"This shit is *getting* to me."

[renferret]

Ex meets a number of Walkers, gets a number of gifts, doles out a number of headaches.



Tenement Building - Cockroach's Breakroom(#3365RJ)

Here, a large studio apartment has been converted into a mutual meeting space for the tribe, one with its own kitchen and bathroom. The walls are a simple, plain white, and the floor is covered in stain-resistant beige carpet. The windows look out onto the somewhat less than scenic view of downtown St. Claire, but more often than not, white blinds prevent anyone from peeking in, or out.

Amenities are what might be expected--a well stocked refrigerator and cupboards, a microwave, a coffee maker, a toaster. There's a wooden table that seats four, five or six if people scrunch, and enough chairs to service it. There's also an old couch and armchair along the walls, angled to face a large, plasma screen television. Most of the entertainment goodies are here. An old NES system, an original Sega system, and an XBOX 360, each with assorted games. There's also a DVD/VCR combo player, and nearby a box of movies, most of them Ed Wood and Roger Corman specials. Ah, classics.

Along one wall is a row of tables and chairs, on which sit five desktop computers as well as the Walker's network server, a printer, and a scanner. (+view for more details)

Contents:
Nieve
Kevin
Flint
Memorial
Information Board: Skindiggers Cult

Obvious exits:
Out

"Bein' in the digital web ain't like bein' in the rest of the Umbra," Nieve explains quietly, scratching her cheek briefly. "It's.. almost more like playin' a computer game, 'cept if you die, you -die-."

The galliard nods, shifting to turn towards Nieve. "Sounds... neat," Flint says. "I. I dunno. BUt it sounds neat."

"Kinda," Nieve acknowledges, then finishes her mug of juice. "I'll tell y'the story if y'like, now or later."

Flint leans on the arm of the couch, glancing past Nieve to the door of the breakroom, and then back to Nieve. "I'd like that. Whenever. Whenever you want, don't... if you've got something more. More important, don't worry about. About it," Flint says.

Ex can be heard before she's seen, as she stomps down the hallway from the cubroom in a heavy manner that's likely entirely deliberate. When she appears in the breakroom doorway, her eyes are narrowed, with lines to suggest a serious lack of sleep. One sleeve on her new-ish hoodie is bunchier than it should be. She eyes those in the room carefully as she scoots toward the kitchen, and the refrigerator.

"There's always somethin' more important, - until you die, an' the story ain't been told," Nieve admits to Flint with a rueful smile. Then she glances up as Ex comes in, offering the cub a brief smile. "Mornin'. There's pizza, lasagna an' cold meat in the fridge if y'want somethin," she notes.

"Whenever is. Is good for, you, Nieve-rhya," Flint repeats, looking over at Ex and nodding greeting.

Ex pulls the fridge door open without acknowledging any of the greetings. It takes her only a few moments before she pulls out the pizza--the whole thing, mind--and sets it on the counter.

"Maybe it's time f'you to tell another story, Flint," Nieve suggests then, watching Ex go about her foraging. "Somethin' primal. I'unno how much you've told our guest already, but."

Flint turns his head towards Nieve. "Not as much as. None of the songs," Flint says, frowning a little.

Ex says, without turning around--she appears to be carefully inspecting the food--"Kavi can summon a /big fucking/ monster that talks."

"We're all gifted, in one way or another, once we pass cubhood," Nieve tells Ex with a small smile. "Kavi's gifts relate to communication, to inspiring, to finding allies. Mine arn't so showy, but I can demonstrate for you if you like."

Flint purses his lips, looking back at the cub, but quiet for the moment.

Ex turns around to eye Nieve at this offer. She has a piece of cold pizza in hand, and she takes an unwisely large bite from it. The Theurge gets a jerk of her chin.

"If you'd step away from the counter?" Nieve asks, waiting to see if Ex does so - either way, she lifts her hand and points to the kitchen cabinets and drawers. Calling on her control of the smallest machines, she silently asks the drawer sliders to slide, the door hinges to open, the switches for the power sockets to move up and down.

Flint cranes his head to look at where Nieve's pointing, after a moment, and grins.

Ex jerks around and stares at the moving cabinetry, her mouth full of pizza, and her scarred cheeks slightly puffed. Her eyebrows visibly raise.

Nieve then carefully asks them all to close, slide back and stop dancing, to give the cub a little time to re-compose herself. She doesn't say anything, instead just considers Ex thoughtfully.

Flint stares at the cabinetry for a moment longer, and looks to Nieve. "Kavi was. Was telling me about that Gift," the cliath says, quietly.

Ex focuses on chewing her food, slowly at that, as she eyes the previously moving kitchen implements with deep suspicion. It'll probably take her a little longer to clear her mouth enough to say anything.

"They won't move on their own, I promise," Nieve tells Ex patiently, before nodding sidelong to Flint. "It's useful. Situational, I guess. Can use it to type if you're busy eatin' pizza, for example." Oh, such a dry and teasing example.

