A polite knock echoes into the flat. If you could tell a person's characteristics by her knocks, then this guest is quite modest about intrusion.

"Sec!" a female voice calls slightly harriedly from inside, "...who is it?"

Yi smiles faintly at the voice, before answering just loud enough to be heard through the door, "Someone order Chinese takeout?"

"Sure as hell hope not, or all this cooking's gonna be wasted," the voice returns, through the door. "Sure this's th' right 'partment?"

Yi returns with a more joking tone, "Well... if this isn't new house of three little pigs, then I will have to talk to my manager about their change of address." A short laugh later, "So open this door, before I huff and I puff and I blow it in." The voice is louder now, with a distinctly Canto-British accent slung onto it.

"...Yi?" the voice asks, and the locks on the door click open. "It's open..."

Some knob turning later, the door opens to reveal the CantoGnawer in all her... clothing at least. "Good Evening, Bernie," she calls back into the apartment after stepping in a pace. Sniffing, she comments. "Smells good. Much better than any house that would have pigs living in it."

Bernie, busy at the stove, turns to watch the arrival, and breaks into a wide grin as she confirms the guest's identity. "Yi!" she exclaims, dropping the spatula in the pan and half-diving across the room to hug her. "You're really back! How are you? What's new? 'sup? Hi!"

Yi blinks a few times as she's so enthusiastically greeted by her fellow newmoon. "Yes, I'm back, and I'm ok, and the moon was new, and... I missed you. And Hi." Yi returns the hug as best she can from the inside. "How is everything?"

Bernie squeezes, and shrugs. "Missed you too! Everything's pretty decent, I s'pose. I got a job an' started school an' shit an' I dunno what all you know about what's been goin' on yet, when'd you get back? Oh, shit!" She releases the other raggie suddenly and darts back to the stove, where something's begun to burn, and starts frantically trying to catch up on the recipes she's following.

Yi blinks some more, having been released from the hug. For a few seconds she watches Bernie run back to the kitchen and tend to a number of pots before her own cook's reflex kicks in and she shrugs off her jacket onto the couch and goes to help. "What's up, Bern?" she queries while peeking into the small kitchenette. "Need some help?"

Bernie steps back slightly, all being under control again, and glances over at her recipes. "I just got kinda daring with dinner. Figured I might as well try out some shit, y'know? 'cause, okay, Matt's a better cook than I am, but that's no excuse t' jus' bring home pizza or make easy stuff when it's my turn an' all, y'know? An', thanks, but I think I got it, for now..." She leans against a counter, brushing her hands off on her jeans. "You want anythin' t' eat or crink or whatever?"

Yi isn't meaning to tread on another's territory, and the kitchen is one of them that she respects. It is, after all, the hearth of the home. Still she leans up on the side and folds her arms curiously over themselves. Exposed in this manner, the other newmoon could see the scars that riddle them easily. Yi, though, seems to have forgotten for now. "Are you sure? Maybe I can help stir something, or cut vegetables..." At the hospitable invitation she raises a hand and shakes her head, "It's ok. I already ate before coming." The CantoGnawer peers curiously at what's cooking though. "You have a job, and go to school now... at the university?"

Bernie eyes the stove as if it might betray her at any moment, and then shakes her head. "I =think= I got it all covered, but thanks. 'f I find out I forgot somethin', I'll take you up on it..." It's hard to tell just what she's making, except that something's in the oven and a couple other somethings are on the stove. It does smell pretty good, though. "Yeah, I'm workin' at Garcia's makin' pizza, an' goin' t' SCCU an' all. 's not bad, so far..." The younger girl turns her attention back to her friend, looking her over for the first time, and her brow furrows a little in concern at the scars. "You a'ight?" she asks, intentionally casual.

"Mm?" Yi's brows lift at the other newmoon's furrows, and glances down at herself before noticing. "Oh..." Following a clearing of her throat, Yi shifts a bit uncomfortably under the scrutiny. "I'm fine. Really." She coughs again and deliberately looks towards other things, like the pots on the stove. "So... what are you learning... at the university?" Her tone gains a subconscious tremor beneath it.

Bernie watches for just a second more before allowing the subject to be redirected. "All sortsa shit," she replies, "...mostly computers, but some other stuff too. Psych, for one, an' 'Rebellion in Lit'rature', that's a funky class. We were readin' Les Miserables an' people were relatin' it t', like, th' LA Riots a while back. Funky shit." She glances at the clock, and lifts the lid off a poit. Steam comes out, moreso as she dumps in some milk, and stirs it.

