"Flint's dead."

[renferret]

 A casual chat with Nick and Brad is interrupted by something much, much darker.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

290 From: Flint At: Thu Jan 17 11:48:58 2013 

Fldr : 0 Status: Read 

To : *Glass_Walkers, Rina, Nicodemus, Carmen 

Subject: stuff 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, as well as the inside of the fridge and most of the kitchen, the inside of the oven has been cleaned, the breakroom kitchen floor has been mopped, and the video games and books in the breakroom have all been alphabetised, everything's been dusted, et cetera. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Mouse Subject: About that organization... 

To: *Glass_Walkers, Rina, Nicodemus, Carmen

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Visitors to the breakroom who might have noticed the alphabetization of the books/video games/movies might well notice that, as of sometime last night, they've all been distinctly /un/-organized. While they're all still fairly neatly stacked, not a single one of them is in the same place it was before, and neither are they in any sort of discernible order whatsoever, not even accidentally. To add to that, a few of the DVDs and video games have had their discs swapped between cases, as if to punctuate the rearranged chaos.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Harbor Park -- Fountain

 

Situated in the center of a large, open meadow is a clustering of six trees, a flower bed, a few steel-and-wood benches set firmly into concrete, and a flagstone courtyard that is dominated by a large fountain.

 

The fountain is a wide circular pool of water some fifty feet across and about five feet deep in most places. The sculpture in the center is a mix of old and new, traditional and modern: eight concrete-and-stainless-steel slabs about six feet high are set in a rough Stonehenge-like circle around the center of the fountain. Water flows from their tops, cascading in bright mesmerizing sheets to the pool below. Rising above the steel circle is a large marble statue of the Water Bearer, an androgynous figure draped in robes of flowing water. It bears a large jug carved with various Greek symbols, from which pours a seething torrent of water into the pool at its feet.

 

Cars on the nearby street have an excellent view of the park as do any residents of the tall buildings which line the waterfront.

 

The murky waters of the Columbia River flow swiftly along the east side of the park. Bracketing the park to the west is First Street and the city of St. Claire. Recent construction work is creating an earthen berm several feet high all along the borders of the park in all directions.

 

Contents:

Nicodemus

Obvious exits:

Harbor Park Meadow

 

Nicodemus has parked his butt on the back of a park bench, feet resting on the seat, giving him a little elevation without requiring him to actually stand up. He's opted to face towards the city tonight, as if expecting company. The park is fairly deserted at the moment. The near-freezing cold and the biting wind seem to be keeping people away. Even the homeless have taken to the alleys and underpasses that offer shelter from the weather. Mostly, there's only sporadic foot traffic on the sidewalks near the roadway--the unfortunate, carless souls who need to run an errand desperately enough to go outside.

 

For that reason and others, Mouse is easily spotted against the mostly deserted backdrop. Her shuffling old-woman gait seems a little worse than usual, and easily marks her--most old women don't go around wearing black trenchcoats, after all. Nor do they wear dark sunglasses in winter. The Walker Theurge has her head down, shoulders hunched against the wind, but it's clear that the fountain is her intended destination.

 

Nicodemus watches the approach, occasionally glancing around so as to not appear like he's watching, and offers an "Afternoon" as you draw close enough for converastion to be had without the need for excessively raised voices. "Weird text from you the other night, but I didn't have my phone with me at the time. Hopefully all is well?"

 

"Yeah. Sorry." Mouse sounds, at best, tired, and she looks it too. "Riley had an emergency situation out at Edgewood, and I was looking for a driver. 'Fraid you missed the Batmobile."

 

"She okay?" Nick asks. He then points out what, to him, is pretty obvious. "You look a little ragged and worn out. Bad dreams? Overworked? A combination of the two?"

 

Mouse nods slightly. "Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Anyway, Riley was trying out what this Bawnfruit liquor she got her hands on would do when Awakened." She pauses a moment, and then says, "Either knock the wasps out or drive them into a frenzy. I don't know how many times they stung her, but it was /bad/. I had to do a Cleansing to get her body to stop changing." She pauses, and then produces a small vial from one of her coat pockets, neatly capped and seemingly half filled with a transparent liquid, as well as a soaked tissue. "Wasp venom," she explains. "And a fair amount of Riley's saliva, I imagine. I was wondering if you...might be able to see something I can't. It was changing her /back/...but it stopped when I Cleansed her, and I can't imagine any more of this shit would've done anything but kill her."

 

Nicodemus and Mouse are chatting near the fountain in an essentially deserted park. Nick listens to the Glass Walker elder as she speaks, and his attention grows more and more intent as Mouse goes on. When she produces the small vial of venom, his eyes fix on it immediately and intently. "Changing her back to what? Boy Riley? A different form than she was in? Something else?" He reaches out to take the vial, briefly eyeing the contents before checking that the cap is on securely. He then slips it into his coat's interior and a secure pocket. "Val and I had to deal with a couple police officers last spring who'd confiscated some moonshine that'd been made from a still using some of the bawnfruit. They'd been near-incapacitated for almost a week from the changes before I was able to undo them and plant some cocaine and heroine in the room and on them to help explain away what the hell'd happened and to keep them from poking around any more. Awakening the liquor?" He says that last bit as if someone might have suggested gargling with battery acid. "That's just crazy. And brilliant," he reluctantly admits. "You guys must be running out of options if this is what it's getting down to." He sighs, then offers. "Want me to charge it up even more? Hyper-awaken it? Good god, don't get this shit on you after that, though."

 

Mouse shakes her head. "No, just take a look at it, for now. Even if it won't help Riley, it might come in handy sometime down the road. And yeah, back to boy Riley. At least, that was the most intense fluctuation. She was, to use her own word, rubber-banding between whatever form she was and whatever form was the next one over too. Really, really nasty shit. I actually tried timing the ritual, to see if maybe I could get her to stick as male, but..." Frustration and weariness mix with her expression. "It didn't do any good. Fluctuations stopped, but still female."

 

Hood pulled over his head as protection against the January rain, Brad has an easy time walking through the park, with no double-wide buggies taking up the entire path, or any skateboarders trying to wrench up concrete blocks to make into jumps and obstacles. He approaches the fountain.

 

"She should count her blessings she didn't end up a rabbit or a sweet roll," Nick responds after a moment. "Crazy, crazy shit she was playing with." He notices Brad's approach and alerts Mouse before he's within earshot. "Company's coming. Uktena kin. /Actual/ Uktena kin this time, though." He then raises a hand in greeting towards Brad. "Afternoon." Mouse gets a nod. "I'll look into it and tell you if I find anything of note."

 

Mouse gives Brad a nod once Nick points him out, though her attention slants back to the Walker kinfolk as she responds. "Yeah, and /alone/ is even worse, but on the bright side, she saved us from a major fuck-up. If we'd Awakened the whole batch and tried to use it, we'd have all been wasp-bait."

 

Brad raises a hand to return the greeting. "Hey, how're you doing, Nick?", he greets, as he comes to a stop by the two. He attempts to place Mouse, or at least come up with a name, and settles for a generic, "How're you doing?"

 

"Doing pretty good, Brad. You?" Nick then helps grease the introduction-based cogs, motioning with a black-clad glove towards Mouse. "Brad, this is Mouse. She's head of my family here in Saint Claire. The Big Cheese," he adds, possibly making a word play with the elder's prefered name.

 

Mouse snorks at Nick, vaguely amused. Brad gets another nod. "I don't think we've met directly, but I'm familiar with your business and family." She offers a hand toward the Uktena kin, covered in spidery scars just like the rest of her.

