Heartsight pushes the door open with her nose, then squeezes through. As the door swings shut behind her, a bit of fur from the tip of her tail is caught. A wag, and she is free, leaving a bit of matting wedged there.

Three-Blades is lying on the dais, flopped quite like an offering to the gods, an ear perked towards the basement to listen for the cub. Julie's entering earns her the other ear, and the nomoon Gnawer looks up.

Heartsight sniffs the air, then growls a general greeting, padding to a place along the wall. Several turns, and she flops down with a huffing sigh. Is Heartsight, she rumbles.

Rotem emerges from downstairs and moves up the steps, pausing as he sees Heartsight, then glancing to Yi before sitting back down on the first pew.

Three-Blades reassumes a belly laying position, blinking at the cub. Ok, first. The laws of the ~Garou.~ You should know them. And know why we have them.

Heartsight flicks an ear toward Rotem, then perks up. Dark eyes peer over his features. A grunt, and she lays her head back down.

Rotem nods softly and scrables upon the pad of paper. He closes his left eye as he writes, mumbling, "Litany, check."

The doors open again, a small tuft of fur dropping from the join as they part. In wanders the =other= Gnawer cub, humming softly to herself. Usually this means she's happy. Today, though, it seems to have a slightly nervous, preoccupied edge to it.

Rotem doesn't even look to Bernie, scribbling on the paper. "Okay, what is next?" he asks quietly, not wanting to bother the other occupants of the room.

Three-Blades glances over to the doors again, and sniffing Bernie's scent wafting in relaxes again. Next... what is next? She scratches at her shoulder thoughtfully. Moons and tribes. The purposes, the beliefs and ideals. She pauses, then adds. ~Stereotypes.~

Bernie closes the doors carefully behind her, perking up as she catches the conversation up near the front. "Oooh. Lessons?" She flashes a quick, cheery grin and wave at Heartsight on her way up to drop in on the teaching.

Heartsight coughs a greeting to Bernie, ears lazily splayed as she listens, too.

Rotem nods softly, scribbling faster now. "Hmm, okay." He scribbles on the paper 'Ragabash = brat' 'theurge=not all there' 'philodox=judge' 'Galliard=Entertainer' then he pauses and writes under it 'not erotic dancers'. He smirks and leaves Ahroun blank. "Okay, tribes..." He mumbles to himself.

Three-Blades chuffs to Bernie. Outline of lesson plan. Teacher's too lazy to note it herself for ahroun cub. She whuffles quietly, then looks back to Rotem. Thirteen tribes.

Bernie hehs a little, and nods, wandering over to look over Rotem's shoulder at the notes. She hmms, and pulls a pen out of her pocket. Reaching across, she crosses out 'brat' and scrawls, 'the bomb'.

Heartsight growls, and bends around to gnaw at her tail viciously, that nose-mooshed snorting kind of gnawing, at an itch.

Three-Blades glances over at Julie when she growls, and then turns back to Rotem and Bernie. What comes after the tribes? Even she has to think a bit. Knowing what /your/ tribe means. Bone Gnawer Behavior.

Rotem nods and continues writing, "Yeah, yeah, I'm getting to it." he writes slowly, unused to the view. He keeps his left eye closed while he writes. "Gnawers: Survivor, no million dollar prize at the end.", "Furies = Bitch" he glances over at Bernie after writing that, "Red Talons = Woof.", "Glass Walkers = Thundersticks." He pauses, thinking of what other tribes he knows, "Fianna; good shit.", "Fangs: S.O.B.'s that fucked up the Shadow Lords." "Shadow lords, Innocent Scapegoats."

Bernie, still reading over the other cub's shoulder, seems unaffected until the last pair, at which she laughs. "Damn, Rotisserie. Wish we could get =our= propaganda down good as whassisface musta..." she teases, and ruffles his hair briefly before wandering over to plop down beside Yi on the dias, and give her a few scritches.

Rotem shakes his head softly looking at Bernie, "We could, but I don't think you swing that way." Rotem snickers and keeps writing. 'Windy go=' he pauses. "Hey, who are the windy go's?

Three-Blades licks her muzzle and rumbles after. Icestorm followers. The natives of this land, who follow the old ways. She thinks a little, then decides not to add the rest. ~Uktena, Children of Gaia, Get of Fenris, and the Stargazers.~

Rotem writes in 'Gaia's kids = Alicia, woodsy, not total bitches.' He follows this with 'Get = Signe = Owen = Ow.

Rotem writes in Uktena and Stargazers, but doesn't fill in any information. "What are the Uktena and Stargazers?"

Bernie arches an eyebrow at Rotem, and blinks a couple times. "Whoa there buckeroo, just what forma persuasion's he been usin'? ...no, wait, thinkin' maybe I don' wanna know..." She makes a face and half-hides behind the lupine.

Rotem snickers and looks to Bernie. "I'll give you details later."

Three-Blades splays her ears as Bernie scritches, leaning into them and rumbling, only to turn it into a confused soft yip of question. Persuasion? She thumps her tail and answers the cub's question first though. ~Uktena~ are like Wendigo. Natives once of this land. Keepers of secrets. Stargazers are thinkers, most of them live in areas from where I am from. They are very wise... most of them anyway.

Heartsight rolls onto her back, grunting and huffing, as she twists about, scratching her back.

Rotem fills in what Yi tells him and then draws a line, seperating the paper in half. 'Gnawer Stuff: Stuff, garbage, surviving, and neater Stuff.' Rotem looks back to Yi. "Okay, what is next?"

Bernie winces again, a bit more dramatically than really neccesary, at Rotem's promise... threat... whatever. She says nothing, though, just scritching the Yi some more, and looking... vaguely preoccupied again.

Three-Blades gives Bernie a nudge with her nose before turning back to Rotem. Forms training.

Rotem writes in 'Forms Training: Lupus, Hispo, Crinos, Glabro, Homid.' He draws a line under each one and seperates the page into five sections. "Okay, what do I need to know for each form? Who's gonna teach me?"

Bernie glances over Yi, toward the wriggling Galliard. Something occurs to her, and she grins, rummaging in her backpack a moment before hopping back off the dias and approaching her, half a Hershey bar in hand. "Choc'late?" she offers, plopping herself into the end of the pew nearest Heartsight.

Three-Blades rolls onto her back when Bernie departs the dais space. With a paw batting at the air idly, she rumbles. Twolegs you know. Keep tongue in check. Only walk in Scab in twolegs and wolf, but hide in shadows in wolf. Middle forms, only in caern and safe places. Warform, will get training later. Same with near-wolf and near-man.

Heartsight stops her squirming around and eyes Bernie, upsidedown, a lupy grin on black lips. Yummies? Ooh, gimmegimme! A roll, and bounce to all fours, bounding over to Bernie, tail juuuuust a-waggin'!

Rotem shakes his head softly. "But I don't know lupus enough. I don't feel safe in it."

Bernie laughs, and breaks the bar into two strips of four squares, feeding one to Heartsight. "Def'nitely. Gotta have th' choc'late, right? So 'sup? 'cha been up t' lately?"

Three-Blades swings her tail like a duster against the dais surface with air-batting, and finally rolls back over. To know wolf, you must live as one. But we are different, because we are in the Scab. Hard to live as wolf in the Scab, but there are tricks. Cat-chasing is one. She opens her jaws in a grin at the ahroun cub.

Mm, numm, nmm, Heartsight hums as she chews on the chocolate. Rummaging, sewer scouting, teaching. Settling onto her haunches, the lupe scratches under her chin with a hind paw, then yips in agreement with Three. And rabbits, in park!

Rotem snickers softly and nods to Yi. "I got fluffy good." He smirks and keeps writing. "So what else do we have to do?"

Bernie grins at Heartsight, half-listening to the others, and breaks off a single square from the second strip, eating that herself before offering the other three to the lupine again. "Cool," she replies, and stretches a little, thoughtfully.

Three-Blades gives her fur a shake. Gifts. Ooh, now they're getting into the Advanced Basic. Learning about the Force and how to use some of the magic powers Gaia has given us.

Rotem snickers softly and waves his hand. "We use the force, luke." He shakes his head and waves his hand. "You want to go get me beer."

Heartsight gingerly takes the chocolate in her teeth by the one square, head tilting questionably.