Yi nods slowly, watching the milk pouring. Though she isn't sure exactly what Les Miserables is, she goes along with the topic of discussion. "Computers? Riots..." Clearly, she's not very caught up with any of the old news of the States, or very in tune with its culture. "Is it interesting? Your classes?"

"Fuck yeah!" Bernie exclaims, enthusiastically. "I missed havin' classes an' all. An' it beats high school 'cause most people, they =wanna= be there, an' they think, an' try. Plus th' professors are really inta what they're teachin', an' all." She puts the lid back on the pot, and peeks into another before relaxing again.

Yi rubs a hand against the back of her neck, only finding the scars to be a little disconcerting to the touch. She immediately sticks her hands in her pockets and tries not to think about them. "Actually... I haven't... any clue what you mean, by high school." A faint, waning smile sets itself like a mask. "I really stopped attending after I shifted the first time... only a few years ago..." Strange. It seems so far behind her.

Bernie considers this a moment, looking a litle blank. "Well, you should get your GED an' then come take classes too," she suggests. "'s nifty, an' all. Fulla fascinatin' stuff."

"G..E..D?" Yi looks just as blank as Bernie, perhaps even more. Her head ducks, cheeks flushing quietly in a bit of embarrassment. "I, ah, well... I don't read or write English very well at all. Everything I learned...really came from talking with tourists. And watching a lot of TV." The CantoGnawer glances over at the oven. "Eh... what's in there?"

"It stands for, like, General Education Development or somethin' like that," Bernie explains, "'s th' test you take t' get outta havin' t' finish high school. Sorta means you don't need it, you know enough. An' 'f you want I'll help you with th' English thing. 'cause I was thinkin' th' other day, y'know, there's a buncha us don't read or write so well, an' that's... well, that's jus' not right. Shouldn't be that way. So I should, like, do a class or some shit like that an' fix it." She pauses a moment, then adds, "...an' it's a souffle. I hope."

Yi ohs quietly, knowing what a souffle is from watching cooking shows on public television. "Well it is true... some of us do not read or write English well. It would be nice to be able to read the newspapers, but there are ones in Chinese." She smiles a little more, before thinking about doing classes and teaching. "Hey...speaking of teaching... I spoke with Eamon, a fostern ragabash, about having a moot for our auspice. I thought, since there's so many faces around here, that we could get all of us together and see what we know. Maybe there's more that we haven't met yet, like some of the forest Garou. Maybe, we could set up some teachings... and find out what our other newmoons are doing."

Bernie straightens a little, and nods. "Like we were talkin' 'bout b'fore you left, yeah? While back? Yeah, I still wanna do that. Where d'ya think we oughta do it? Th' Church prolly isn't appropriate for this. I know Matt had th' Fianna moot at th's li'l pond, an' I think that's where th' 'doxen had theirs, too, so maybe there? Or, well, I guess there's lotsa place really.."

Yi shrugs slightly. "Well... I'm not very good at organizing meetings like this." She quirks her lip up. "But I think it should be somewhere that others can find... and perhaps be in the woods so it won't attract too much attention. Have to remember that we are new moons, after all. This way, it won't offend the forest based no-moons if we hold it out there. I'm sure the city Garou won't mind a few more trees around. Which pond did the philodoxes have their moot at?"

"Um, the one by the caern," Bernie replies, thinking about it. "Crescent somethin'? I c'n ask Matt. Anyhow, it doesn't =hafta= be in th' woods, we c'n be inconspicuous anywhere. We're raggies, right? But, yeah, woods'd work. Hmm...."

Yi lets a short chuckle go, before glancing back down at the oven and sniffing. "I think it's done?" The asian Gnawer digs her hand out of her pocket and points down towards the oven.

Bernie glances at the clock, and furrows her brow a little, calculating, then shakes her head. "Shouldn't be... but it smells good, dunnit? Hope it doesn't fall." She stretches a little, pushing her hair back. "You know Kaz made fostern, yeah? An' she's challengin' for tribal elder?"

Yi nods, her head tilting itself to a side. "What did her challenge come out to be? Jarred told me it was something to do with comic books..." She thinks quietly what sort of effect this would have to the tribe.

Bernie nods. "Mmhmm. Elan said, she's gotta get him every single copy of th' old Aquaman series from th' sixties, plus a copya Understandin' Comics, only I =had= that so I gave it to her." She seems to have no problems at all with this challenge.