Flint continues to look at the cabinetry, and then looks at Nieve. "That's /cool/," he eventually says. "I... Kavi-rhya is teaching me Dedication, and I. I'm teaching Kavi-rhya the. The... the Artwork rite. If... at some point, would... could you teach me that, Nieve-rhya?" The request takes quite a while for Flint to articulate, wary glances towards Ex every once in a while.

Ex folds the crust of her pizza and shoves the entire thing into her mouth. Chew, chew, chew. One eye narrows a little further as she watches the other two talk.

"The gift?" Nieve nods. "Prob'ly. We'll talk about it when you're done learnin' Dedication," she affirms to the cliath, before turning her gaze back to Ex. "S'decent pizza. Garcia's, if y'ever been there. Anyhow - y'got any questions while we're all here?"

Flint grins at Nieve, a little bit, then settles back on the couch once more.

Ex finally swallows the last of her pizza slice. "Your mural's creepy," she says, voice hoarse, as she jerks a thumb back toward the doorway. "Keep seeing things in it."

Flint tilts his head to one side, and looks at Ex. "The one in the hall? Or?" He points at the mural that forms the backdrop for the memorial.

Ex's gaze flicks to the memorial behind the computers, and her eyes narrow again. "That's creepy too," she confirms.

Flint turns towards the memorial, and nods. "Ishmael painted the. The hallway. Long... long before I got here," Flint says, and then points at the memorial. "I... I made that. It remembers werewolves of our tribe, who've died. Fighting the Wyrm, and such."

Ex looks at Flint, and her nose wrinkles. "Werewolves of what fighting the what? Who /died/?"

"Werewolf society is split up broadly along family lines. We call them tribes," Nieve explains in brief. "And they died fighting the Wyrm - the spirit of all that is corrupt or dying. It has many pawns, many minions. Some lesser, some strong enough to kill a pack of hunting werewolves. Or, as we call ourselves, Garou."

Flint shoots Nieve a fairly grateful look when she pipes up. "That," he says, very quietly.

Ex runs her fingernails over her forehead before she reaches over for another slice of pizza. She takes a bite with deliberate slowness, watching both Walkers carefully.

"Flint an' I are both Glass Walkers, so's Kavi. Moros, he's a Black Fury. There's a bunch of families, the who an' what ain't so much important as knowin' they're there. S'more like a dif'rence in philosophy," Nieve finishes. "All of us 'cept one, we fight the wyrm, to try an' stop the world bein' such a shitty place. The one who don't.. they're bad juju, an' they're the ones I said before who'd love to find you."

"Fucking weird," Ex mutters around her pizza. "If you're the god damned X-Men, where's your fucking jet?"

"I'd love a jet," Nieve ventures wistfully, then smiles just a little bit. "Ain't got no jet, sadly. Nor yellow spandex, thank fuck. Got the claws, got the attitude, got.. gifts, like I said. One day, you might too, if you stick at it."

Ex swallows her bite, and sticks her tongue out the side of her mouth, with appropriate sound effect. "Pbth. No. I'm learning control, like you all keep saying. Then I'm out."

"What, bein' a Jedi ain't enough to tempt you?" Nieve enquires, sounding thoughtful. "What would it take t'get you t'want to learn the rest, Ex?"

Ex's right shoulder lifts, and falls. "Being a Jedi didn't help the others." She takes another bite of pizza, but she's watching Nieve and Flint now; she never quite fully looks away from either of them.

"Others?" Flint asks, quietly.

"Were they experienced like us?" Nieve asks. "Or raw recruits like y'self?" She rises, beginning to poke around the room. Then, "Flint, y'got a bit of wood spare I can use?"

"Fuck if I know," Ex mutters, once again around a mouthful. "And I'm not a fucking recruit." She jerks her chin toward the memorial wall. "Didn't fucking help them either, did it?"

Flint looks over at the wall. "They might have died," the young galliard says, "but. But those times? Except. Those times, we won." He waves at the names. "I... if you want, some point. I'll tell you the stories, their stories." The theurge gets a nod, and Flint pulls a half-carved small block of two by four, offers it to her. "This work?" There's the beginning impressions of a flower growing out of the wood.

"They were soldiers," Nieve replies simply. "So are we. Dyin', it happens." She shakes her head at Flint, then. "No. Somethin' you don't mind not gettin' back. Just a small bit," she clarifies.

"See?" the cub swallows, and takes another bite of pizza. "Pretty big fucking downside to being a Jedi X-Man in the creepy werewolf cult."

Flint pulls out his switchblade from his pocket, and proceeds to carve a thin sliver of the wood off, offering it to Nieve. "I. I messed up, anyway," he explains.

"S'true," Nieve agrees. "Only problem is, whichever way you choose, it's gonna happen. You choose us, you choose them - or, you choose neither an' get killed simply for bein' one," she finishes, taking the finger-sized piece of wood and nodding her thanks to the cliath.

Ex scowls. "I choose being me. Why the fuck do I wanna go die in a creepy cult war fighting evil spirits?" She adds, "Kavi's monster was fucking /big/. And it had wings. It could /fly/."