Bernie blinks once as the chocolate's taken and she notes the look. "Mmm? Oh... jus' thinkin' 'bout shit. Bein' all busy lately, stuff like."

Three-Blades snorts, and licks at one of her paws. What is next... Shadowside. She glances up at Rotem at the thought. Though you have experienced that first hand already.

Heartsight snaps her jaws, and the chocolate is gone. Didn't even hit the sides that time. A moment later, Julie is sitting, crosslegged, on the floor in front of Bernie. "So, you wanna help me scrounge for mirrors? Easy work, an' don't require no thinkin'."

Rotem sighs and nods, looking up from the paper. "You know, They haven't noticed." He motions to the Bernie and the wolf, "So maybe it wont be so bad."

"...yeah, a'ight," Bernie agrees, nodding to Julie, "...whatcha need 'em for? Gonna assume, not dec'ratin' a ceilin'...." She grins, and then catches Rotem's comment, tilting her head to look over at him. "Noticed which?" she asks.

Rotem shakes his head at Bernie. "Nothing, forget it." Rotem looks back to Yi, still holding his left eye closed. "So what else?"

Three-Blades flicks her ears back into her fur, giving her fur a shake a second time. Combat training. For full moons. Have to get Junior or Banecruncher.

Julie shrugs. "For down inna sewers, for spreadin' li..." It wasn't the comment about noticing that brought her attention to Yi and Rotem. She had seen the injury when she came in, but had not said anything about it. "Whatchu mean, firsthand 'xperience with Shadowside?" Her eyes are narrowing as she says this.

Rotem nods softly. "Yeah, Junior will be cool. Maybe I can get bane to help too." Rotem smiles and writes down. "Fight Junior."

The closed eye, Bernie's absently noted, but so far, it hasn't registered as anything more than vaguely odd. She regards the other cub a moment, and shrugs, looking back to Julie until the Galliard's question directs her attention right back.

Three-Blades glances to Julie, then Bernie, then back to Rotem. Took him to the Shadow, is all she replies, letting the cub decide whether or not he wants to reveal it.

Rotem looks up to Yi, "Anything else?" He asks, putting the pen down.

Julie clenches her jaw, obviously not happy with the revelation. A growl, but that is all she responds with, before turning her attention back to Bernie. "We're gonna need t' use the mirrors t' spread light down inna sewers, t' help clear them up when we go down there."

Rotem turns to Julie, glaring. "What? What is wrong with my lights?"

Bernie decides this discussion doesn't need her input just yet, and pulls her notebook from her backpack, retrieving her pen from her pocket and scribbling down a few notes, most of her attention still on the room.

Julie eyes Rotem. "Ain't nothin' /wrong/ with them. Just gonna try extendin' their 'bilities, an', when we ain't down there, the mirrors'll be angled t' bring sunlight down there, too. Now git off yer frickin' high horse an' calm down! Geez!"

Three-Blades rumbles to Rotem. Add that to the list. Learn patience.

"An' that don' mean go down t' th' hospital an' mem'riza a floora names, either," Bernie pipes up distractedly, still writing something down in that little book of hers.

Julie gets up off the floor, but doesn't bother to brush herself off. "Anyway..." She looks back at Bernie, "I'm gonna be inna shack right in the alley 'round the corner. You can join me there, when yer done here, if'n you'd like."

Rotem sighs softly and looks to the paper, writing down "Patience." before looking to Bernie and Julie. "Julie. I'm sorry." Rotem sighs, "Want to hear a story?"

Bernie flashes a smile to Julie, and nods. "A'ight. I'll pop by in a li'l, then, yeah. Thanks."

Three-Blades chuffs a 'good' at Rotem for regaining his temper again quickly, and lays her head down on her forepaws before whuffing a 'bye' to Julie.

Julie nods to Bernie, and turns, starting for the door. She pauses when Rotem speaks up. "Hey, no prob. An', mebbe later. If'n it's 'bout yer eye, it'd better be good." She gives him a meaningful look, then heads out.

Rotem calls Bernie over towards him. "Come on, I'll fill ya in on a s-story."

Bernie makes a final note, and nods, pushing up from her pew and moving to drop into one just behind the other cub. "Cool beans..." She leans forward, crossing her arms on the back of the pew in front of her, and rests her chin on her crossed arms. Her eyes go all wide behind the the glasses, and she says in a babyish, slightly high-pitched voice, "Wotem, tell me a stowy..." Then grins.

Three-Blades lolls her tongue, and rolls onto her side with a yawn and a quiet whine. Class at recess. Now nap time.

Rotem snickers. "Okay, I aint no Galliard, but here goes..." Rotem smirks and glances to Yi. "Can I tell her?"

Three-Blades flicks her ear. It's your story, Flying-Wolf.

Bernie settles into listening-mode, waiting to hear the tale. Rotem's eye gets somewhat closer scrutiny, from this distance, but nothing terribly obvious.

Rotem lays back on the pew, closing his eyes and resting for a moment before speaking. "A cliath and a cub were out walking one day. In the shadow. They wandered a little too far from the Caern. Bambi's mother always warned her to stay away from the plains, well, it is good advice. They wandered towards a small town. Just talking, having a fun time, exploring.

"....huh," the raggie cub remarks, "I thought Bambi wassa 'he'. Somehow I'm doubtin' that's integral to th' plot, though...."

Rotem nods softly and shakes his head. "Anyway... This rat cam running to them, screetching, scared. What is a gnawer to do when a rat is in trouble?"

"Call Ghostbusters?" Bernie asks facetiously, doing her part to keep the story moving along.

Three-Blades would snicker, but at most just gives a wiggle of her tailtip hearing Bernie's comment.

Rotem nods "Kinda. So the cliath went to do what she had to, to keep the rat safe. In the meantime she left the cub to watch her back. Make sure nothing came on. All of a sudden, there was a hiddeous screetch!" he calls out, hoping to surprise Bernie with his voice. "A screetch from high above, out of nowhere."

Well, the other cub doesn't jump or anything, but he =does= earn a blink. "...I'm assumin' this partic'lar hideous Screech wasn't played by Dustin Diamond, yeah? What'd it turn out t' be?" she asks, shifting position in her seat a bit.

Three-Blades covers her muzzle with a paw.

Rotem doesn't move his head, eyes still closed, laying still, head hanging back. "Okay, my story. No editorial needed." He continues. "A giant owl, at least fiteen feet wide came flying into the sky. Without a single feather, its skin a hidious bright green!" Rotem edits the story to his liking, for effect. "And it had sharp t-talons, like razors, that could cut through steel, a beak that was like a knife, as it screetched out again. The poor cub was left alone in the field. As the owl approached. But h-he was not afraid. For this brave cub was special. He ran headlong towards the beast as it glided through the air slowly. But this cub was young. He lacked experiance. The owl surprised him. Before he knew what was happening, the owl dove down upon him, with the blinding speed of a bullet, slashing into his shoulders with furious force, almost ripping off his arms."

Bernie listens... almost exaggeratedly quietly... and quirks a brow slightly at the fearsome description of the antagonist. Not to mention the glowing description of the protagonist. But hey, the victor writes the history.

Three-Blades takes her paw off her muzzle and simply listens relaxedly. She eyes the cub as he spins his tale, and makes a mental note to tell him about gloryhounds.

Rotem continues. "But the cub was unphased. And the cliath could not help. She had to protect the rat." He pauses, "Then the cliath re appeared. She didn't know that the owl was n-now gunning for her. The heroic cub didn't let the owl get to her. He put his body between the two. He managed to dig his hands into the owl. The owl lifted him off into the air. Carrying him higher and higher. Until they could barely s-see the ground." Rotem smirks, "The cub tried to remove the owl's throat, he couldn't get a hold. The owl almost threw the cub down, but the talon latched in the cub's eye." Rotem turns his head and open's both eyes, only inches away from Bernie, his left eye is red and bloodied. She can almost see into the socket.

At that, Bernie =does= wince a bit, though it turns somewhat thoughtful as she regards it slightly more closely. "Sounds painful," she remarks neutrally.

Three-Blades scratches a little at her side, and rumbles enigmatically about her opinions so far.