 

"Pretty well", Brad replies, "I saw your notice at Edgewood. You're changing your business?" He nods to Mouse and extends a hand for a handshake. "Pleased to meet you, Mouse. I'm Brad Killdeer, owner of The Sticks, the pool hall--you know it?"

 

"It's a nice little place," Nick says of the pool hall before answering Brad's question. "I'm trying to juggle too many things at once, so I'm looking to have someone step in as an office manager and maybe train them up as a revenue-generating private investigator. That'll give me a chance to focus on my job at Terminus--which pays better anyway--while helping to give a family member a paycheck and putting them in a position where they can do some mundane paperwork background checking for the fuzzies if there's a need for that sort of thing. Follow the money and all that--for when that situation actually applies."

 

Mouse's hand feels rough to the touch, and her handshake is, perhaps, not nearly as firm as one might expect. "The location," she explains, as her hand drops back to her side. "Not really somewhere I frequent, but I was on the rescue team after you got hit by Dancers a few years back."

 

"Paperwork's the bane of any business", Brad replies. "If you find someone who's good at paperwork and is looking for extra hours, send them my way? I'd like nothing more than not to have to--", and he reacts by Mouse's mention of the Dancers, paling and flinching. "Oh. That was a bad time", he understates. "I'm really grateful for your help."

 

Nicodemus nods knowingly at Brad's comment about paperwork, then drops the subject as Mouse brings up a BSD hit in Brad's business. "Damn," he breathes. "So glad I wasn't around for that. Glad you came out of it okay."

 

"A bad time," Mouse agrees, both wholeheartedly and in a quieter tone than she had before. "But don't mention it. It was more a fuck-up on my part than anything else." There's something sour in her voice, though it vanishes quickly.

 

Brad doesn't catch the subtleties, and repeats himself, "So grateful", he emphasizes to Mouse. "You came to help. It was bad--but it ended, with your help."

 

Nicodemus remains, respectfully, silent. He may joke and kid, but he also knows when to not do so. He looks somber and sober.

 

Mouse says nothing this time. She gives Brad a faint nod, and allows the moment to pass without further protest.

 

Brad finally stops expressing gratitude to Mouse. He glances between Nick and Mouse. "So--um. You were discussing the wasps?"

 

Nicodemus raises an eyebrow. "Damn, you've got good ears." He motions with his head towards Mouse. "A tribemate got into some trouble with them. Mouse has the nitty-gritty details on it."

 

Mouse shrugs. "Not much to say there. Riley got stung testing out a potential weapon to use when we move them, but she's alright. We're planning to get things moving next week. If we all manage to stay alive after that, we should have the Caern back, albeit...still asleep. Then we just need to wake it up." She says 'just' in a way that suggests she's absolutely aware of how inconsequential that makes the massive undertaking seem.

 

"Oh, that's good", Brad nods encouragingly. "I'm sure it'll go well. It's asleep now? It's been through a lot of changes, hasn't it?"

 

Nicodemus doesn't seem to have anything meaningful to contribute about the caern's status and, like the other kinfolk present, probably has a very loose grasp on how that stuff works anyway.

 

"That's pretty much it's nature," Mouse replies. Her hands go into her pockets now. "We put it to sleep right before the wasps showed up, to protect it. Re-awakening it will involve, at the very least, a somewhat less strenuous version of what we do to create a Caern. That's the hope anyway. It might end up needing the full-blown contribution."

 

Brad listens with interest to Mouse. "I heard long ago, like a century or more", he waves away any precision of time, "it was a Wendigo place. I like to think one of my ancestors was there. I doubt it, but don't know for sure. It's changed since, of course. Think it might again, when you wake it up?"

 

Mouse considers the question for a moment, and then says, simply, "I don't have a single doubt that it will."

 

Nicodemus raises his eyebrows at the mention of the caern having once belonged to the Wendigo. Apparently he hadn't been aware of that.

 

Brad nods to Mouse's conclusion. "If there's one thing that doesn't change, it's change", he makes a feeble attempt to be philosophical.

 

"Anyway," Mouse says. Awkwardness now. "That's being taken care of."

 

Nicodemus grunts his agreement with Brad. "Ain't that the truth. Still," he asides. "There's change and then there's radically weird. It'll be nice if things get back to what passes for 'relatively normal' for a change. And it'll give the folks with severe anger issues a place to retreat to rather than linger in or near the city where they can cause serious damage to society--or the extended family."

 

"Yes, that's right", Brad nods in agreement with Nicodemus' points. "And it's an important place. Not many left. Heard it's the only one left in the state, or just about." He turns to Mouse. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

 

Mouse's hands remain stuffed in her pockets, a slim defense against the cold. "It is," she confirms. "The only one not corrupted into a Pit, anyway. Though these days, the Dancers really should be fucking terrified of coming near here. Not that they are, but they should be. We've damn well devastated quite a number of theirs." She shakes her head at the question. "I'm afraid not. It's all a matter of Gnosis and combat ability now."

 

"Beer and pizza duty," Nick asides to Brad, as if that might be an insider kinfolk joke. To Mouse he says, "I didn't realize it was the only one left in the whole state. That's.... unfortunate. And underscores how important it is."

 

Brad flinches again at Mouse's mention of Dancers, and he's looking off color as he replies "Well--if I can provide anything--transportation, support", and he indicates Nick, "Beer and pizza, let me know. My number's on the pool hall flyers I leave at Edgewood, and--you've got some for the Tenement? I can give you some."

 

"I'd be happy to put some up," Mouse says. "But really, we're okay. Take care of you." She asides, to Nick, "Explains the protectiveness a little?"

 

Nicodemus motions towards Mouse at the mention of flyers going to the Tenement. "I won't go near the place for at least a week, week and a half." He explains by glancing upwards at the bloated moon. "You know about the expendable-if-necessary cargo van that we've got out that way? Kin can be very handy getaway drivers."

 

"Then I'll take some by in a week, two", Brad states. He glances at Nick at the mention of getaway drivers, and he adds, "I can drive."

 

Kavi pages: Ring-Ring

 

You paged Kavi with 'It rings a few times, and then Mouse. "Yeah?"'.

 

Mouse starts to say something, when her phone buzzes. She pulls it out of one of the pockets, glances curiously toward the display, and then brings it to her ear. "Yeah?"

 

Kavi pages: Kavi's voice is tense and tight, but with an odd coolness to it. "Come home," he says, and though it's not an attempt at an order, it's also not intoned as a question. "Flint is dead. Jack is hurt. He's not home."

 

You paged Kavi with 'There's a long pause, far longer than any of Mouse's usual. "...Say again?"'.

 

Nicodemus muses out loud, "We ought to find a place where we can do some.... I hesitate to use the word 'autocross.' But a large, flat, cement area where people can take the van out for the day, get a feel for how it accelerates, brakes, and corners--maybe take their own cars out there as well. I can give some pointers that they teach police officers in defensive, offensive, and emergency driving conditions. Maybe some of the furrier folks would benefit from that, too."

 

Kavi pages: | "Flint is dead," Kavi says again, and this time there's a slight pinched quality to the sound of his voice. "Jack--" He pauses just briefly. "Jack isn't home, yet. He's hurt. Kevin... Kevin says he's going to be okay. But he's not here."

 

Brad turns away from Mouse, giving her at least the illusion of privacy with her phone, and addresses Nick. "What about a large parking lot, like the one at Wal-Mart's? It's pretty empty at some hours of the day, and it's big. I taught my nephew in one."