Yi chews thoughtfully on her lip, and considers the challenge. "I know it is Elan's choice of challenge... but, how does that prove Kaz to be able in being tribal elder?" The asian furrows her brow, thinking of the ways this could relate with Garou.

Bernie blinks, and tilts her head at Yi, regarding the other Gnawer for a moment. "Y'don't see? It's like... Get, I figure they figure out who's in charge by kickin' each other's asses, yeah? 'cause, they're big on th' violence, right? So they need a leader who's good with it an' can do that kinda shit 'cause they respect that. Us, though, we need more'n a couple biceps or some shit t' earn respect, right? We got people t' protect an' help out, we got ourselves t' organize an' keep workin' t'gether, an' all. So what we need, we need someone who c'n get shit done, who c'n get holda what we need, herself or by getting us workin' t'gether t' get it. Y'see what I mean? ...plus, golden age comic books, that's some pretty cool Stuff, too."

Yi thinks on this a little more, and nods when the ideas register. "Yes... yes I see. It does take more than just brawn or brains to be an elder, after all." She nods, confirmingly. "Comic books are a good way to learn language too. Have pictures to go along with the story," she notes. "But yes... now I see how that would work." She laughs softly and her shoulder quirks in a shrug. "This is why /I'm/ not any tribal elder, nor am I meant to be one."

Bernie laughs, and shrugs a little herself. "I wouldn't rule it out, y'never know what might happen in th' future, an' all. Kaz'll be a kickass elder, though. I've been tellin' her she oughta challenge for, like, months an' months, seein' as she's been doin' th' =job= this whole time, really. An' I don't care if that's rude t' say; no disrespect t' Elan, he's cool an' all, but he doesn't so much do th' =job=. Anyway." She shrugs again and turns to the stove, quickly dealing with a saucepan. The contents get poured into several little bowls, carmelized sugar, it looks like, and then the contents of another pot get spooned atop it. Sort of custardy looking.

Yi sniffs at the scent with a brief 'mm' of happiness. Nothing like a good smell to put good thoughts in mind. "She just needs the title to go along with it," Yi notes while watching the other newmoon work her cooking magic on the dishes. "So... how do you think that will affect your pack then? Having an elder who is also an alpha, might strain them a bit. Myself... I know, I've put a lot of worry on Sepdet's shoulders. But I think her work has had good results." The newmoon glances at the floor reflectively in silent appreciation.

Bernie shakes her head, missing the significance completely. "I doubt there'll be a problem. I mean, all that's gonna change =really= is Kaz not feelin' like she hasta track down Elan an' get th' rubber stamp every time she wants t' do somethin', y'know?"

Yi nods slowly, and sticks her free hand in her pocket again. "That's true. It would be nice to be able to find the elder in those situations." Her head lifts again to show a more genuine smile. "Well... I guess I should be going. I have some more job hunting to do, though that takes some newspaper reading... and it might take me a little while." The CantoGnawer steps back a pace, away from the kitchen's doorway in case Bernie happened to need to get around.

Bernie moves the little bowls to the fridge, and nods. "Guess they won't take you back at th' Tin Yen? Maybe you could talk 'em inta it? Otherwise, I c'n help with th' ads an' shit, y'know. Jus' let me know, yeah?"

"Mm," Yi agrees with a short duck of her head. "It's a little awkward to ask Mr. Chen again, after being fired twice and all..." She smiles, though it's a little forced. "Well, I did get an idea from one of the Walker cubs, so maybe I'll check that out. Or perhaps try and work at the Oriental Regency, uptown."

Bernie pauses, remembering something. "...ask Kaz 'fore you go there, 'kay? There was this voice on th' phone, di'n't want us goin' there, an' I dunno what we agreed to. So. G'luck, though. You c'n stay for dinner 'f y'want, 'course."

Yi blinks, before nodding again. "Ok... I'll do that." Her brow furrows slightly before she steps back a couple more paces and turns to go get her jacket. "Thank you for the offer, though I should be going. I'll ask before I go to that restaurant, though," Yi says again quietly before heading for the door. "Tell Matt I said 'hi' too, please?"

Bernie grins, and nods. "Will do. Come back soon, yeah? An' tell me what we need t' do t' get th' moot goin'. I'll totally help." She pauses, and adds, a little quieter, "'s nice t' see you. Missed you, an' all."

Yi turns back as she opens the door, her smile this time genuine. "I'll be around, and definitely will let you know. We were the original moot planners, after all." There's a short pause, before the newmoon runs back into the kitchen to give Bernie a true hug, letting go afterwards. "It's good to be back."