Rotem nods sagely. "And it was, the cub frenzied. Ripping his way up along the owl ferociously. His claws pulling him up to the owl's back. He was riding it like a horse, as he ripped the owl to peices. The two of them fell. They fell and fell and fell. As if it would never end. The cliath tried to push them aside, to break the fall, but she missed. She only got the owl, and the cub hit the ground. Losing conciousness. But our heroic cub, battered and broken, had killed the evil hellspawn owl." Rotem smiles softly, "They tried to heal the cub, but it didn't work, and our cub had to learn, to learn to live with only one eye."

Bernie grins, and applauds lightly. "Good goin'. Much more dramatic'n =my= first Wyrm-fight, gotta say." She relaxes back in the pew, and looks at the eye again, opening her backpack and rummaging near the bottom of it a moment. The can of Guinness she eventually pulls out is a tad dented, and may have been there a while, but hey, it's prolly still good. She passes it to the other cub, remarking, "...careful when y' open that."

Rotem smiles and takes the can. "Thanks, sis." Rotem pops it open and quickly slurps up the overflow, then leans in to give Bernie a kiss on the cheek. "Ya know, you're not half bad to have in d'family." He smiles warmly to her and takes another sip of the beer.

Bernie looks a tad wary at the kiss, but shrugs, and grins. "I try. Take it th' whole lightin' project's goin' a'ight too, huh?" A pause, before she asks, "...eye gonna heal?"

Rotem shakes his head softly and sighs.

Three-Blades licks her muzzle tip as she yawns back awake and shakes her fur again. Scarred over, no healing can help it. But there are many in this sept who have some form of battle scar. She turns an ear curiously to Bernie. You were in a fight too? she queries with a rumble.

Bernie nods a little. "Guessin' that's 'bout th' eye, not th' lights. Yeah, mine neither, 's too bad. Woulda been a nice perk, y'know?" She drops that subject, then, and returns to, "...that onea your lights?" she a tip of her head toward the unit. "'s good lookin'. An' yeah," this to Yi now, "Kaz took on partoll with her in th' Umbra week or so 'go...."

Rotem nods softly at Bernie. "Yeah, thats one of 'em. You can try it out if you like."

Three-Blades narrows her eyes reflexively, wary about the lights and its power now. Another querying rumble, And neither you nor the galliard wanted to tell me about your first battle? She snorts, goodnaturedly.

A faint knock on the door announces the arrival of the Shadow Lord. He enters, looking around. He spied his roomate and smiles. "Hey you... how are you?"

Bernie laughs. "I'll tell ya, 'f y'wanna know. Much less epic. Prolly funnier, though..." She adjusts her seat on the pew, settling back from 'listening' position to 'storytelling' mode.

Three-Blades chuffs a hello to Jarred and licks her paws some. Her ears perk towards Bernie the next pseudo-talesinger.

Rotem turns, smilling to Jarred. "Heya roomie. I'm getting used t-to it."

Jarred nods. "Excellent. You do your tribe credit."

Rotem chuckles and waves Jarred over. "Come, sit with me."

Jarred obliges, sitting down near the cub and listening to Bernie's story.

"Nah, 'round here we're strictly cash," Bernie jokes, regarding the latest arrival curiously. "Hiya. Don' b'lieve we've met..." she greets him cheerfully. Her story waits on pause, 'til she knows to just whom she's telling it.

Rotem leans over, resting his head on Jarred's shoulder. He sighs and looks over at Bernie. "This is my friend. Jarred. You can trust him."

Jarred extends a hand. "Jarred Aerhardt. Cliath Galliard of the Shadow Lords."

Three-Blades licks her chops and simply resumes being the idol symbol of the First Assembly of Dog upon the dais.

Bernie accepts the hand, giving it a reasonably firm shake. "Bernie Rosenberg, Ragabash 'Gnawer cub. Niceta meetcha." A speculative glance slides from the Shadow Lord to the other cub as she retrieves her hand. "...anyway, Rototiller jus' told me 'bout his first big Umbral t'do, an' I was 'bout t' return th' favour..."

Jarred smiles. "Ah... well, do continue. I enjoy listening for a change."

Rotem jabs Jarred in the ribs. "You saying I talk too much?"

Jarred looks over with a grin. "You saying you don't?"

Three-Blades is enjoying the storytelling. For once, she doesn't have to really participate.

Bernie draws her legs up indian style in the pew, and stretches slightly before relaxing casually against the rear of it, one arm half-draped across the top. "A'ight," she begins, grinning a little at the banter, "so. Back a week'r so 'go, it's like freakin' four a.m., an' there's this knock on th' doora th' Dec'dence. So I get up an' see who it is, an' it's Kaz, an' she's all, rise an' shine an' give Gaia th' glory, glory! We're gonna go patrol th' Umbra. An' I'm like, half-'sleep still, 'course, but I get inta th' proper clothes an' go 'long, 'cause hey, she asked. An' th' only thing I ever got up that early for's Saturday mornin' cartoons, an' =they= were always fun, right?"

Rotem smirks, but doesn't lift his head from Jarred's shoulder. "If anyone loses an eye, I don't want t-to hear the story."

Three-Blades eyes Rotem some as the cub lays his head on the Shadow Lord's shoulder, but shrugs it off and continues listening to Bernie. Combat the Wyrm whenever it breeds, eh? She whuffs a laugh.

"Nah," the female cub replies, "I c'n safely guarantee you th' safetya all th' protagonists' eyes. An' yeah, Yi, even when it hasn't got th' common courtesy t' do it jus' after prime time..." She grins at the other Raggie,a nd continues, "So, she takes me over t' th' Ri, an' we pop across t't h' other side. An' it turns out, th' Ri itself, it's not half bad over there. Anyway, so we go headin' out inta th' city proper, patrollin'. Everythin's lookin' a'ight for a while, y'know? Pretty Weavery, yeah, but not so mucha th' Wyrm. We stop for a li'l an' help these two raccoon spirits get mosta th' Weaver webbin' off their buildin', an' warnin' if y'ever do that, Rotational Velocity, that shit's sharp. Or can be. Somea it jus' clings t' ya, an' y'can't tell which... so anyway we clear away a lot, an' we're all, y'know, satisfied with a job well done, an' then Shadow Claws, he's gone t' scout ahead, an' he comes back, and tells Kaz, check it, I found this Wyrmy thing. So she an' I sneak over an' peek 'round th' corner t' see what he's found."

Three-Blades perks her ears with some interest with the mention of the rat totem. Curiosity sets in.

The younger Ragabash leans forward a little, voice soft. "....so, we creep over, right? An' we take a look, an' there's this.... thing. It's like, this =puddle= of purple ooze, y'know? Like someone spilled th' industrial size cana grape jelly there, y'know? An' it's got these green fronds comin' outta it, like it's got ferns growin' in it or somethin'. Doesn' look too tough. Sittin' there likea lumpa goo. So Kaz pulls me over a ways, an' we're both in Crinos, by th' way, so talkin' soft's kina funny as it is, an' gives me some warnin's 'bout it. She says, yeah, that's Wyrmy a'ight, an' y'gotta watchout -- it'll grow pseudopods when y'don't 'spect it, an' it's faster'n y'think, an' those fronds, it'll try t' spear ya with 'em so it c'n eat ya, an' duh, thassa Bad Thing. So what we're gonna do it, we're gonna attack from three diff'rent sides, when she gives th' signal. So, we get back inta our places, an' she signals, an' RAR! we all dive inta th' attack."

Three-Blades lolls her tongue. Ears is right to warn. The Wyrm has a 'thing' for growing limbs out of slime. Somehow, this disturbs the no-moon to no avail.

Bernie continues, starting to grin again. "So Kaz dives for onea th' fronds, an' I do too, 'cause we figure, rip those off, it's gonna have a bitcha a time fightin' back, yeah? An' meanwhile, Shadow Claws rips inta th' thing's side, an' a few slashes an' three fewer fronds later, th' thing's squealin' like a pig an' wavin' th' remainin' fronds at us. Kaz rips another one off, an' I'm about t' go for another, when BAM! The thing makes onea those pseudopods, behind me, an' I don't see it in time, so I go flyin' up inta th' air an' right back down in th' middlea th' Big Icky. Another onea 'em punches Kaz in th' stomach, but 'course that doesn' slow her down too much. She starts hackin' off th' one attackin' her, Shadow Claws keeps doin' what he's doin', an' I figure, hell, I'm in th' centera this thing, prolly a decent place t' attack it, yeah? So I start rakin' it with all four paws, an' onea my hind paws catches a frond. Thing gets pissed off, strikes like a rattlesnake, an' suddenly there's this frond-tip halfway through my thigh, tryin' t' disgest me...."