 

You paged Kavi with 'Another impossibly long pause. "...I can find him." Mouse sounds calm, as if her voice hasn't quite registered what she's heard. "I'll find him."'.

 

Something imperceptible drains from Mouse's expression, even though there are no real movements among her eyebrows or mouth. It's as though she's a little too still, and whatever she hears over the phone, there's no response from her end for several long moments. "...Say again?"

 

Kavi pages: Kavi's voice changes, seeming to pull away from the phone a bit. "Are you... hurt?" he asks during the pause. But then Mouse's voice sounds, again, and he returns to her. "Find them both," he says, and swallows.

 

Nicodemus nods to Brad. "That's what I was thinking, except maybe a store that's more remote, went out of business, and with no cars going in or out on business. There's got to be some abandoned strip mall or something."

 

Pack> Kavi says "Masao would be getting a LOT OF ANGST over packlink."

 

Pack> Masao would be expecting it!

 

Pack> Mouse was angsting, but has, once more, cut herself off.

 

Brad glances at Mouse, and edges away, so Nick's closer to Mouse than him. "Mm--stores out of business--have you seen how the economy's been doing the past few years? No end of these places."

 

Mouse's mouth opens a little at whatever response she gets over the phone. She says nothing. She's even more still, in fact, and she's quiet long enough that one might wonder if the connection's been lost. Then, "...I can find him." There's no feeling her voice. "I'll find him." A beat. "/Of course/ I'm not, Kavi. I...yeah, I'll find them."

 

You paged Kavi with 'A beat. "Of /course/ I'm not, Kavi. I...yeah, I'll find them." Click.'.

 

Nicodemus looks like he might respond to Brad before he picks up on Mouse's phone conversation and the accompanying tone. He falls silent. Clearly, /something/ is up. He digs a hand into a pocket, fishing his keys out in a silent offer to get Mouse to wherever it is she might need to go in the near future.

 

Brad also falls silent, as he glances to Mouse, then away, not looking at the Garou directly. His shoulders hunch against the cold rain.

 

Mouse slowly lowers her phone to her side, and only then does she glance toward Nick. "Flint's dead." There's so little in her tone, it may as well be robotic. "Kavi says Jack's hurt, but not home. So I, ah." She just stops for a moment. "I need to go find both of them."

 

At Mouse's explanation as to what the call was about, tension develops abruptly in Nick's jawline, and his lips thin tightly in anger. Apparently the Glass Walker kinfolk is not immune to that particular emotion, even if he doesn't have it in spades like his tribemates do. His voice, as well, is a level, even, near-robotic tone that nearly emulate's Mouse. "I'll give you a lift back to the tenement so you can get the van. I can drive the van if you think that won't be an issue on a nearly full moon."

 

Brad reacts with dismay to the news. "I'm sorry", he says, although words seem so inadequate. After Nick's offer of the van, Brad follows up with "Um-I'll go on my way. If you need anything--", he leaves the offer incomplete, and starts off, walking down the wet pathways of the park.

 

Mouse touches her tongue to the roof of her mouth. Brad gets a very distracted sort of nod, but little else, as it seems to take her a supreme amount of concentration just to stuff the phone back into her pocket. She inhales, straightens, and then looks at Nick. "No, not the Tenement. Grief on a full moon with lots of Garou?" She shakes her head. "But if you could drop me off at Edgewood...I guess that's a good place to start."

 

Nicodemus nods a precursory farewell to Brad, gets to his feet, and then offers Mouse a stabilizing/assisting hand in getting up. "No argument out of me on that one. My car's over there." He nods at the Porsche Cayenne lurking in the not-too-distant parking lot.

 

Mouse takes the offered hand for only as long as it takes her to get up, the nods and turns toward Nick's car. "Thanks." The word is simple. Genuine, but controlled, as all the rest of her seems to be now.

 

---

 

Riley pages: *Ring*

 

Long distance to Riley: Mouse picks up within that single ring. "What?"

 

Riley pages: Kavi's saying Jack's unaccounted for. You need a hand with that?

 

You paged Riley with 'I'm on my way to get them both now. Nick's driving.'.

 

Riley pages: Right. You need a hand with that? I can track.

 

You paged Riley with 'Not now, but if my efforts fail, I'll give you a call.'.

 

Riley pages: Fine.

 

Long distance to Riley: Mouse echoes, "I'll give you a call." Click.

 

---

 

Edgewood House: Meadow(#1390RJh)

 

A long, hard-packed dirt road winds almost a mile through the forest off Sunrise Road, eventually opening out into a small front yard, and coming to a stop in front of a large house, which may be the very definition of ramshackle. The house is not visible from the road, nor can one hear anything but perhaps a gunshot. Its foundation and general structure are solid, but its once crisp grey-and-white paint needs updating, and some of the trim is having trouble staying attached. A fixer upper, one might say. Off to the left, there's a former garage, long since converted into something of an in-law apartment. A connecting flyover attaches it to the second floor of the house.

 

There are no fences surrounding either the front or back yards. In the rear of the property, the yard (larger than in the front) eventually comes up against a well built garden, with the very beginnings of sprouts. Shaded and obscured by surrounding trees, there is a small (but deep) natural pond, with a chuckling brook leading out of it, into the woods. There's a rope swing hanging from one of the trees. The yard to the southeast of the property stretches on for a time, and then is eaten by woods, into which there may or may not be a path; it apparently fades away quickly. There's a certain looming feel to these woods.

 

Contents:

Charlene

Memory

Ky

Alexandra

Elliot

 

Obvious exits:

Narrow Path Sunrise Road Front Door Barn/Garage

 

 

"Ky, sitting there and bleeding isn't going to help anything." Elliot sights, though, and looks sideways to Charlene before answering. "The place is compromised, and she was right to get you guys out of there. If she hadn't, I would've. This isn't about tribal territory anymore, this is about safety and not getting people killed."

 

"It's not her territory," Ky states without looking at Charlene. Elliot's answer doesn't look like it's sitting any better with the younger Ragabash, but he at least keeps control of himself. "I need a secure place to keep Alice. And I'll be damned by Thunder himself if I'm going to let my home fall to vampires. The rest of the tribe can clear out until this is over but I'm not done there." Reckless words that probably wouldn't be spoken, colored and heated with anger.

 

Alexandra doesn't say anything to Charlene, but she does lean her head against the arm that reaches down to rest on her shoulder, so it's clear that the gesture is felt and appreciated, insofar as she's feeling much of anything other than hollow right now. "The Tenement is the better target. Higher payoff. More Garou, more kin to..." And then the dispassionate tone she'd been speaking in fails her, her voice cracks as that thought brings her back around to Flint.

 

Far down the driveway, having just recently turned off of Sunrise Road, a car's engine and crunching gravel can be heard--and headlights can be seen--well before it might become a problem. In time, the vehicle--a gray Porsche Cayenne SUV--eventually rolls up into the parking area used by those who own vehicles. Those who've seen it parked out here before might recognize it as Nick Dalton's.

 

Memory listens, head cocked to one side. ~Right. I think I'm missing something, here.~ She says, managing to sound tired, despite the chainsaw like growling unnatural sounds coming out of the raven. Birds should not be able to speak Mother's Tongue. ~Hey,~ she adds, looking over at Elliot. ~If you've seen the posters I put up, I have been trying to make a safe place for Kin, where they can keep up to date on recent events. Not saying you wolves can't come and take a peek as well, but it'd be nice if you did it when I didn't have customers. Rage has a habit of scaring folks off.~

 

"This isn't a discussion," Elliot says, firm, but he doesn't sound angry. "And I'm not going to argue with you. I expect you'll follow what Mouse has said to do." He looks up as Memory speaks, looking just slightly uncomfortable by the fact she's speaking Mother's Tongue - this goes away in a moment, though. "Will do. Let me know where it is, though, so we can have it on our radar."

