Junior nods quietly at Malachi. "Sorry about the clothes. You shredded them when Matt hit your knee." He sighs. "Let's make this quick, then I can do show-and-tell and you can start asking questions. You WILL have them." he regards the boy. "Bluntly - you're a werewolf. So am I. Name's Legbreaker - you might remember hearing that name the other night?" With that...he shift down to lupus.

Matt pinchs the bridge of his nose, apparently expecting a headache any time now. "Now that we have yer undivided attention, Pete Junior 'ere is goin' ta blow yer mind.

Legbreaker whuffs softly at Malachi, cocking his head to watch the kid with interest.

Malachi's eyes widen visibly at the transformation; reflexively, he leans back, not quite scooting away. His mouth opens, then shuts again, firmly, and his eyes flick between the Junior dog and Matt and back again.

Legbreaker glances back at Matt. Warn him not to be afraid, OK? I'm going to shift to Crinos, just to give him an idea of what happened.

Wholly inappropriately to the basement's mood, soft singing becomes audible -- someone's singing 'Like a Prayer'. At least it suits the general location. Bernie breaks off as she comes down the stairs, glancing around to take in the scene. "Hey," she greets the trio cheerily, as if nothing odd were happening, "...I brought pizza."

Legbreaker glances to Bernie, and whuffs, wagging his tail. Good. I'm hungry..and the cub probably is too. Let me show him Crinos first, then we can hopefully talk over food.

Malachi glances at Bernie, lips thinning as he recognizes her, then focus mutely back on Junior.

Matt smiles to Bernie, and eases forward a bit in his chair. Malachai doesn't seem likely to bolt, but...

Legbreaker pauses a moment...padding a little further away to give Malachi some more room..then shifts.

The only hint Bernie gives that the scene might be in anyway out of the ordinary is that she keeps half an eye on Malachi as she moves farther into the room to set the pizza box down on the counter, near the fridge.

Legbreaker smiles down at Malachi, rather toothily.

Malachi's lips pull away from his teeth, baring them back at the Crinos. His fingers tighten, white-knuckled, on the edge of the blanket. It's not quite fear, or not entirely fear.

Legbreaker nods to Malachi, slowly, and then shifts back to homid.

Junior looks down at Malachi. "Ready to listen now?"

Matt ashes his cigarette into an empty can on the table. "Books, ye 'and us a wee somefin' ta drink from the fridge?"

Malachi's face uncontorts out of the reflexive snarl, though he remains tense. The kid's frown remains, stuck firm. "Werewolf. Right. Then how come you look like a dog?"

"Sure, long's I'm here," Bernie agrees, and flicks the fridge door open, regarding the contents skeptically. "There's Coke, orange juice of unspecified age, an' beer unworthya th' name. Which d'ya want?" A glance to the room at large, and she adds, "...an' anyone else want somethin'?" She pulls out a Coke to begin with, possibly her own choice.

Kaz clatters down the stairs, looking as if she's got the memory of more than a few recent fights, in her clothes if not her body. She pauses at sight of the group, and Malachi in particular, and says, "Oy."

Junior shrugs. "Lots of my tribe look like dogs. We're called Bone Gnawers. Other tribes look a lot more wolf-like." He glances at Bernie. "Beer please. I think I'll need it." He looks back to Malachi. "You're one of us. You proved that rather dramatically at the pier when you shifted when Matt nailed your kneecap. That's what happened to your clothes."

Junior looks, seeing Kaz. "Heya, Kaz. Got a new cub."

Matt says "Juice, please." He stands out of the chair and shifts slowly into lupus, the change fluid. For your example, Son of Barlowe."

Kaz says, "Yeah, Matt said." The fact that she hasn't been physically near Matt all day doesn't seem to bother her. "So, hey, kid, is everyone still fucking annoying?"

Junior points towards Matt. "See..."

"I am!" Bernie exclaims brightly as she goes about grabbing the drinks, and carrying them over. Junior's handed the so-called beer, but she keeps the soda and juice for the time being. "Heya, Kazarina."

Malachi's brow furrows. In truth, he looks a little overwhelmed at the moment, saying nothing in reply and pulling the blanket closer about him.

Junior sits down across from Malachi, and regards the boy. "It's a bit much all at once, I know." He pops his beer open, and takes a sip. "Want some pizza?"

Kaz leans against a wall, watching. She adds, quietly, not interrupting Mal's train of thought, "Yo, Bern."

Speaks-Circles shifts back to homid, reclaiming his seat.

Malachi looks at the pizza, seems about to agree, then grimaces faintly and shakes his head, his expression stubborn.