Three-Blades lifts her lips back in a quiet snarl. That had to hurt.

Rotem shrugs for a moment, "Be thankful. You could'a had it in your eyes."

Bernie laughs out loud, head tilting back some. "Oh, FUCK yeah," she replies to Three-Blades, ignoring Rotem's whine completely, and continues grinning as she relates the next part, "an' not only that, but th' saliva or whatever it put inta me through that frond, it was fuckin' with my mind, slowin' down my thinkin' an' all, so I'm workin' mostly on, y'know, instinct now, an' I whip 'round an' start hackin' th' damn frond at the base, an' then when it's almost cut through, yank that bad boy right off, an' outta my leg, an' don't think THAT didn't hurt, either. So I'm all pissed off, an'," she snickers, apparently laughing at herself, "I start =beatin'= th' thing with its own frond, I'm all," she illustrates, beating the pew with an invisible club, "Motherfuckin' bastard sonuvaBITCH!" She shakes her head, grinning at herself, "...'course, =then= my brain kicked back inta gear an' I realised that was c'thartic, but not real effective, so I went back t' givin' it some good rakes. 'bout then, what with Kaz an' Shadow Claws still fightin' it, th' thing practic'ly explodes in a furya mess an' goo, coverin' us in white blood-kinda-stuff. Boom. Dead bad guy. Fatality! But, y'know. With fronds like those, who needs enemies?" She grins terribly broadly -- and a tad proudly -- again, and leans back in the pew. "The freakin' end."

Jarred facepalms at the pun.

Three-Blades barks approval of the monster's destruction, even if the pun doesn't come across as bad to her. Not bad at all, for a half-awake no-moon.

Jarred looks up, at length, smiling. "Well told, Bernie. I'll forgive the pun if you'll forgive me having to leave all of a sudden. Been a great pleasure listening to you."

Bernie sweeps a little seated version of a bow at Yi, and turns the grin on Jarred. "Thanks. Glad y' 'prove...niceta meetcha, even if I was kina monopolizin' th' conversation."

Jarred nods, smiling, and stands. "Rotem, I'm gonna head home. You gonna be there, later, or will you stay here?"

Three-Blades chuffs a goodbye to Jarred, still lazing on the dais. I could get used to this.

Rotem nods softly to Jarred. "I'll be home later. Don't worry, I don't wanna go to bed alone again. I'm still a little freaked out about.. you know."

Jarred nods. "I'll leave the door unlocked, then. I still haven't had the chance to get a separate key made yet."

Rotem nods softly. "I could just break in the door again, if it saves time." Rotem smirks and nods. "I'm gonna go look for Big Dog. I need to talk to him. Then I'll b-be home."

Three-Blades wiggles over the edge of the dais partly, an ear turned to the conversation and the other splayed comically to the other side of her head.

One of Bernie's eyebrows arches ever so slightly at the conversation, but she doesn't comment, one hand moving up to play lightly with the chain about her neck. She does glance to Three-Blades, though, with the slightest tilt of her head.

With that, the Galliard stands and makes his way out of the church, pausing to wave one last time at those inside.

Rotem looks back over to Three Blades and Bernie. "Well, anyway, so..." He pauses, "Where is Elan-Rhya? I figure he should know about this."

Three-Blades thumps her tail a little idly. Home is where your rump rests. Seems like someone has been trying to catch up with movies. To Rotem's question, she rumbles. Have no idea. And being a crescent, well, they're just mysterious like that.

Rotem sighs softly. "Okay then. I guess that means we do this the old fationed way. If you see him, tell him to come talk to me. And do me a favor, don't tell him about the eye."

"Say please," Bernie replies mildly, but nods, closing a hand around her key, and then releasing the necklace completely.

Three-Blades licks the side of her jaw and yawns. Why would I do that? He'll find out sooner or later. We need those lights set up tomorrow too, if that is what you are asking of Big Dog.

Rotem shakes his head. "No, I just want to be the one to tell him. That is why I want to talk to him." Rotem pauses and looks to Yi, "So, should I bring all the lights here, and take them with us tomorrow?"

Three-Blades tilts an ear at Bernie, but replies to the ahroun. Yes. We'll take them to the Rialto instead, I am thinking. I'll ask Hope-Star-rhya when I see her before the rite.

Rotem shakes his head. "I gotta know now. I'll have to start moving them. I can only carry four at a time."

Three-Blades rumbles, Then bring them here. There will be more to carry them tomorrow. And any mirrors you might find.

Rotem nods for a moment. "Okay. Will do. Later tonight I'll get moving them."

Bernie pushes up from her seat, and stretches, picking her backpack back up and swinging it back in place, with a slight yawn, which she attempts to stifle.

Rotem looks to Yi, rubbing his scarred eye softly. "It itches."

Three-Blades glances over at the ahroun, and flicks her ears. Nothing I can do about it. Shifting might help. Then, she decides to finally get off the dais and travel over to the array and have some more looks at it.

Rotem watches Yi with a grin, "You know, no matter how much you look at it, it won't change." He smirks and shifts to crinos, standing up so as not to break the pew

Junior slips inside the church, glancing around.

Three-Blades tilts her head up at the ahroun, and her gaze queries why he shifted to the warform.

Bernie runs a hand through her curls. "Mmph. Well, I'm thinkin' I might head out an' try an' work on a few things, 'bout now..." She pauses as the doors open, and flashes a grin at Junior. "Hey," she greets him, "'sup? Haven't seen you in a while."

FlyingWolf's only reply, ~It still itches~ he says and shifts back down to glabro.

Rotem glances over at Junior with a sigh. "Come on over Junior. We got to talk." Rotem shakes his head and moves over towards the basement. "I got some bad news."

Three-Blades rears up onto a pew and gazes to Junior. She whuffs a hello, before trotting over towards Bernie with a slight question settling on her head.

Junior shrugs, smiling at Bernie. "Been around..." He arches an eyebrow at Rotem, and starts towards him. "What's up?"

Junior nods to Three-Blades, smiling.

Rotem moves off to the basement without replying.

Bernie huhs, and leans down, scritching the cliath again. The question registers, but not the meaning. "'sup?" she queries, curious.

Three-Blades twitches her ears and sniffs. Noticed you were a little nervous. Our valiant halfmoon finally gone to speak about balancing the world tonight, no? She tilts her head some so Bernie scritches an itchy spot. In a satisfied rumble, she continues. I haven't gotten a chance to see the den of our generous food provider. Did he not have one?

Bernie nods, "...not yet. After work, yeah. Rite starts t'day. Dunno if it's directly, or..." She pauses, and checks a broken-banded watch in her backpack, "...if not, he prolly jus' got home... an' I'll show it t' ya, sure. Max's prolly gonna paint it."

Three-Blades looks humored. ~Pink?~ asks the cliath with a twitch of her tail.

Bernie snickers. "Don't think so. Dunno what yet. He pretty much said, s'prise me... so we'll see I s'pose."

Three-Blades whimpers but in a mock-ohno sort of way. Hope he likes it, answers Yi with a short whuffle. So where is this really cool flat?

"Oh, 's right over by..." The cub pauses, and grins, shaking her head. "Y'wanna =see=? I'm goin' there anyhow, you could pop in..."

Three-Blades whurfs an enthusiastic affirmative. I would! She blinks, and then backs off to shift to a more presentable form for walking out in the city.

Bernie waits, then opens the doors and heads out, once Yi's back to her appropriate self. "C'mon," she calls back, "'s not far."

Yi smiles and combs her hair with her fingers as she follows Bernie on out.

[Bohemian Decadence]

"Tada!" Bernie exclaims, pushing the door open as she straightens up form unlocking it with the key about her neck, and steps inside, holding the door for the Cliath as she looks around for signs of the Matt.

Yi thanks Bernie and steps one pace inside. She briefly looks down, then back up to the cub. "Should I take my shoes off?" Feel that culture. Her eyes scan the insides for signs of the wild Mattalope as well.