 

Ky stares at Elliot for a moment longer, as if trying to implore the elder ragabash to understand something. Anything. But it lasts only that moment and he relents with a quieter, "Yes, Elliot-rhya."

 

After roughly a minute of the car having stopped, the passenger-side door opens, and Mouse works her way out, using both the door itself and the car for balance. She turns back once she's on her feet, and murmurs into the car, "You don't actually have to stay."

 

~Address is on the flyer I put up,~ Memory rumbles. "It's on Ellicott street," she says, easily switching to using English. Creepy. "Calling in 'Snakes and Lattes'. Can't miss the place, but the actual Cafe part isn't open yet. Talked Bad-Boy, the Gnawer, into living in the backyard. Figure that'll keep any undesirables from poking about the place." As the car door opens, Memory stands up a bit straighter and looks in that direction.

 

Not knowing the whole story drives Charlene bonkers, but she remains silent on the factors leading up to the decision, hand resting on Alexandra's shoulder, still in her crouch. "There's a poster in Edgewood about her.." She nods toward the raven. "Kin Safehouse. I've not visited, since the moon's been big, but from what I've heard from my few Kinfolk contacts, it's a decent place. Out of the way, quiet, an' not easily poked." At the sight of Mouse, Charlene does rise, standing next to Alexandra quietly, giving due honor to the Glass Walker Elder and Master of the Rite.

 

Alexandra just remains silent, since she hasn't been spoken to directly. She doesn't look over toward the arrival of the vehicle, much less register who's getting out of it.

 

"Thank you," Elliot says to Ky, and then nods up to Memory. "Good. A kin safehouse is a good idea." And then, his attention transfers over to Mouse and the car, and his brows furrow just a little. He doesn't move towards the car yet, but his attention for now is shifted thataway.

 

Nicodemus clambers out of the driver's side of the car and says to Mouse, "I'll just hang out over here by the car in case you need me to shuttle you or others." He tightens his coat about him, fighting off the chill in the air. "By or in the car," he adds for clarification.

 

Ky follows the Alpha's gaze to the vehicle now. His gaze moves from Nick to Mouse and back again. But instead of raise a greeting he moves to stand at Lex's other shoulder.

 

Mouse gives Nick a very, very slight nod, then turns and begins making her way toward the Garou gathering. Her attempts at a brisk walk don't go terribly well--it comes off as a more stiff version of the shuffling old-lady's gait that she seems to have been permanently forced into. Nevertheless, she keeps her head up, her jaw slightly set. Only when she gets closer to the others does she say, firmly, "I'm here for my tribemates."

 

Memory shuffles uncomfortably from one clawed foot to another, then she leaves her branch and heads for Nicodemus' car. Unless Nick objects, he'll soon find his shoulder being used as a perch.

 

Charlene stands quietly in Glabro, left arm in a sling, bundled tightly, left shoulder wrapped in what seems like miles of bandage.

 

"Mouse," Elliot greets evenly, giving a glance over toward the parked vehicle and the kin driving it, but it doesn't linger long there. "My condolences regarding your tribemate."

 

Alexandra's bright green eyes, it might be noted, are a feature that Charlene shares with the taciturn Ahroun.

 

"No," Ky snaps, all that anger he's been so far keeping a lid on bubbling its way out. "You can't have him! You can't take him away! Just because you never approved of his choice in packmates and because you totally /abhor/ the Shadow Lords doesn't mean you can just take him away!"

 

Mouse gives Elliot a very faint nod, her features set into a firm mask, but anything she might have said dies when Ky speaks up. The Walker elder's gaze shifts sharply toward Ky, meeting his eyes directly with a look that's as cold as it is dominant.

 

Nicodemus lingers outside the car, door to the driver's side open, and shares a few quiet words with the raven as the corax joins him--away from all the garou. At Ky's outburst, he reorients himself so that he's no longer positioned to quickly get into the vehicle: he's facing the direction the garou are located in and--quite clearly--focusing the overwhelming majority of his attention in that direction.

 

"Ky," Elliot says, shortly, though it's not irritable. Yet. "Stop." And, thus, he addresses Alexandra: "Can you take Mouse to get her tribemate, please?"

 

Memory focuses on the Garou as things become heated, feathers pressing firmly against her body.

 

Alexandra does look up at Ky's explosion, eyes focusing on her packmate as she begins to rock slowly back and forth. Elliot's words fall on deaf ears, unfortunately, as the thin veneer of control she had left just snaps, and there's suddenly a crinos bearing down on both Ky and Mouse that no longer remotely cares about the argument that they were beginning to have. Most of them are going to have enough experience to realize that it _isn't_ a berserk frenzy, but she's still on a beeline for the two of them and they _do_ risk attack if they don't get out of the way.

 

Charlene's brilliant green eyes move from Ky, to Mouse, and then down to Alexandra, a bastion of calm in the midst of the turmoil. "Mouse-rhya...I'm not familiar with the rites of the Glass Walkers. Will he not rest in the company of the honored dead?"

 

Ky stares right back at Mouse. While the Walker elder's gaze is cold and dominant, his is hot from pain and loss, grieving for his fallen packmate and lacking any form of care or self preservation.

 

Charlene's question is lost to the air. Mouse snaps effortlessly, instantly into her birthform--against the oncoming Shadow Lord, she looks almost twisted, tail too long, with that strange, mechanical harness on her back, lacking in bulk--and answers Ky's stare with a Rage fueled, less than gentle shove out of the way of his packmate. She meets Alexandra with a wordless snarl of command, and claws if need be. /Down/.

 

Elliot's attention leaves Ky the moment Alexandra shifts, and so he does as well. He's quick and doesn't hesitate in his response, and he'll take her right down and away from the weaker theurge as soon as he's able.

 

Elliot contorts and blurs as he is transformed.

 

Elliot shifts into Crinos form.

 

Nicodemus clenches his right hand into a tight fist, knuckles gone white, as a crinos garou suddenly appears on the scene and threatens his tribal elder.

 

"Oh FUCK..." Charlene rumbles, more to herself than anyone, starting on a slow jog after Seeks-Raging-Water, kind of a slow shuffling thanks to the injured left shoulder. She stays back, however - she's still very, very hurt, and a few good shots might send *her* into a frenzy too.

 

Memory hisses loudly from her perch on Nicodemus' shoulder, then launches herself in to the air. ~Stand down, Ky! Hey! Everyone take a deep breath and a step back, okay? Just let Alexandra past... I think she's looking to run. Or by Gaia, I will take a giant crap on the first one to draw blood,~ she says, grumpily.

 

Seeks-Raging-Water plows directly through Ky -- unless he shifts or gets out of the way, she'll just trample him, but pay him no further mind. Mouse's words aren't heard at all, and she has every intention of doing the exact same thing to the Theurge except that a crinos isn't so easily shoved past -- it isn't until Mouse forcibly tries to stop her escape that'll she'll turn actively hostile, though, which given her remaining injuries, may be enough to give Elliot and Mouse the time they need.

 

Nicodemus pages: And Mouse might notice she got a little staticky-clingy all of a sudden.