Junior sighs at Malachi. "Bad news first. You can't go home, at least for a while."

Kaz asks, "Whaddayou, gonna go on a hunger strike?"

Malachi shrugs, though whether in response to Junior or Kaz is uncertain.

Bernie hands the orange juice over, and uses the just freed hand to idly mess up the Fianna's hair spikes before wandering back toward the pizza box. "'s good. I know, I made it. Lotsa meat." She picks the whole thing up and brings it over, dropping cross-legged to the floor by Matt's chair and setting the box on the ground in front of her before opening her soda.

Junior pauses long enough to snag himself a slice of the pizza before turning his attention back to Malachi. Taking a bite, he chomps it while he watches the kid. "So, c'mon, Mal. Talk t' me. You gotta have questions. God knows I did."

Malachi hunches his shoulders and stares stubbornly at a spot on the wall just past Junior. "No."

Kaz veritably lounges against the wall. "Why the fuck not?"

Junior rolls his eyes upwards, and sighs. "Because he'd rather be mad at me than talk to me."

Matt rolls his eyes. "Because 'es being a fookin' trainspotter, but ye didn't 'ear me say that official loike."

Pack> Kaz says "There's a general sense of bewilderment at the term trainspotter that's almost as clear as a question, through the link."

Pack> Matt says "Trainspotter: n. Anorak, idiot. Dork. Guy with pocket protector. Dumbass standing in the middle of the road."

Pack> Kaz snorts. "Check."

Malachi scowls, his eyes shifting to Kaz for a few moments before fixing themselves on the floor. His fingers find a loose thread in the blanket and start twisting it around the end of his thumb, slowly.

Kaz snorts softly at Matt, but her attention remains on Malachi. "Dun want y'all's answers. Want his. Which'll probably be somethin' like 'Because you're all fuckin' annoying,' but what the hell, I gotta ask. So." She takes a step forward. "Now that I've asked twice, I'd like an answer, hey?"

Malachi mumbles, in a flat, mulish tone, "Answer t'what."

Matt says "'e doesn't remember shiftin', Junior."

Junior glances back at Matt, taking a bite of pizza, and nods. "So I gathered."

Pack> Matt says "'e's scared and doesn't realize 'e can shift too, I'll bet. S'all 'nice fer you, an' when d'ye eat me?'"

Kaz gets a little more understanding in her expression. "Aw, shit. Frenzied, huh? An' at this rate, he ain't gonna be able to relax enough to shift again voluntarily. Nice kettle of fish, this." She sighs. "I was askin' why you ain't got no questions, but if you think we're jus' all gonna eat you, it ain't no wonder you ain't got none."

"Pers'nally," Bernie remarks idly, taking a slive of the pizza herself, "I'd rather eat th' 'za. C'mon. If I was tryin' t' fatten ya up I'd use donuts." She flashes the cub a quick grin, and sips her Coke.

Malachi keeps his eyes fixed on the floor and speaks in a low voice, just loud enough to hear. "Fuckin' all together, all'a you. Shoulda known." He lifts his eyes and glares, first at Kaz, then at Junior. "Doesn't change /nothin'/. Werewolf or whatever. Doesn't change fuckin' /nothin'/."

Junior arches an eyebrow, taking a gulp of beer. "You're gonna have t' learn t' deal with the anger, Mal. I know. You're my moon, and it's hardest for us full moons."

"You know 'is birfday, Junior? Ye checked?" Matt doesn't doubt the ahroun, this is evident in the confidence of his tone, the questions mostly formalities.

Malachi grits his teeth and turns his glare to the floor again, withdrawing into angry silence.

Junior nods. "I do. He's a full moon like me. Got it bad, too, I'd say."

Kaz looks from Mal to Junior and back again. "In /what/ all together?" She sounds a tinge wary, a little uncertain, as if something's gnawing at the back of her memory.

Malachi mumbles something about a 'fuckin' conspiracy' under his breath, but otherwise doesn't look inclined to say anything to anyone.

Kaz takes the path of least resistence. "Well, f'damn sure we're all werewolves. Unless that ain't what you meant."

Bernie's eyes widen, and she glances around at the others, looking seriosuly taken aback. "It's all over, he knows we're th' Illuminati! Quick, bring out th' iron maiden!" She smirks to herself and munches the pizza, watching the kid out of the corner of her eye, and murmurs almost inaudibly, "...excellent! Execute them! ..Bogus...."

Junior glances back at Bernie. "Please. Not Bill and Ted." He looks back to Malachi. "What kind of conspiracy, Mal? We know each other, sure. Most of the city wolves do."