Bernie shakes her head, "Only 'f ya wanna. Or they're trackin' dirt. Otherwise, they c'n stay..." She glances at her own boots, and leaves them on for now as she relocks the door. "Hey," she calls, though it isn't as if there were many places the Fianna could be hiding, "Matt? You 'bout?"

Yi considers her shoes, then decides it's probably best to leave them on. "Maybe I should howl like I do up near the bluffs," she chuckles, also casting around. The lime-green couch and its wildly lemon pillows grab her attention first.

Bernie glances into the kitchen, and pauses as she removes a piece of paper from beneath a magnet on the fridge door. Her eyes sweep quickly across the writing before she folds it very carefully and slides it into the inner pocket of her jacket, the one she never seems to use. "No point," she replies, a bit softer, "Missed 'im. 's gone already." She bites her lower lip for the briefest of moments, then asks, brighter, though a touch thinly, "So! Y'want somethin' t' drink, or eat? I guess I'll be th' one t' show you 'round..."

Yi curiously gazes around, and glances back to the cub after a short eyeballing of the main room. "I'm good for now," Yi smiles back. "He's going to be ok, Bernie. I told him to hurry back and call me -yuf." The quirk of her lip is more warm than wry. "So! I would indeed, enjoy an open tour of this marvelous flat."

Bernie nods, but pulls a Guinness down from the top of the fridge for herself, even if Yi declines. Popping it open, she takes a sip, and gestures to her immediate surroundings. "Well," she begins, "...th' kitchen..."

Yi mms softly, appreciating the living space. "Cozy," she remarks. Not that she has any eye for interior decorating or anything.

"Innit great?" Bernie replies with a sudden burst of enthusiasm and admiration of the place, and steps back into the living room. "...Livin' room, 'course... we only kinda got it furnished so far, but that's th' couch I was tryin' t' grab ya for that one day... I found th' pillows..."

Yi nods as she looks towards the couch. "Looks comfy," she adds. "Yellow does go with the green rather nicely."

Bernie pulls open the closet door, revealing.... lots of wire hangers. "Coat closet," she declares, with a Vanna White flourish, and tries to close it again. "Dammit. I gotta r'member t' fix that." Next, she steps over to the bathroom, pushing the door open. "Bathroom," she announces, similarly. It's quite neat and clean, if utilitarian.

Yi nods and mms appreciatively as the tour pans out. Her head pokes towards the bedroom.

The next stop on the tour is the smaller, rather grim looking bedroom, utterly empty. Not the slightest sign of life in there. "One room," Bernie says, then steps over to the other bedroom, a little larger and lighter, with its dresser, nest of blankets and pillows in the middle of the floor, and bags in the closet. It almost gives the impression of people squatting there, rather than owning the place. "...two room. An' that concludes our tour." She grins, glancing upward, "...I'm gonna paint th' ceiling like th' night sky..."

Yi tilts her head at the empty bedroom. "Don't have a bed hm," she notes at the nest of blankets. Still, looks kind of comfy. "Maybe you could take a photo of what it looks like out at the caern and then paint it like that," she adds thoughtfully, glancing up. Her eyes turn to the newmoon cub. "He planning on buying a bed?"

Bernie grins a little, rather fondly, actually. "...well. He keeps =sayin'= he's plannin' on buyin' one... I dunno, I think it might be like th' existence of Megan. Rumored, but never proven..." She regards the ceiling again, "...gonna take it from star charts, act'ly. Much easier'n tryin' t' see 'em all on a photo. Though, not a bad idea, for relative brightness an' all..." She trails off, thoughtful again.

Yi muses as well, though not looking up at the ceiling rather. "You know, I still owe him for the doors," she notes quietly. "Think a bed might cover it?"

"Um," Bernie replies, startled, looking down from the ceiling to Yi, "...yeah. 'f y' do, c'n I help, though?"

Yi turns to Bernie. "I hope you do," she replies with a slight quirk of her lip. "Wouldn't be much of a bed if I couldn't pick one out to match the couch. Or get the mattress through the door. Or other things of those matters." She makes a slight circular motion of her hand to serve as an all-encompassing kind of statement.

Bernie laughs. "Yeah, I c'n just see 'im comin' home t' a mattress blockin' th' front way..." She stretches a little, and sips her beer. "So, cool, then. Jus' lemme know when y'wanna do it, a'ight?"

Yi gives the cub a gracious bow. "But of course," she grins. "I need your opinion on how big a bed, though." She straightens up and casts around the room for size estimations.

Bernie eyes the room as well. "....Queen," she decides after a bit. "That'll fit. King might be a bit of a squeeze, y'know? An' then th' dresser might not fit. So, yeah."

Yi gives the room another once over. "Sounds good," she remarks before turning to Bernie. "He'll have a nice housewarming gift to come back and flop on." Her eyes almost signify some gears turning.

Bernie sips her beer, and grins, leaning against the door jamb. "He'll be suitably s'prised, 'm sure. Prolly try an' get it all painted 'fore he gets back, too..." She trails off, taking another sip, smile dimming a bit. "...so... how long do Rites us'ly take, anyhow? Like, on av'rage..." she asks, with not completely convincing casualness.

Yi leans against the other side of the door, more on the wall. "Depends," she can only answer in honesty. "My Rite took a little less than two weeks. But we... my ritemates and I, were drugged, dumped in the middle of Shanghai, and told to get back to the sept before half a month passed. And to bring lots of gifts for our elders to prove we had actually done it." She looks nostalgic for a little while. "So we took awhile to work up the trust of a captain on a fishing boat, and then took the boat back down to Hong Kong. Grandmother appreciated the new living space. Was getting a little crowded in the city." She rubs her neck. "I'm not sure how the Fianna do it... unfortunately. I didn't even see a Fianna until I came here." Her eyes trail up to Bernie's. "But I don't think it should go for more than a month at most. That's a long trial to go through. But look at Nevada and Max's rite. They were in and out in a short while."

Bernie nods a little, running a hand through her hair. "...yeah... no one even tol' me they were gone 'til they got back..." She doesn't look very happy at the prospect of as much as another month... "...I gotta ask Max what they did, anyhow. Triedta ask Chia, an' he jus' said he hadda go. How long =was= theirs, anyhow?"

Yi scratches her head. "To be honest, I don't know. I haven't really asked either of them either. Haven't pinned them down what with all the sewers and packs and cubs... to deal with," she replies, chewing on the inside of her lip a little. "We'll have to corner one of them and get the story."

"Well," Bernie remarks, considering. "s'pose we could go see 'f Max's in, in a bit, an' if she'd let us in on it..." Suddenly, she grins, braodly. "Speakin' of lettin' people in on things...." She pads over ot the couch, and picks up a very carefully folded sheet of newspaper, arranged to frame a single article. This, she hands to Yi, and then leans back against the wall, grinning proudly.

Yi takes the newspaper curiously and sets about reading. She's a bit slow for it, given it's not exactly her first language. But, she looks at the crop circles, and arches an eyebrow. "This is... " she glances up at Bernie. "Some artwork of yours?" A small quirk of her lips turns up on one side, accompanied by a knowing glint. "It starts, eh?"

Bernie curtseys, almost flamboyantly, still grinning. "Matt helped," she replies, credit where credit's due. "I figured, I got given a job, might as well start with a bang... so, first move. Came out pretty kickass, di'n' it?" She admires the aerial photo, upside down from where she stands.

Yi holds it out in front of her, tilting the picture some to either side. "Very... " she tries to think of the word. "Geometric?" A soft laugh escapes from the cliath. "It's a nice job. I'm surprised you can make perfect circles like that. Though the man who was planting his wheat must be sitting out there and waiting for you guys to go back."

Bernie snickers a little. "Yeah, well, these partic'lar 'hippie kids' ain't quite that mucha 'damn fools'." She shrugs, "...I checked t' make sure he had plennya other shit t' fall back on first. Didn' wanna fuck up some poor farmer's life or anythin'. He's got other fields. An' neat, innit? Y'use rope an' three foot two by fours..." A pause, as she takes another drink. "...not plannin' on a repeat, anyhow. Gotta move on t' further signs an' portents. 'f I do another, it'll be nowhere near there..."