 

Long distance to Nicodemus: First-Strike zap!

 

Ky goes sprawling, between Lex's sudden charge and Mouse's abrupt shove. He doesn't get back up while the others chase after his packmate.

 

Nicodemus pages: Not that bad. :) Yet. Looks like the scene's defusing. NOT losing an elder tonight.

 

First-Strike neither gets out of the way nor attempts a straight on block. She turns with Raging-Water's motion, and only then does she actually pounce, attempting to use Lex's own inertia against her in order to send her to the ground. She's quite aware of Elliot as he comes in, making room for the Alpha even as she attempts to sit on the Shadow Lord's back.

 

Shockwave doesn't go in for an attack on Alex - he just goes to assist Mouse in holding her down and ending the frenzy. Everything else either isn't heard or is ignored.

 

Nicodemus pages: Mouse'd probably notice that she feels pretty well rooted/balanced/forceful--morseso than usual even in crinos. Not ludicrously so, but.... /probably/ something is up. And I suspect she's smart enough to put two and two together. :)

 

You paged Nicodemus with 'Yeah, she'd definitely notice. :)'.

 

Nicodemus keeps his black-gloved right hand clenched into a hard fist. When Mouse goes to sit on the Shadow Lord, the fingers uncurl, spread, and transition into a flattening gesture.

 

It's a case of too many cooks. With Shockwave and First-Strike currently trying to pin Seeks-Raging-Water, Charlene slows and offers a hand to Ky to help him up. If they let Lex go, she'll follow, wounded as she is, at a safe distance until she's run herself out.

 

Seeks-Raging-Water doesn't have the raw strength to push the two of them off of her once she's tackled, but she's extremely agile, and she's an Ahroun -- so that means the flurry of teeth is a long one. Fortunately, she's lashing out blindly at whatever is within reach, and her leverage isn't particularly good. And no matter how much rage an Ahroun may have, when they're burning through it at full throttle, it's still only amounts to a handful of seconds.

 

Doubly so when at least one of those Crinos is exerting most of her weight onto the back of your head, trying to push your snout into the dirt so that all that gets chewed is rocks. First-Strike is panting heavily from the effort, but she seems well balanced on top of Raging-Water, and heavier than one might expect from her lack of muscle mass.

 

~Of for the love of,~ Memory grumps, but she doesn't follow through with her threat. Instead, she returns to Nicodemus' shoulder. "Damn wolves," she mutters, softly, irritably.

 

Ky, while his packmate is off snapping and snarling, remains lying face down on the grass. Shoulders shake and muscles tense with something other than protective anger, and for a moment the hand up is ignored.

 

"What do you expect? Flowers and candy followed by a Shakespearean sonnet?" Charlene asks the bird rhetorically, standing next to Ky, remaining still and silent, watchful.

 

Pack> First-Strike has stopped blocking. She's /angry/. There's physical pain too, from her back, but most of what comes across is a white-hot fury and impatience.

 

Pack> Kavi says "*SHOCK*"

 

Shockwave gets bit, but it's not something that is that crippling in terms of garou injuries. As soon as the rage is expended and her movements slow, he subdues the raging ahroun with Mouse's help, quick and efficient and trying not to harm the already injured ahroun any more than already possible. It's only then that he huffs out a snort, eyeing the bird with one eye before he steps off of her with one hand clamped over a bleeding arm. ~Because her getting eaten by the Wyld when she runs off into the woods is so much better. Mouse, you alright?~

 

Pack> Kavi *DISMAY*

 

Pack> Kavi says "Oh, and then PANIC!"

 

Pack> First-Strike only seems to be pushed to more anger by Kavi's emotions.

 

Pack> Masao conversely radiates an oddly calm understanding.

 

First-Strike snaps back down to homid nearly as fast as she took crinos, with a distinct amount of palpable temper that was previously well hidden. "Endanger my kin," she says, in an icy cold tone, though she doesn't finish the thought, and while she keeps her eyes on Alexandra's flattened form, it's not entirely clear who she's talking to (if not, judging by the order, Elliot). "Take me to Flint's body. /Now/. And tell me where Salem went."

 

Memory sighs, feathers fluffing up, as she gives herself a shake. ~Sorry. Point taken," she replies to Elliot. "Sorry. I'm tired," she adds, head tilting to one side as she looks at Nicodemus. "Seen enough hurt for one day. Going to go curl up somewhere." That said, she takes off, wings swiftly taking her away from the Garou.

 

Nicodemus's hand slips to his side as things seem to be resolving and returning to being under control. He nods to the corax and then slides back into the car's relative, awaiting further instructions from Mouse.

 

Charlene sinks down to her knees in the rainy weather next to Ky, her good hand resting on his shoulder, squeezing firmly, head bowed, hat hiding her eyes.

 

Ah, blissful unconsciousness. If anything, Alexandra is probably happier that way than awake, just at the moment. Needless to say, after returning to her birth form, she isn't going anywhere for a while.

 

Ky drags his hands over the ground to grope for his hood. Though it's Charlene's hand he finds instead, and he half turns his head to look up at the galliard. He pulls himself upright then drops his forehead against the Fury's good upper arm. "Don't know where Salem's gone," he practically mumbles. "Flint... Flint's body is in..." With eyes squeezing shut, the sentence is allowed to trail off.

 

Shockwave goes back down to homid, even though he's dripping blood. He ignores it, though - the wound's not terrible. He gives a glance to Mouse, and then, patient, takes a few steps over toward Ky. "--in where, Ky?" The words aren't pressing, aren't demanding, aren't impatient.

 

It only really seems to be Elliot's intervention that keeps Mouse from doing something physical, but as the Fianna steps in, she takes a literal step back, eyes narrowed, body tense, hands clenched at her sides.

 

The Fury leans close to Ky, putting her good arm around his waist, supporting him as best she can after she stands. "When we returned, we put him in the barn." she says softly, looking over her shoulder toward the closed door, a small lantern flickering on one of the posts. "A temporary place, until we could take him to the burial mounds and give him a proper send-off." She pauses, looking to Ky and then to Alexandra, unconcious, before speaking again. "If I may, Mouse-rhya...Flint chose his pack. He fought with them. Laughed with them. Died with them. They need to see it through to the very end - a family stands together when one of it's members falls."

 

Ky stands when Charlene does, though it might be the Fury's hold that keeps him on his feet. Pain lances through his expression again when the details are given and his gaze, stricken, lifts to Elliot and Mouse to silently plead with the both of them for some sort of common ground. Then, swallowing against a thick lump in his throat, the younger Ragabash folds his arms tightly across his chest and turns to lead the way to the garage.

 

Mouse inhales slowly. "He's also my family," she states flatly. "We trained him. I rited him. I'm taking him to the people he referred to as his parents, and then I'm going to put him on ice until we can put him at the mounds. Flint's dead. I cannot and /will not/ let people turn this into a stupid fucking territory dispute, as if I were doing this out of /spite/. This isn't about the fucking Shadow Lords. This is about Flint." She pushes off, as fast as she can with that pained, uneven, desperately slow shuffle, toward the barn.

 

Elliot looks tired, though he looks toward Charlene. "She isn't trying to take him away from you," he says, and that's angled more toward Ky than anything. "Pack's family. But so is tribe," he says at the tail end of what Mouse says, "And it hurts like -hell- to lose a pack member. I know. I've been there. Most of us have. But don't make this about you, or tribal disputes." He stands, lifts a hand to run it back through his hair, and stops abruptly when he realizes it's covered in blood and lets it fall to his side again with a sigh, not following into the garage but not leaving yet, either.

