris, and a Diana. Would you mind explaining this to me?"
Tecmessa says, a little blankly, "Explaining...?" and then realizes. "Oh. All Greek, yes." Her accent rises slightly. "The Black Furies, as a tribe, are not only devoted to protecting the wild places and women, but historically come from Greece. So we choose, or are given, names of Greek origen, frequently."
The mug sags in the human's hand, forgotten (luckily mostly empty) as she stares at Tecmessa's face. "I thought. Oh." She leans forward and tries, "Erinys philai paromen?"
Cameron sips his cocoa absently at the sentence flies over his head. "Pfft. Educated people."
Tecmessa says, in Greek as well, "Friends of the Mother, let us gather," with a very faint smile inhabiting her eyes. "The name," she adds, in English, "It means much to us. We are partially that, and partially nurturers. It is... We have many purposes."
Alicia heads into the living room after passing through the kitchen, taking a deep breath.
Glissa smiles in bemusement at the slight adjustment Tecmessa makes to the Greek and gives her a knowing look. The ever-present anxiety on the human's face is briefly wiped clean, leaving a congenial smile in its wake. She waves a finger. "Remember what I said about tampering with research? If you people are responsible for the missing Sappho fragments, I am going to be -most- annoyed."
Bernie grins over at Cam, but pays more attention to the other conversation for now. That changes as she notices Alicia, though, and brightens, turning the grin on her. "'lish!" she exclaims. "I was lookin' for you, man you're a pain t' find some days."
Alicia smiles and shifts a bit on her feet. "I'm going to be even more a pain after tonight.." She lets in a deep breath, then says. "I'm leaving the farmhouse..."
Cameron straightens, and chews his lip absent-mindedly. He gives Alicia a concerned look, but nothing more.
"What, don't you love it anymore? It's going to sue for half of ev'rythin' y' got, y' know... so does this mean you're ungrounded, then?" the Gnawer asks, pushing a curl ineffectually back behind her ear.
Tecmessa shrugs, just slightly. "I myself have never stolen or adjusted Sappho. I merely wish I had the /opportunity/ to do so, for then I might be able to read more of what that woman wrote. More of those /words/..." She trails off, wistful, and gives Alicia a brief blank look.
Alicia wets her lips and looks a bit bummed, but heads for the stairs. "I gotta get my stuff.. Um... I'm being shipped off to the compound, with Dove I guess. Going to have more tribal interactions, Dante is going to help out a lot more while Adam and Robert are busy tending to the Bawn and Caern. So...." She trails off a bit. "I guess.. I'll visit?"
Glissa tells Tecmessa, "All we have...all humans have, anyway... I would be pleased to discuss with you at length, sometime. She being rather a favorite of mine." She quiets down, though, brief boldness sparked by a shared interest too easily lost in the face of this many Garou.
Cameron chews his lip and clears his throat a little. "You.. ah... need any help with that?" he asks Alicia.
Bernie makes a face, wandering over to the stairs as well and leaning on the banister as her friend climbs. "I don' even know where that -is-, tha's no fair. An' yeah, you wanna hand or anythin'?"
Alicia chuckles. "Um... Dante says to pack light.... So.. I figure one more extra set of clothes, snatching one of the bottles of shampoo, my tooth brush and paste, and thats pretty much it. Nothing weaverish, especially if I'm living on the bawn." She smiles to her two friends, then shrugs. "And I can show you where it is, I've been there before."
Tecmessa's smile fades slightly as she watches Alicia for a moment, but then it rises as Glissa speaks again. "We have no more than humans do, truly, and I would love to discuss it, someday. Perhaps sooner, rather than later. I am no expert, but..."
Cameron looks away from the two other cubs and shrugs. "As long as you take your pad, you've got all I wanted you to have." He stands there near Glissa's seat, hand in pocket and sipping his cocoa. Not at all tense, no siree.
Glissa spills the bottom of her cup in her lap as she glances up and sideways at Cameron. Her nostrils flare slightly like a rabbit's scenting a nearby stoat.
Bernie glances over at Cameron, then back to Alicia. "Yeah, well, I'll come up anyhow an' help y' make sure y' don't grab a shampoo Squall's improved or anythin', yeah?" Cocoa still in hand, she wanders past the banister to the foot of the stairs.
Alicia giggles at Bernie and nods her head as she tilts it to the side. "I gotcha." Her eyes stray to Cameron for a moment, then lets him have a smile. "Definitly, I'm taking that too." With that reply, she slips up the stairs.
Glissa shakes her head. "P-perhaps I'd better be going," she says meekly.