Yi tilts her head as she admires the two cubs' handiwork some more. "What else did you have in mind?" She lowers the newspaper and hands it back to Bernie almost with reverence. "Think it's ok for me to have a drink?" she finally asks. Before it was out of guestly manner she refused, though the drinking cub was making her a little parched.

Bernie returns the article carefully back atop the books on the couch. One might almost get the impression that sucker's getting framed. "Sure," she replies, 's why I offered. Whatcha want?" She heads fridgeward, opening it to reveal the options not already visible.

Yi shrugs. "Something that will take the edge off the moon I guess," she replies softly.

Bernie nods sagely and pulls a Guinness down from atop the fridge for the other no-moon as well. "A'ight, then." She passes it over, and heads to the couch, carefully moving the books over to make room for both of them to sit, if Yi cares to join here.

Yi accepts the offering of the seat and manually cracks open the Guinness. She's quiet for now, as she takes a long swig of the alcohol and waits for it to settle.

The books alone should give a hint as to the pranks and distractions to come... volume after volume on the supernatural, hoaxes, mass hysteria... Bernie piles them neatly, the article sandwiched between two to keep it flat, and gets comfy on the couch.

Yi sips the Guinness the second time it is lifted to her lips. She sighs softly, glancing over the books and slowly reading the titles on them. "What sort of thing are you planning next, for our odd encounters of the unknown kind seekers?"

"Haven't quite decided," Bernie replies, musingly, as she takes another drink herself. "...thinkin', a cryin' Virgin Mary or a bleedin' Jesus at onea th' churches'd be pretty cool, once I figure out how t' do it... pondering tryin' t' get Chia t' help me rig up an Elvis sightin'..."

Yi cracks a smile as she drinks. "Elvis might not be too hard. Might need a wig or some hairdye," she murmurs. "Excluding our church, 'course." The Canto-Gnawer glances up towards the ceiling, and goes back to studying the room. "Should come by Nev and my place sometime, na? Not as clean, but... it's the Place."

Bernie grins, "Yeah, I'd like t' see it some time... an' Chia's kina =thin= for Elvis, but he's sure got th' Presence...." She says it with a capital P. "...AN' 'course not =our= church. Cathedral, or somethin'..."

Yi once lets the Guinness sit for a little in her mouth to get the taste of it before swallowing. She nods slowly, with a small smack of her lips. "Nevada has the Charm," she says softly. "Hey, is there anything I should work on with you? Anything you need clearing up?" She turns her gaze and tilts her head to Bernie. "Your rite is also coming up pretty fast, I think."

"...So I hear," Bernie replies softly, taking another swallow form her can. "...be kina funny, 'f I go b'fore Matt gets back, I guess. 'spec'ly if I =finished= first. He comes back, all, 'Hey, I'm a Cliath!' an' I'm all, 'Woo, 'gratz! Me too!' Heh." She grins briefly. "...I dunno what else I need t' know. Any ideas?"

Yi takes a long finishing drink from the can before she lets go for air, exhaling in a heavy sigh. "Let's see. Litany, check, check, triplecheck. I'm sure you know that one like the gift to pop open pants buttons." She grins wryly at Bernie. "Got the tribes and the moons, our moon in particular. Think you've seen what the Umbra can be like, and fought with one of the nasty things that the Wyrm can cook up." She glances at Bernie. "Got the gift of the Golden Tones, and the Open Fly. Get the tribe secret when you pass the test. Guess all that's left would be... some lupus training maybe. Nevada had you covered for missions of stealth, na..."

Bernie giggles, and nods, draining the last of her own as well. "Yeah, I could maybe do with s'more lupus trainin'... s'more fightin' in gen'ral... an' I don' think anyone's =finished= th' tribes lecture with me, yet, come th' thinka it..."

"Oh? Hm," Yi crunches the can in her hand around the edges thoughtfully. "Have Gnawers, Walkers, Lords, Get, Fangs, Fianna, Talons, Gazers, Striders, Wendigo, Uktena, Furies, and the Children of Gaia. Which ones do you not know about?" She inquires with a raised brow, and maybe a hint of relief in her eyes. Not so much that she has some form of conversation topic, but that teaching Bernie is less tiring.

Bernie considers the list. "Y'know?" she decides, after a moment, "'f y' don't mind, I'd kinda like t' get your take on alla 'em, even th' ones I've heard. Even us. 's good t' have a buncha pointsa view, y'know?"

"Alright," Yi shifts a bit in her spot on the couch, carefully taking off her shoes before sitting crosslegged and sideways to face Bernie. "We'll start off with... the Talons. All wolves, I keep hearing. And they don't like us very much. I met one of them, a short while ago. Went to their burial rite for one of their own that passed on. Her name I remember, was Brightening Sky. I guess they like to keep things really simple, the Talons. There's not many of them left, and while they keep fighting, they want to just live it out, you know? But all of us, as in humans, aren't making it very easy on them, I think. They're against tall odds in their gambling game."

Bernie nods a little, removing the piles of books completely and settling back to curl up in the corner of the couch, playing idly with her necklace as she listens.

"Then the Stargazers. My Sifu... my teacher, he's a Stargazer. Taught me how to fight, how to control my shifting, and all these wise things about balance." She smiles a bit in memory. "He's a halfmoon, like Matt. The Gazers... they like looking at things in a different way a lot. Not like new-moons, but in a detached kind of sense I guess." She shrugs. "Though it's kind of funny since I've only met a few of them, never for very long. Some of them could talk your ear off if you asked them something funny. Others, just stare at you for a moment, and let you figure it out yourself. But those are the extremes."

Bernie grins. "Whasisname that challenged Signe at th' moot... he's a 'Gazer, yeah?"

"Rides-the-Wave-of-Fire, if I remember right," Yi nods. "Kinda surprised him too, telling him I was trying to learn from the Wendigo about the wild. He's a wolf-born too. Little more or less tolerant of our twolegged kind," she grins. "What's next?"

Bernie hrms. "We got eleven t' go, right? Wendigo seem reas'nable t' do next, since y'just mentioned 'em... 's like Joseph, yeah?"

Yi smiles at the mention of her packmate. "Joseph Soulcatcher's the elder of their tribe. Leonard Little Bear's in my pack too. Haven't seen much of Squall lately..." she blinks a couple of moments. "Well, Wendigo are the Indians..eh, Native Americans. They were here before the Europeans came. And they're a really interesting, though kinna bitter tribe. Little Bear can be sour about it, and anything he feels like needs protecting, he'll defend it by claw and fang. But they're a really nice bunch, once you get to know them. Not really understanding of the city, some of them." She scratches a spot on her hand. "Duane Flamecaller, he's one of the Uktena. Uktena are like the Wendigo, Native Americans. Except the Uktena are a little more secretive." She shrugs at this. "Duane's a great guy, born and raised from the city. Still getting to know him, but we'll bond stronger soon enough."

Bernie nods again, and shifts position a little. There's a very, very brief wistful look toward the door as she moves. "...'s cool. I won'er where Squall ran off to? He was kina fun... so, a'ight. Wendigo, Uktena, check."

Yi leans back a little on the couch arm behind her. "So.. Black Furies. Mostly women... and they really have some strong pride in their heritage. Met Helen right? I met a few others, Tecmessa, Agatha, Mist-Walker, Siegebreaker... Guess you'd have more information if you asked Alicia. They follow a totem spirit called Pegasus, and really look out for us of the female gendered." She chuckles. "On the other hand, I get the feeling, they don't like the Get very much. But maybe that's 'cause Owen and some of the others are a little .. brash. Get of Fenris are proud that they can fight. I'd be proud too, though they're a little too eager for bloodshed and brawling sometimes to my liking."

Bernie nods a little, wrinkling her nose. "Noticed. They pretty much all seem kina eager t' hit things. But that's a'ight, they c'n stand in fronta =me= when Wyrm things come at us..." She grins, joking... mostly. "An' I met several Furies. Helen, yeah, an' Tecmessa who put me in chargea th' distractions, an' Leda who okayed it..."