 

Ky glances back when he hears Mouse's footfalls behind him. He doesn't hurry to the garage but neither does he take his time. The door to the structure is pushed open when he gets there, and Mouse shown inside to where the cliath's body rests, cleaned as one would a fallen comrade in the field, waiting proper handling for burial. After a beat, he looks back at the adren as he moves aside to collect Flint's backpack as well, though that's held onto for the moment, in a white-knuckle grasp.

 

"It'll be fine. As fine as it can be." Charlene says reassuringly to Ky, walking with him as he moves to the barn, looking oer at Elliot with a knowing nod. The Fury stands in the doorway, watching quietly, the unspoken offer of help there.

 

Mouse shrugs out of her long black coat as she steps into the barn and sees Flint. Beneath, the bulk of the mechanical brace she wears is faintly visible. Once she's out of the coat she shifts up again to Crinos, then bends down with a visibly painful motion to wrap Flint in the coat, and lift him up again. It's clear that she notices the backpack, and just as clear that she's not going to say anything about it. Instead she immediately turns to head back out the way she came, presumably toward Nick's car.

 

Ky follows Mouse a bit more slowly than he'd led the way to the barn, pausing only briefly to look up at Charlene. Instead of shadowing the theurge to the car and driveway, he turns to head for Elliot and Lex instead.

 

Elliot, however, has moved over to help Mouse load the boy into the car - however she may do it - and only afterward does he look toward Alex and Ky. "I'm sorry for your loss," he reiterates, still calm. "And if you need to talk about anything, feel free to let me know." He otherwise seems to be preparing to leave, though, for now, if going for his keys is any indication.

 

Charlene squeezes Ky's shoulder as he moves past, watching Flint and Mouse move toward Nick's Porsche. "Have a story for me when we meet next, Flint-yuf." she murmurs softly, turning to follow Ky back to where Lex and Elliot are in the meadow, following close behind Ky.

 

Alexandra, by this point, is starting to come around. She seems to consider just staying where she's at for a long moment, but however slowly, does push her way back to her feet.

 

Mouse once again shifts aside to allow Elliot to help--she puts Flint in the back seat, on an already prepared tarp, though on the floor where a casual glance won't notice anything amiss. She doesn't seem to have any more words; once Flint is loaded in, she shifts back down and slips into the passenger-side seat. Moments later, Nick starts up the car.

 

Ky looks back at the car when it starts up, Elliot's words are nodded to. He draws in a shaking breath, and passes the backpack off to Lex. Something might pass between himself and his packmate, the way he hesitates releasing the bag, but no words are spoken. He looks up at Elliot as he moves away from Lex and Charlene, nearly on the verge of saying something more. Though, effort goes without completion and he instead starts away from everything instead.

 

Eventually, any more words are superfluous and lose any power held in them, like a story told too many times. Charlene watches as Mouse moves to the car and then, noticing movement from Alexandra, makes her way over there, having shrunk to Homid, to stand near her. "Come on." Her voice is gentle, even in her injured state, her breath slow and measured. "Let's see him off."

 

---

 

Tenement Building - Ground Floor(#2451RJ)

 

The ground floor of the apartment building is taken up mainly by the lobby, an open space with the front doors at one end and the elevator and the door leading to the stairwell at the other. The floor is covered in black and white tile in a checkerboard pattern, and the walls have been painted a neutral grey shade. A couch, two squashy armchairs, and two wooden chairs have been set up in a rough semi-circle around a square wooden coffee table, facing toward the front doors and positioned so as not to interfere with any traffic moving between there and the stairs. The furniture does not seem to be very old, but it has been well-worn in its short lifetime. A few potted plants have been set in corners, to give the old lobby a more welcoming atmosphere. 

 

To the right of the main doors are mailboxes for building residents, and off to the left is the doorway into a cramped rental office (see +view), and other doors that lead to the building's large laundry room.

 

Contents:

Salem

Rina

Masao

Spark

Kavi(#3249PJOc)

 

Obvious exits:

Stairs Salem's Apartment Out

 

Salem rubs his eyes. "Appreciated," he says, voice still dull. "I'm still stepping down as Master of the Challenge."

 

From afar, Salem is slouched/sitting on the couch, Kavi and Rina are standing together, Masao has her back to Salem, I think. Standing. Oh, and Jack's smoking. Has been smoking. And still has some dried blood in his hair.

 

Masao takes a step or so out of the way of being impromptu barrier and folds her arms over her chest, fingers rubbing lightly at her arms. The Ragabash simply looks tired and faintly contemplative now.

 

Rina presses her lips together, hard, and crosses to the Ahroun. She is blinking back tears, as she drops to a crouch in front of Salem.

 

The sound of keys rattling in the lock comes from the front door.

 

Kavi's touch lingers, hand extending as Rina moves away. At the sound of keys, however, he turns, and a single glance at the monitor is all it takes for him to hurry his pace, nearly sprinting across to open the door.

 

Salem glances toward the door -- guiltily avoiding looking at Rina.

 

Masao looks up and follows Kavi's glance to the monitor, continuing to rub at her arms as if cold.

 

Mouse is on the threshold, alone and unburdened, though she looks fairly exhausted, and the tension in her face makes it clear that her back is hurting her more than usual. She looks up as Kavi opens the door, nods very slightly to him, and makes to shuffle inside.

 

Rina sets a hand on Salem's knee, but twists to look over her shoulder to the door. Her attention returns to the grizzled man, though. "Jack," she says hoarsely.

 

Kavi looks to Mouse as she enters, an unspoken question in his gaze. Tugging the corner of his lip between his teeth, and turns from her to close the door again.

 

Seeing Mouse does nothing to alleviate Salem's dark, guilt-heavy mood; quite the opposite. He grimaces and glances down at Rina. "What."

 

Masao waits for Mouse to come inside before giving her a soft nod, fingers stilling for a time in the folds of her sleeves.

 

"He's at the bunker," Mouse says, answering that unspoken question in quiet, even tones. "Didn't think it'd be a good idea to walk in with him with our watchers outside." Her eyes, not quite on Kavi or Rina, move toward Salem. "Hey." The greeting is also quiet and even, but carries a faint note of relief. "Bastard, I was going to set out looking for you again."

 

Rina reaches up to touch the scarred face, shining eyes watching him. She is still, for now, letting Mouse talk to him. While she holds her place, crouched by his knees.

 

Riley enters from East Bridge Street.

Riley has arrived.

 

Kavi tenses, but nods to Mouse. His fingers rake back through his hair as he returns. He leaves a little distance between himself and the others, watching Rina, watching Salem.

 

Salem jerks his head away from Rina's hand and leans back against the sagging couch cushions. His own hand shakes a little as he takes another drag, and he eyes Mouse sidelong. "Again?"

 

Rina's reaction is sharp; she looks away, dropping the gesture and rocking back onto her heels.

 

Masao quietly moves off to one side, finding a convenient patch of wall to lean against and be the otherwise unnoticeable Gnawer in the room. It affords her the chance to watch her packmates without intruding much more.

 

"Kavi said you were hurt, and nowhere to be found," Mouse replies. She shuffles a little further into the room, heading toward one of the unoccupied armchairs. It's an old woman's walk, even if she keeps her shoulder's straight. "So I went looking for both of you. How bad is it?" Masao gets a nod in return, even if it's a belated one.