Matt rolls his eyes again and sips his juice. "Books you are too much. Aye, Mal, it's an evil conspiracy. Werewolves 'ave been around since the dawnin' o' fookin' civilization, developin' growin', fightin' just fer the opportunity ta one day torment a little boy in upstate Washington. Please."

Beset on four sides, Malachi hunches inside the blanket. "Whatever. Werewolves, fine. Werewolves." His tone is flat and tense. "Doesn't change th' fact yer still a fuckin' faggot 'n I still fuckin' hate your guts, Junior or Legbreaker or whatever your fuckin' name is."

Junior sighs, and takes another large gulp of beer. "Hate my guts all you want. You're still wrong, though."

Pack> Matt says "'e can call Junior Lord High Stinkybutt fer all Oi care, so long as 'e calms down and plays nice."

Malachi shrugs, as though he expected no other reaction from Junior.

Bernie shrugs, picking out a second slice of pizza. =Someone= oughta eat it. "Well, that's a'ight. You don't hafta =like= him."

Kaz closes her eyes briefly, as if this is just vague confirmation. "Well. Shit. It's fuckin' As The World Turns." She sighs. "Can I just clear somethin' up here? Junior, you ain't gonna go hittin' on him no more, or whatever the fuck you were doin' that made him think you /were/ hittin' on him?"

Junior sighs. "If I knew what the fuck made him think that in the first place, sure. But he's like talking to a fucking brick wall." He's starting to look tense.

Matt mutters something about the similarity to talking to Echen-rhya.

Malachi's mouth twitches into a grimace. He goes back to winding the thread around his thumb until the tip turns white.

Junior finishes off his slice of pizza, and takes another. "Kaz? You talk to him? Maybe he'll actually tell you stuff."

Kaz says, "Somehow, I doubt it. Specially since I gotta lay down a law or two," and looks back to the cub. "He's still gonna have to teach you, but it'll just be stuff like how t'fight, an' alla that kinda shit. But if you got problems with him, in terms've him hittin' on you or whatever, he's gonna answer to /me/. But if you keep actin' like you are, well, /you/ gotta answer to /us/. So, anyway. Tell me why being a werewolf who's apart from the human herd, who don't gotta deal with fuckin' bullshit no more, who don't gotta put /up/ with a lotta human shit -- why's that such a fucked up thing?" After a moment, she adds, suddenly realizing, "Don't we got any extra fuckin' clothes down here anymore? Jesus."

Kaz casts a faintly apologetic glance at Junior, which seems to imply some discussion afterwards.

Junior rolls his eyes. "Didn't have a chance t' check. He was waking up when we got him here, so I grabbed the first blanket I could find."

Matt sighs. "Oi fink Oi've done as mooch damage as Oi'm goin' ta. Malachi, If ye need anyfing, Oi've already told ye where ta find me. May have some clothes that'll fit at the Decadence." He gets up, moving toward the door.

Junior nods. "See ya, Matt. Thanks."

Malachi grunts, unwinding the thread from his finger. To Kaz he just shrugs, a hint of weariness in the gesture as well as the characteristic, constant tension and underlying anger.

Kaz says, "Yeah, bring 'em back when you gotta chance, I think we got shit here, but just in case."

Bernie rises from the floor and claims the now-empty chair, waving to her departing packmate, and then regarding the cub again. "Y'look tired. Yes?"

Junior finishes off the beer, and sighs. "I'll go root through the stuff, see if I can find him anything t' wear. Maybe he'll want t' talk if I'm not here." He gets to his feet, leaving the empty can for now and taking his half-finished slice of pizza with him.

Malachi replies with yet another shrug, though it's clear that he is.

Junior pads off into one of the other basement rooms.

Kaz mutters, "Pretty soon, I'm gonna just start telling you shit anyway," but quirks an eyebrow at Bernie.

Malachi mutters, "Yeah, werewolves." He winds the thread around his finger again, quickly this time, and then yanks it, hard. It snaps off.

Bernie quirks one back, and shrugs a little. "Neither he nor th' stuff he's gotta know's goin' anywhere overnight... maybe th' PMS'll settle some by th' mornin'," she suggests.

Kaz says, dubiously, "Mebbe," and slides down into a seat.

Bernie leans down to scoop the pizza box up with one hand, and offer it silently toward her Alpha.

Kaz grabs a piece and starts munching. And then pauses. "Damn good, Bern."

Malachi, released from attempts to draw him out, eventually scoots himself and his blanket back until he's against the wall, then hunkers down. Eventually he drops off into a fitful doze, and otherwise bothers no one for the rest of the night.