Yi mms quietly, with a slow *crunch* of the can. "Have the Fianna down I'm sure," she grins at Bernie. "But if you want my point of view on them... the ones I've seen so far are alright. Steven's a bit scary, but don't judge a book by its cover I suppose. After all he didn't go frenzying on Sepdet when she set him on fire..." The twinkle in her eye shows the shared mirth of being eyewitness. "And Cameron I haven't seen too much. But he's alright. Should get to know him some more I guess. Matt too. I think I'm beginning to understand -some- of what he says." She widens her eyes in a sort of oh-no! and then laughs with a small wave of the dented can. "And Alicia's the Children of Gaia. She told me before, they were the tribe that was trying to unify the tribes again, and heal the rifts from our .. well, violent paths."

Bernie giggles, glancing down at the empty can in her hands. "Yeah, Steven's kina a prick, but 'least he did take Sepdet's li'l burn a'ight, consid'rin'... an' Cam, Cam's pretty cool, def'nitely..." She doesn't even bother starting on Matt, except, "...an' mosta what Matt says'll start makin' sense t'ya after a while, 'f y'listen. Honest." She sighs lightly and shifts, moving her legs to get the blood flowing. "Unifyin' tribes sounds good..."

"Might be a step towards figuring out how to keep this world from coming apart... tying the knots at the seams," Yi nods. "Hm.. Sepdet and Allie are Silent Striders. They came from Africa, have jackal blood in them. They really like to wander... or rather, 'go Striding'. Travel the world, see the sights, and deliver news to places like words on the wind. They run. Fast." She chuckles, remembering how swiftly Sepdet could run. *crunch* "Silver Fangs and Shadow Lords, they have problems I guess. You've heard Rotem's view about it... and honestly I don't know which side is to blame if any. The Fangs are from Europe, the UK I think. Line of Kings. Met a few of them, touristing around Hong Kong. And met a few here, though I didn't really get to know them." She clears her throat a little. "Shadow Lords though, I've met. A lot. And some are really ... bad." She looks down at her crunched can. "Some of them don't know when to quit trying to grab for power. Others, sit quietly and brood about it, and strike like snakes. I've fought them before. They're not really a fun bunch over in Hong Kong, but least they usually leave us alone and go for the Walkers because the territory they have is more profitable." She sighs softly. "But Jarred, he's ok with me. I trust him enough, though he's got some sore spots with other Garou in this sept I'm sure."

Another nod, and a slightly uncomfortable expression. "....yeah... he seemed... nice 'nough, I guess...." Bernie shakes her head slightly, and sets the can aside, fiddling with her necklace. None of her business. Nope. "Met a couple Fangs, briefly. All also seemed nice 'nough. So, hey."

"Yeah... so. That leaves us with the Walkers, and us." She repositions the can in her lap and taps on it thoughtfully. "Walkers, they're mostly a good bunch. More interested in finding their ways to live in the city, but a few of them do keep the green. There's a big park in Hong Kong, like a really big Harbor Park. Most of it is under Walker control, some of it's Shadow Lords. But they take care of what they can for Gaia." She pauses a bit. "Even if it has to be in a bubble." Then she slumps back against the couch arm. "And there's us. We're everywhere, and so far that I've seen, can adapt to be anywhere. But we're still cityside. Grandmother told me tales of Bone Gnawers, who lived in the countryside and farmed. They weren't rich, but they had ways of finding food. Rat taught them how, in exchange for some rice." She smiles a bit. "So we survive. Giving ourselves in the ways we can, and receiving the hope to go on and have some meaning to our lives."

Bernie nods again, slow and thoughtful. "Got it," she says, after a little. "Thanks, Yi. 's nice t' have someone make it all th' way through that, y'know? 's frustratin' when you're midlesson, an' someone's gotta take off. I mean, can't be helped, I know, but still. So, cool. Thanks."

There is a muffled jangle of keys outside, and the first deadbolt slides open with a 'thunk.' A pause, then the second.

Yi grins and looks down at the crushed can. "Oops..." Then the key jangle makes her sharply sit up.

Bernie blinks, sitting up sharply as well, eyes widening, and glances to the door. She stands, head tilting a bit, and heads toward it. Who else would have keys? But...

Very slowly, the last locks are undone. A very disheveled Matt pushes the door open and all but falls into the room. His hair is mussed, with small twigs and bits of leaves in it, and his face is painted with woad--the glyph for philodox on one cheek, for Fianna on the other. His left hand is bound across the palm with a bloody cloth. Otherwise, he seems intact, if a bit dazed.

Yi eeps almost inaudibly before getting up and slipping her shoes back on to help Bernie with a disheveled halfmoon.

Bernie doesn't seem to need much help, at least not yet. "Matt!" she exclaims joyfully, catching him up in a huge hug before the door can ever think about being closed. "You're back!" Um. Duh. But anyway. She releases him enough so he can actually get inside, and closes the door again. "That was fast! Are you all right? What happened? How'd it go?" She reaches up and plucks a few bits of the detritus out of his hair.

"Oof!" Matt blinks a little at the hug, and when released, begins shuffling toward the couch. "Fast? What day is it?" He asks.

Yi blinks some. "Thursday, if it's past midnight already," Yi replies. She moves out of the way so the Fianna can lie down or something, stooping to snatch up the leaves and twigs littering the floor.

"Thursday," Bernie agrees, glancing over at the clock on the oven, "...one-twenny-seven a.m." Since Matt seems to be shuffling couchward just find by himself, she takes the couple steps to the fridge and snags another can of Guinness, moving to meet the Fiana at the sofa and hand the drink over. Well, he looks thirsty.

Matt slumps down onto the sofa and frowns at the beer before handing it back. "Water? Please?" He looks up at Yi. "But which fursday? Whot's th date?"

Yi looks at Bernie. Water? Fianna? She shrugs, and thinks some more. "Uhm... March 22nd, year of the Serpent. 2001." She eyes Matt some, particularly the hand.

Bernie eyes Matt also, arching a brow. "A'ight," she replies, keeping her tone light, "Water it is, but you sure 's hell better not be onea those pod people..." She steps back into the kitchen and sets the can back where she got it, before pulling down a glass and filling it from a two-liter Coke bottle of water from the fridge. On second thought, she reclaims the can of Guinness, and brings it back with her. Someone might end up needing it, at this rate. It sits on the floor as she drops onto the cushions beside the philodox, and hands him the glass of water. The concern is more evident in her voice as she asks, again, "...y' a'ight?"

Matt takes the water with a grateful nod, and drains it with out pause. "I did...a lot...of running." He gasps, recovering his breath.

Yi furrows her brow a bit at Matt. "Well...where'd you run off to?" she queries, not caring for the pseudo-pun as she sits down on the hard floor beside Bernie.

Bernie pushes back up from the couch, disappearing back into the kitchen and returning with the whole chilled bottle of water, which she hands to Matt as she reclaims the seat beside him. A glance to Yi, and she scoots close to him, making room for the other Gnawer and offering it with a wave of her hand.

Matt takes the offered bottle, ignoring the glass henceforth. He drinks from the bottle in silence for a moment, and after about half of it is gone, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and returns the bottle to Bernie, whom he presumes has the cap. "Near as Oi can figure, Three Blades, Oi ran to Ireland."

Yi scoots in some more, peering at the Fianna curiously. Not that she has any conception of how far Ireland would be... "What for?" comes her simple question.

"That's... a long trip," Bernie remarks, taken aback, as she loosely recaps the bottle and plants it between the sofa cushions, "..anna neat trick, too, Walks-On-Water..." She grins fleetingly, then moves to get a little more comfortable, "...yeah. What for?"

"Y'know what a Hart is, right? A White Hart?" He isn't positive they do, so he asks.

Yi shakes her head in a negative. "Heart?" she points towards her chest just a little above her left side.

"Hart," Bernie sort-of corrects, being less than utterly sure she's right, "...it's like... a stag, right?"

Matt nods. "Only legendary. Arthur hunted it. Oi chased it. In the Umbra. It led me to a place Echen-rhya called the 'Legendary Realm.'" He swallows, remembering /that/ part. "Now Oi understand why."

Yi imagines a white deer. Well, not too tough. Take one Bambi, grow him up, add a more realistic touch and less-WyrmDisney demeanor. "Did you catch it?" Seems Yi's down to a few words to make her sentences. She's just surprised Matt's back this fast.

"An' wha's th' Legendary Realm?" Bernie chimes in.