 

The door from Bridge Street swings open, and Riley steps inside. She's still in a tee shirt and pajama pants, same as she was when she left the building some time ago. She eases the door shut behind her, sending a glance toward Mouse and a lingering look over at Salem. The cool air doesn't seem to have unwound the stiffness from her shoulders, and she doesn't speak as she turns to secure the locks back into place.

 

Kavi takes a single step forward when Rina rocks back on to her heels, but that's as far as he goes, and his attention remains focused on the others until Riley returns. After another glance to the kin, he crosses toward the door, and the newly arrived ragabash.

 

Rina stays right where she is.

 

Masao remains in a lean against one wall on the outskirts of the knot of Walkers, observant and quiet for now. She notes Riley's return blankly, doing little more than rubbing the heel of one hand against one eye.

 

"I lost my shit and killed Flint," Salem says, looking away and staring at his cigarette. His shoulders hunch and tighten; he looks like he might get up off the couch, but Rina hunkered there at his feet prevents him from moving.

 

Mouse wasn't prepared for that, as anyone who knows her well enough can see. She stiffens in her lean against the chair (she hasn't sat down yet), and whatever trace of gallows humor might have been present for the 'bastard' line in her features fades back into a carefully controlled mask. "Okay," she says, after a longer than usual pause. Her voice is still quiet and calm. "...What happened?"

 

Pack> Mouse's anger has faded on the ride back. Her grief, now, seems to sharpen, then settle back, as tightly controlled as her facial features.

 

"He Frenzied," Rina whispers.

 

Her elder's apparent surprise at Salem's statement has Riley's brows lifting, but she doesn't interject. She presses her shoulderblades to the back of the wall on the side of the door and leans there, lifting her eyes to Kavi as he approaches.

 

Pack> Kavi says "Kavi's emotions are in turmoil. Grief is strongest, but also worry, anger, and fear, tossed around with confusion and a dose of shock."

 

Pack> Masao tries to offer something soothing in kind, but there's a heavy backing of fatigue.

 

Masao pinches the bridge of her nose after rubbing at her eye and presses the back of her head to the wall.

 

Kavi stops short at something he sees in Riley, but he turns back to the others. "I. I have to go. I... I have to go there. To see him."

 

Salem fidgets, long fingers fiddling with his cigarette.

 

"In a minute, Kavi," Mouse says. Then to the room, "Okay. What else happened?"

 

Rina looks over her shoulder to Kavi. "To see--"

 

Riley remains rooted in place, her jaw working for a moment as though she's about to speak. Ultimately, though, she says nothing, just alternates her focus between Mouse and Kavi's back.

 

Kavi shifts his weight, tension of the moment keeping him from stillness. He swallows as he meets Rina's gaze, and then looks down with a nod. "To see /him/," he whispers.

 

Masao cracks one eye open to view the scene and mutters briefly to herself before speaking in a clear, tired voice. "We went across the moonbridge. We walked into a fog-barrier thing. Luna's hand fell heavy on us all. It was a struggle to keep the rage at bay. One minute it was quiet, the next we got set upon by the damn Civil War. Salem Thralled. Flint frenzied. Bad luck brought them to each other. Spirit-soldiers were killed, things went boom, we got back to the moonbridge. The end."

 

Rina swallows, and nods, twisting to her feet. She doesn't speak, just comes to his side.

 

Salem remains on the couch, even after Rina leaves to join Kavi. He stares at a spot on the floor, fidgets with the cigarette some more, then takes another drag.

 

Once Masao gives her brief overview, Mouse gives Kavi a nod; leave to go, apparently. Her attention turns fully to Salem. "How badly are you hurt?"

 

Riley makes herself useful by taking a half-step over to spring the locks a second time, holding the door open for Kavi and Rina.

 

Kavi gives a single nod, taking Rina's hand as he steps outside.

 

Masao glances after the pair with faint worry, but remains in place watching them go.

 

Rina takes the Galliard's hand, twining fingers with Kavi's and walking out with him.

 

Salem waves his cigarette hand vaguely without looking up. "Nothing that won't heal in a few days," he says. "New scar in my side. I think."

 

Having fulfilled her temporary role as doorman for the Tenement Building, Riley abandons her post by the side of the door and steps up to join the conversation, "Kavi and Rina are 'going to see him', but where is he? Shouldn't he be here? The Caern's not safe."

 

Mouse eases into her lean on the chair, with one leg partially resting on the armrest itself. She takes her time fishing out her own pack of cigarettes, her own lighter, and lighting up. "You'll be there next week when we move the swarm?" It's a question, but the tone of it, her voice, suggests what she expects the answer to be. "At the bunker," she answers Riley. "Until we can move him to the burial mounds. I had a freezer unit moved in a while ago. I didn't want to bring him in here with vampires watching our doorstep."

 

Salem's jaw clenches. He finishes off the cigarette, then leans forward to stub it out in an ashtray. What he does not do is answer Mouse.

 

Lifting her hand to squeeze at the bridge of her nose, Riley takes a breath and lets it out slow, "Mentioned it to Kavi and Kevin, but... Flint was covering a lion's share of the security detail, what with the house arrest. Gonna have to redistribute the hours." She awkwardly lowers her hand.

 

Mouse let's the lack of an answer go on for a minute or so, before saying, "I need you there next week. And when we wake up the Caern. And any time in-between that you can spare." She holds her gaze for a moment, then nods to Riley. "I'll have the new schedule tomorrow morning."

 

"Fine," Salem says, obediently but without spirit. He hauls himself up off the couch and back to his feet, then starts limping for the stairwell. "I need a shower."

 

Mouse lets him go, though there are clearly more words unsaid. She watches the Philodox retreat before glancing down at the coffee table, and her own cigarette.

 

Glancing Salem's way and bobbing her head quietly, Riley quietly murmurs, "I'd want one too." Her words are limply delivered, lacking distinctly in emotion of any sort. She gives a soft little click of her tongue, looking away. "Just save some hot water, okay? I'm gonna need one, too."

 

Salem grunts something noncommittal and vague as he leaves, heading upstairs.

 

Salem heads for the stairs.

Salem has left.

 

Owen has arrived.

 

Masao exhales slowly and sinks a little at the knees, rubbing both hands at her eyes for a moment. "I should get outta here before I fall asleep on the floor. Comfy as it looks, it'd suck in the morning." she says this mostly to herself before straightening away from the wall.

 

"Empty rooms upstairs," Mouse offers, almost as an aside. She looks from her cigarette to the chair she's leaning on, considering it in the same manner as someone sizing up a formidable opponent, though she doesn't make any move to sit down yet.

 

Regarding the floor with a rather more dubious expression than Masao, Riley gives a shake of her head, "You really don't want to sleep on this floor. Trust me, you don't know where it's been." Now that the emotionally-charged crowd has begun to thin a little, she quietly moves to the couch and sinks into it, closing her eyes.

 

There may well be a buzzer to the front door, but there's only a heavy-handed knocking from the Get, easily spotted by the security cameras.

 

Masao grunts and raises both eyebrows as if the concept had just dawned on her. Riley's words sink in and the Gnawer replies with a shaky sort of laugh. "And here I'd say the same about me in regards to the floor. We'd be good company." The buzzer at the door startles her and she actually jumps a little in place. "I think that's my cue. Yeah. G'night." she waves vaguely and heads upstairs as well, patently avoiding adding another face to the parade tonight.

 

Glancing from Masao's departing form over toward the door, Riley grunts at length. Muttering something under her breath about doormen, she approaches the door and cracks it open. At the sight of Owen, she simply pulls open the door and holds it for him with a gruff, "Evening."