Cameron's fingers drum the side of his mug, and his mouth twitches. He casts a sidelong glance at Glissa, and breathes again. A slightly guilty look on his face, he shakes his head. "No no, what were you saying, Doctor?" he says smoothly. Smiling a little, he adds, "It sounded interesting."
Bernie follows Alicia up to the attic, and leans against the doorjamb, sipping her coffee. "So," she queries, watching her, "...'sup? How come they're movin' ya?"
Alicia picks up her empty backpack and stuffs in a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt. "Um.. too many distractions here, too many bad influences." She softly says. "They want me in a more, coggie environment, where I can be one with the tribe, and learn to integrate myself completely was one. And also, make sure I find myself, and my place and role here, to learn what my duty to Gaia is."
Bernie considers that as she sips. "...'m -I- a bad influence?" she asks, "'cause 'f so, they prolly aren't gonna want me droppin' by, huh? Which would suck an' stuff. Not t' mention I gotta talk t' you 'bout a couple things sometime in th' soon." A slight pause. "Anyhow I didn' know ya lost yerself."
Alicia smiles and glances to her, then takes a deep breath. "I haven't lost myself, just haven't /found/ myself yet. You have to find yourself also Bernie, its important for us as Garou, it really is." She avoids the first question, only because of the love she has for her best friend, and she doesn't even truly know the answer. Sitting up, she shoulders the bag and picks up her writing tablet.
Bernie half-smiles, and shrugs a bit. "I'm right here," she replies, "what's there t' find? Anyway..." She trails off, going more serious, and looks over her shoulder toward the stairs, "...they expectin' you back, like, immediately, or you got a while...?"
Alicia pouts a bit. "I gotta be back there tonight. But, I can tell you got something to talk about, so..." She plops onto the bed, looking up at her coyly.
Bernie heads over to the bed as well, giving it a slight half-smile before sitting up near the head of it and drawing her legs in indian-style. "'kay," she replies, going serious again, "...I don' wanna upset you, 'kay? But you should know. So don't go nuts or worry too much or anythin', 'cause I think I mostly d'fused it, but I think maybe Sepdet misunderstood somea th' story of your life..."
"Been there, done that." Comes her reply. "Kaz and Brittany got to me first hon. It should be cleared up by tonight." Alicia relaxes onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Its all good, and Nevada isn't going to be in trouble."
Bernie nods, satisfied and relieved. "Good. I was tryin' t' find ya b'fore, only like I said, you been hard t' find. So a'ight, long as that's all sorted, no prob." She stretches, and sighs. "Still no signa Matt, 'f you wondered. An' I'm still curious how Sepdet got all condused, though, by th' way."
Alicia rubs the back of her ear. "Lets just say I'm not yet quite the skillful Galliard just yet. It was afterall, the first story I ever told." She furrows her brows a bit. "I forgot she was a metis, and I should have choosed the way I told the story a bit more so that she'd understand it."
Bernie ahs, and nods a little. "Well, now ya know, an' knowin' is half th' battle, go Joe. So, 'side form bein' shipped off t' god knows where, 's new?"
Alicia shrugs her shoulders a bit. "Been seeing a lot of Dante lately. Um.. Cameron an I got over our drama." She grins. "I told you what I did when he tried ta' kiss me right? Just the other day.."
Bernie shakes her head, "Nuh-uh. Last I saw you, you went out t' th' barn an' he was goin' after. What happened?"
Alicia grins. "I told him that we should cool off, and that whatever was happening, shouldn't be. Well, stupid fool decided to test me, to see if I was kidding and he leaned in and started to kiss me. I pulled back, then he started up again, getting all hungry an shit. So.. I gave him a Black Fury special. I put my knee between his legs and made sure he was wearing his nuts for ear rings. He got the picture."
Bernie bursts out laughing, possibly loudly enough for a hint of it to carry to the first floor. "Damn, now, anyone who c'n call -that- teasin' is way sick on th' masochism scale..." She grins, shaking her head. "Cool. Glad you guys got that sorted out... though, from down there, he still looks kinda gone t' me. But hey, he'll prolly get over it, yeah?"
Alicia smiles and flashes her the best Alicia smile she can muster. "An that, my student, is why I am so dope, and once I'm finished with you, you'll have all the males whipped an following ya 'round, wanting so badly for your knee to be between their legs." She winks a bit. "I hope he's getting better 'bout it... but ya'know... life sucks. I told him not ta' get too close."
Bernie grins back, though she fairly quickly glances down, looking a bit wistful. "Yeah..." she replies, not directly obvious as meaning anything in particular at all. "...so you're not grounded t' this new place, right? I mean, you'll be 'round here also?"