Matt shakes his head. "No, Three-Blades. Oi didn't catch it. Oi doan't fink mortals can. Oi just chased it. An' it led me, well...Oi wasn't =me= exactly." He seems embarrassed, knowing his explanation is somehow inadequate to the task. "An ancestor maybe. Seamus Mac Erca. He had called two septs togevver that were about ta set about readin' each ovver ta death. Oi stepped into him about the time they arrived."

Yi tries to sort this sort of thing out, but not knowing what Fianna are really like kind of hinders the image. "You stopped them from going to war with each other, though?"

Bernie's eyes widen behind her glasses again, and she grins a little. "Coool," she remarks softly, veteran of untold numbers of sci-fi and fantasy novels with variations on the fixing-things-in-someone-else's-body plot. Aside from that, she just waits for more of the story.

Matt nods, in answer to Yi's question. "The alphas were ready to kill one anovver, and fook their septs beyond repair, because one believed the ovver stole their Pathstone. Oi 'ad ta convince 'em not ta kill one anovver, and ta work togevver ta find it. And ta ignore the insult caused by the accusation of theft."

"Did they believe you? Who took their stones?" Yi presses, curious despite knowing Matt's completely exhausted.

Bernie just nods. Hey, Yi's covering all the main bases pretty well by herself.

Matt shrugs. "Dunno who took the Pathstone. Not part o' my Rite, Oi guess. The Hart led me back before, um, 'we' were to go questin' for it. As fer them believing me, they must've. 'Cause Oi'm 'ere." He shakes his head, as if to clear it. "Wierd though. Oi 'ad memories that weren't mine. Just ta think and Oi knew fings Oi wouldn't know. Ancestral memories or somefing."

Yi still has her helpless and now finger mauled can in her hands, and slowly stands up. "Well.. certainly glad you're back that fast, Matt," she says with some more coherent thought and not rapidfire question. "Though you're tired I'm sure. And it's getting late. I'll let myself out." She smiles at Bernie and the Fianna. "Seems like you passed your test," she says quietly. "Though we'll have to wait for an official announcement from you, na?" She moves towards the door.

"That," Bernie says, still quietly, but excited, "is =so= cool. An' y'did pass, right?" She watches him expectantly, taking just a brief glance away to grin at her tribesmate and add, "G'night, Yi, an' thanks..." before she looks back.

Matt nods. "Oi'm pretty sure. Oi mean my ancestral spirit lead me back to the Realm, Echen-rhya said 'congratulations'...Oi'm not positive though. They didn't give me a merit badge or anyfin'..."

Yi smiles broadly. "The day's starting off pretty well then, for a Thursday," she remarks softly before opening the door. "I'll see you around, Bernie. And thanks for inviting me. And letting me have one of these. They're not that bad... really." She holds up the battered can in a toast. "See you later, Matt-yuf." She chuckles softly, and opens the door to slip out.

Bernie giggles a little at the merit badge comment, but the report of 'congratulations' is good enough for her. "Congratulations!" she exclaims, echoing it, and gives Matt another huge hug. "See.... toldja you'd ace it..."

Matt topples this time, and Bernie winds up on top of the Philodox..cliath. Yes, it /does/ sound good. Matt reaches, inconsiderately and winces, drawing his hand back quickly and examining the bandages.

Bernie looks quite concerned. Not enough to actually sit up again, mind, but enough to turn her attention to the wounded hand. "What happened t' th' hand?" she asks, taking gentle hold of that arm by the wrist so she can get a bit of a look at it, even with the bandages in the way.

Matt unwraps his hand gingerly. He's spent some time out of breed form, so the cut has sealed into a nastyline, drawn across his palm in red on the reddish-brown background of dried blood. "Echen-rhya cut my hand, and his, as part of the Rite. Just 'urts a little still."

Bernie resists the urge to trace the cut with her finger, but does lift the hand up a bit and kiss the wound softly. "Can ya shift an' heal it?" she asks, "...an' how come he did that? Like a blood-bothers sorta thing?"

Matt shakes his head "Cuttin' me loose from bein' a cub, Books." He sighs at the kiss. "An' Oi 'ave shifted. Oi was in lupus or crinos almost the whole time."

Bernie makes a face, and nods, gingerly releasing the hand. "Well. Prolly heal up by t'marra then, yeah? Th' one I got that shiftin' di'n' heal, that did. So..." She tips her head, regarding him a moment, and smiles mischeviously. "Should I be callin' ya Matt-rhya now?"

Matt nods wearily, but with a mischievous light in his eyes. "Aye. An' fetch my bunny slippers." He dismisses her with a haughty wave, and bends down to unlace his boots.

Bernie giggles and removes herself from him, standing and giving a mock-bow. "Yes, rhya," she replies with exaggerated deference, the same light in her eyes, and scurries into the bedroom, returning quite swiftly with Matt's slippers. "I'm sorry, rhya, I've failed you. They're cow, an' not bunny..." She proffers them apologetically.

"Dare you correct /me/?" Matt's voice raises imperiously. "They're bunny slippers," he says, taking the cow slippers in question, "as ye can clearly see...huh. What d'ye know. they /are/ cow slippers." He can't keep it up any more, and begins to laugh, hysterically and uncontrollably. Releasing a =lot= of pent-up tension."

Bernie giggles, and reclaims her seat, just watching him laugh for a bit. She unties and slips off her own boots, pulling her legs up beside her on the cushions.

Matt's eyes tear up with laughter. A couple of times he starts to pull off his boots, but can't seem to manage it, before sitting back, laughing. eventually, face a nice fire-engine red, he calms down enough to switch out of his boots into his cow slippers. Nice for sore feet, and oh, so becoming on the new cliath.

Bernie just grins, and picks the remaining leaves and twigs from the Fianna's hair. Aw, the poor spikes. All mussed. That done, she watches again until he's settled down some, and gestures to the can of beer she'd brought out earlier. "=Now= d'ya want that?" she queries, teasingly.

Matt frowns briefly in thought. "Nahh," he says finally. "Oi'm too knackered. Oi'll 'ave it wif breakfast tomorrow." He glances over the back of the sofa toward the bedroom.

Bernie mrms, considering that. "Tha's pretty darn tired. Poor thing." She reaches out and touches the woad on his face curiously. "...so what's with th' face paint, by th' way?"

Matt grins. "Well, there were these circus clowns..." He flinches his arms up, prepared to protect himself from the nearest weapon, a couch pillow.

Weapons? Ha! We need no puny weapons! Bernie just tackles Matt herself, with a bit of care to avoid the injured hand. "Rarrr!" she exclaims, grinning. Somehow, it's just not threatening in homid.

"Oof!" Matt is tackled once again. Not that he minds being underneath Bernie. In fact, he turns a little in her arms, until he can give her a kiss, a quick one, on the mouth. "Hmm. 's woad, actually, not face paint. Plant extract. Me Da told me it caused hallucinations. Like the Legendary Realms.

"Oh yeah?" the cub queries, sounding dangerously intrigued by this notion, and moves one finger to very lightly trace the glyphs formed on Matt's cheeks. "right, I hearda woad... any =good= hallucinations?" She arches a brow, and grins. "What's th' shapes?"

The woad flakes, dry. "Oi 'avent' 'ad any, unless this whole thing..." He pinches himself. "Nope!"

Bernie grins. "Drat," she remarks, giving him a light eskimo kiss. "...so do th' shapes mean anythin', or's that just how y'happened t' paint it on?"

Matt shakes his head, gently. "This one," he indicates his left cheek, "is for Philodox. See the 'alf moon? The ovver is for Fianna."

Bernie tilts her head first to one side, regarding the auspice glyph, then the other, checking out the tribal one. "So I'm gonna guess," she says, "there's symbols like that for alla auspices an' tribes?"

Matt shrugs slightly. "'s far as Oi know, yes. Dunno whot they are, though, 'cept the auspice glyphs look the moon."

"Mm... I'll hafta make a note t' ask someone 'bout that, sometime..." Bernie decides, a bit absently, and leans down to give the new cliath a =proper= congratulatory kiss. After she pulls back again, she queries, "...so, Too-Tired-For-Guinness... bedtime, is it?"

Matt mms, enjoying the kiss, but unable to return it full force. He leaves her with a promise of better performance, once he's recovered a bit. "Aye," he breathes. "Bed."