 

Naturally, there's a buzzer. They couldn't possibly be self-respecting Glass Walkers without one. Mouse jerks her head toward the door, then seems to make her decision regarding the chair. She eases herself slowly and painfully into it. "Riley, could you--?" By the time the door opens, she's worked to banish the strain from her features, and has adjusted her position to be much more casual. Still, without her dark coat, the bulk of the weird mechanical brace she wears is visible.

 

Owen steps into the entryway after a curt but proper nod to Masao. He looks the place over for a moment and isn't terribly surprised to see the place running quiet, given the time and all. "I came to speak briefly with Salem. I assume he is resting?" He offers a nod towards Mouse as well, catching a glimpse of her last.

 

The lack of a response from Owen gets a twitch of Riley's lips, but she doesn't cast any barbs his way in recompense - she calmly closes the door and secures it, folding her arms and leaning back against the door again, "...Yeah. He's resting up." She murmurs.

 

Mouse nods in response to Riley's confirmation. "Can we take a message for him?"

 

Owen's near-permanent scowl deepens, more due to an inner dialogue than anything else. He reaches into an inner pocket inside his jacket, pausing briefly as his right arm appareently is running stiff, and manages to pull out a metal flask. "I was figuring..." That comment just trails off.

 

Where she's kept her emotions pretty well in check for the evening thus far, Riley is clearly starting to fray some around the edges. She gives a soft little snort and walks her way back to the couch, dropping down into it. Frowning tightly, she alternates looks between Owen and Mouse.

 

"That he'd like a drink?" Mouse guesses. She gestures, however, to one of the open seats. "Feel free to sit down if you like. I don't think he'll be back down tonight, though."

 

"Needs a drink," Owen corrects. He steps further into the room to hand it to Mouse. His wounds are hidden under clothes, few as they may be, but the theurge should be able to pick up on them. He hands the flask to her. "You don't have to tell him who its from."

 

"Right now, I think what he needs the most is sleep." Riley finally interjects, having grown weary from biting back the majority of her words for the evening, "And I can tell you for a certainty, the last thing /we/ need right now is a drunk Jack Salem." She folds one leg over the other, openly frowning. "Not that I don't appreciate what you're trying to do." She really doesn't look like she does.

 

Mouse accepts the flask, despite Riley's words. "Noted. Take it you were there today too." Her eyes flick to his concealed injuries. "What the hell did we run into out there?"

 

Owen shrugs a little stiffly. "Was able to piece a few things together. Pocket realm from Battleground. Something about a battle between bluecoats and Yakima. Passed through a zone first that granted something nearly akin to Wolverine's blessing before it literally exploded upon us. Many frenzied. Some thralled." He looks briefly to the offered chair and seems to think about taking it, but he remains standing where he is after that moment. "Had to knock the thralled out myself, but not before Flint was taken." He says all that calmly enough.

 

Riley leans back against the couch, listening intently. In spite of the sour expression and clipped words, she's now back to keeping to herself.

 

Mouse accepts this with a nod, and a deeper than before puff on her cigarette. "The thralled?" she echoes. "There was more than Salem?"

 

"And Viv," Owen answers succinctly. "But save myself and maybe 2 others, the rest were also frenzied. I'm almost surprised there weren't more casualties. But we did win the day. The moonbridge is clear."

 

"Jesus," Riley mutters, simply and to the point.

 

Mouse sits up a little straighter, which doesn't come without the cost of a faint wince. "How many were there, do you think?" she asks. And then, "Good. We'll be moving the swarm next week, provided nothing goes disastrously wrong. We'll need claws to deal with any wasp stragglers, or those that might follow Jacinta and I back from the mountain. And after that, there's the Caern Awakening."

 

Owen rolls his eyes back a little, thinking back and taking roll of who was there. He counts them off to the best of his recollection. "Alexandra, Charlene, Kevin, Ky, Masao, Reggie, Salem, Viv, and Flint. Norman sent us off but stayed behind. And there was a Corax, what's-its-face. And we faced off against a charge of calvary, field guns, and artillery."

 

"Val," Mouse supplies. "She was there when I went to get Flint. Ky, Lex, and Charlene too, and Masao just left." She exhales a puff of smoke. "Okay."

 

"Val," Riley likewise murmurs. She unfolds her legs and brushes off her pajama pants, taking a long breath and letting it out slow. "From what I heard, she managed to talk down those Yakima spirits, keep 'em from getting it involved. Good thing, too. Sounds like a second wave would've straight fucked our forces with half of 'em frenzied."

 

Owen looks over to Riley as she speaks. "I've been a child of Wolverine. Twice. His mantle is heavy, but his price is paid in carnage. They all fought well, even in their weakness." He stands up a little straighter, a popping sound coming from his shoulder as he does so that he seems to pay no mind. "Flint fought well. And he died well. He should be remembered well."

 

"He'll be remembered," Mouse says, firmly. "Though I'd have preferred it if he just kept on living well."

 

There's another light twitch of Riley's lips, and she shakes her head. "Don't think anyone was sayin' they didn't fight well. You succeeded. Nearly everyone came back home, despite an insane number of frenzies." She closes her eyes, and murmurs, "That damned idiot."

 

Owen eyes Riley again, obviously not sharing her view on the subject, but then again he's a Get, and no one shares with them a worldview. He turns back to Mouse, nodding slightly to her, before speaking again. "I will be a hundred percent in a day or two. If you need, I will go as well with you and the Warder."

 

"Jacinta's flying," Mouse offers, with a grim sort of almost-smile. "She'll be in the most danger on the way there, but no one who isn't flying is going to be able to help her. On the way /back/, we'll need people to stomp any wasps that follow us back through the moon bridge, or any that don't actually follow Jacinta through."

 

Riley doesn't get the chance to see Owen as he eyes her, as her eyes remain closed for quite some time, her frown tightening. Her eyes only reopen when Mouse resumes speaking, "With any luck, we might be able to make the stragglers you're going to be dealing suitably drunk off their asses and they won't put up much of a fight." She folds her arms, one hand dipping slightly to settle on her stomach. "...And with an even more ridiculous amount of luck, Team Ragabash'll be there to help out with the cleanup, and not in itty-bitty pieces." Another twitch of her lips, and a sigh.

 

The part about not putting up much of a fight causes Owen to turn a touch more dour, eventually letting out a small sigh along with Riley, though for a completely different reason. He speaks to Mouse, however. "I think I can swat a couple flies," he intones a little flatly. "But I must ask of you one thing."

 

Mouse's eyebrows lift in silent question.

 

Riley mutters under her breath, "Yeah, flies."

 

Owen seems to have heard Riley, but he makes nothing of it. "Hurry up and fucking finish your challenge already. I'm growing tired of standing in line."

 

Mouse's eyebrows remain lifted for a few moments longer. "I don't intend to make people wait any longer than necessary to bring the Caern back," she replies, after a moment.

 

Riley's brows lift, and her head tilts, but she doesn't add anything.

 

Owen actually cracks a smile, a rare thing indeed. He yields a stiff, Prussian bow. "You can still contact me at the farm. I'll be ready when you need me." He turns and seems about to go, but stops himself. "By the way, I had a skullpig trophy back there, in the garage. It's gone now."

 

Mouse shakes her head slightly. "I'm not in there often enough, but I think I vaguely remember it. Count on Saturday morning. Fidelity's totem, Skokiaan, is going to be the one opening the bridge."

 

Owen simply nods again before bidding the two a goodnight.