Alicia nods her head. "Yah, jus' won't be here all that much. I'm ganna be kicking it bawn style for a bit. Its very pretty out there, so I don't mind. It'll be a whole lot of fun." She smiles to her best friend. "I'll walk ya out there tonight."
Bernie nods, pushing all her curls back behind her shoulders. "A'ight, that works I s'pose. They ever gonna letcha back inta th' city?"
Alicia shrugs and chuckles. "Ahh... I dunno, who cares at this point. I'm in no real big rush ta' run out there." She hops up to her feet and heads for the door.
Bernie stretches a little again, gives the mattress a little pat with her free hand, and stands as well, following Alicia to the door. "Figure I better go with ya 'f you're gonna show me where it is."
Alicia grins and slips out the door, saying. "That an I already invited ya."
[...]
Alicia heads into the compound, having a back pack shouldered over her arm, and a Gnawer following at her heels.
Well, more to the side than strictly behind, but hey. Bernie does in fact follow Alicia into the area, glancing around with some curiosity. "Nice place y'got here," she remarks softly to the other cub, grinning, "who does your decor?"
Alicia wets her lips a bit, offering a slight shrug of her shoulders. Dumping the back pack down next to the fire pit, she shrugs. "Dante? I dunno.. he says this is where I'll be living at now." She glances around the area, searching for her Elder.
Brigid sits cross-legged on the ground off at one side of the clearing, currently in the process of fixing her boot laces. One boot rests on her foot, while the other sits in front of her to be worked on, a pair of newer looking laces lie draped across her knees. At the sound of footsteps, she glances up to note who's there and nod in greeting quietly.
Bernie looks around again, and nods. She flashes the stranger a bright smile, and then looks back to Alicia. "'s not bad, then. Though I think for gen'ral use I'd prefer th' Dec'dence," she remarks cheerfully.
Alicia looks over towards Brigid and smiles as well, her features showing her cheerful enthusiasm. "Good Evening." She calls out to the Silver Fang, then glances over to Bernie. "I'm sure you do." She winks. "Lucky you. Anyways, I guess I'll be roughing it, thank Gaia, NightFlash taught me all that survival stuff."
"Mmm, yes, evening to the both of you." returns the English accented voice as Brigid eases into a friendly smile and centers on relacing her boot.
"'s good t' know, that stuff," the other cub agrees, hands slipping into her jacket pockets. "Prolly," she muses, "I oughta do s'morea it myself..." She withdraws a hand form a pocket again, long enough to wave to Brigid. "'lo!"
Brigid's eyes flick up, and one hand already twined in shoelace lifts to return the wave with a wiggle of hampered fingers. "Hello...."
Alicia clears her throat and heads over to Brigid, slipping her hands down into her pockets. "Hi, I'm Alicia, cub for the Children of Gaia. Dante asked me to stay here and live for a bit."
"An' I'm Bernie, Ragabash Gnawer cub. I'm just along for th' tour," the curly-haired girl adds brightly, walking along with Alicia. "Hi."
Brigid pauses halfway through lacing and stretches a little while looking up, "All right. Good to know the name of the face I'll be seeing when I stop by here, which is fairly often during patrols. I'm Brigid St. David, called Star-Eyed, Cliath Theurge of the Silver Fangs, and one of the Guardians here. Pleased to meet you, Alicia." As Bernie chimes in, her smile brightens a bit with amusement, "A pleasure to meet you, too, Bernie."
Alicia grins, then slips off her jacket from her shoulders. Folding it up, she lays it down next to her bag. "Mmm.. Nice place here. Really pretty, least Dante can pick out a neat place." Taking a deep breath, she turns around to face her best friend, holding her arms out for her. "Hey... I'll visit.. k?"
"Niceta meetcha too," Bernie replies, before turning to Alicia and giving her a big hug. "Yeah, well, you better. I'll try an' find you too, yeah?" Letting go, she steps away slightly and adds, "I'll go letcha get settled in an' all. Later, 'lish." Another wave to Brigid, repeating, "Later!" and she starts back the way she came.
Brigid smiles to herself and finishes lacing up the boot before trying it on, returning the wave briefly.
Alicia smiles and watches her go, taking a deep breath. "Bye.." She says softly once more, rocking a bit on the balls of her feet. Turning her eyes to Brigid, she gives her a warm smile, then heads over to her bag.
Brigid quickly tugs on the boot and pulls the laces tight, making a satsified noise as she does so. "Going to be out here a while, are you?" she says musingly, most likely directed at Alicia even though she doesn't look up.
"Mmm.. Yah.. Dante wanted ta' get me out of the farm house, you know, get me into the fresh air." The Galliard turns her head to regard Brigid, clearing her throat slightly. Geez, she's beautiful.