Flint furrows his brow. "You met Kavi's... Fidelity's pack totem?" Flint asks, putting the pieces together.

"Yep. If you really care for things summoned, there's others. S'a bit showy for my taste, though - I tend not t' ask th' spirits to come by just to make a demonstration," Nieve muses. Lifting her hand, she begins to touch the lump of wood - petting it almost, like it were a small animal. And then it is - or at least, the sculpture of one, a particularly lifelike if rather small chameleon. This is set aside on the table, almost incidently.

"Yep." Ex swings around to face them more directly, and leans against the kitchen counter. Another bite of pizza. "Skokiaan. It talked. Seemed kind've nice. Scratched me up when I asked. Creepy smile though." Her eyes flick, briefly, toward the suddenly shaped wood. Her chewing gets a little slower.

Flint nods at Ex, but then Flint's getting up, turning mostly away from the other two, with a distracted look on his face.

"Sphinx spirit, if I r'member rightly." Nieve cocks her head slightly, then digs out her cellphone to send a text, a tiny little smile present as she does so. "Never met 'er personally. Fancy meetin' another spirit?"

Ex's chewing speed slows to an absolute crawl. "Uh." She swallows. "Why?"

Out in the hall, Riley enters from the stairs.

"I've got a spirit friend who hangs around sometimes," Nieve murmurs. "S'not as big or clawy as a sphinx, m'fraid. You'll prob'ly laugh, when he gets here." She doesn't seem self-concious despite her words, though there's no sign of anything arriving immediately.

Out in the hall, Rina leans against the wall outside the breakroom, her head bowed as she listens. Her expression's taut with pain.

Ex starts to take another bite, but pauses with the half-eaten pizza slice partway to her mouth. "Do you all have fucking spirits?" A beat. "Are you Jedi X-Men Pokemon masters or some shit?"

"We don't all have spirits, no." Nieve shakes her head, dreadlocks swaying. "But, they're allies an' occasionally friends. I've been with this one six years now. He's a personal friend, as 'posed to Skokiaan, who is the friend of a whole pack."

Out in the hall, For the first time in a long while, Riley isn't running on mere scraps of sleep - she's still sporting a rather impressive flash of bedhead, but that simply can't be helped. Spotting Rina, the ragabash pauses, and clears her throat as she approaches, hands slipping into her jeans pockets. "Hey... Rina? You alright, there?"

Flint is distracted for a long moment, and then turns back to Ex and Nieve. "Right," he says, quietly.

Ex's nose wrinkles. "Don't make it appear right in front of me. Over there, with you two."

"I don't -make- it do anythin'. Still, it ain't dangerous," Nieve ventures. There's a flash of colour more or less above her, and a large butterfly fizzles into being. By large, we're talking probably twice the size of letter paper - and it's brightly coloured. Very specifically, the wings are blue and green on one side, and red and yellow on the other.

Out in the hall, Rina glances over to Riley, offering a thin smile. "Sure," she says softly. "You?"

"It /is/ a Pokemon," Ex exclaims, with a light snort. "It's a butterfly-a-chu." She sets her pizza down and leans forward, head angling up to peer at the materialized spirit.

Flint gets up from the couch, at this, moving over to the kitchen, but there's a pause, and he glances to the butterfly, with a nod of greeting, and unhidden wonder.

"His name is Chit-Chat. He's an MSN butterfly," Nieve explains. The spirit flaps a little more then lands on the back of a chair, wings outspread to be admired. "He can talk, just not while he's materialised."

Out in the hall, Riley meets that response with a clear look of skepticism, as well as a lifted brow. "Can't complain, for a change." She eases her back against the wall, sliding her eyes over to regard the kin. "Meanwhile," She ventures, "You look like you've gotta helluva migraine... else someone pissed in your Wheaties." She alternates a hand from her jeans pocket into her coat pocket, fingers fumbling around for something or another.

Ex rolls her eyes ceilingward and covers her face with her hands. "Fucking /Microsoft/ has spirits? Fucking Microsoft?"

There's a buzzing and then a sound that sounds like the R2D2 sounds, from Flint's pocket, and he pulls out his phone as he gets into the kitchen, blinking a few times. "Um..." is all he manages, though he looks through the cabinets obligingly.

"It's a bit more complicated'n that," Nieve muses. "Maybe his ancestors were tied to Microsoft - he ain't, he's just a butterfly who likes text. He's evolved from that. Same as Cellular Sparrows, Firefoxes, Thunderbirds. They're related, but not to th' software any more."

Out in the hall, Rina gives a small shake of her head. "It's just ... this girl," she says, quiet and hoarse. "Issues, triggers. Sue's havin' a rough time too."

"No," Ex says flatly, as she lowers her hands. "You are making that shit up. That is fucking stupid." She slides another step or so closer, and reaches out a finger to poke at one of the colorful wings.

"Here, let him talk t'you." Nieve offers her cellphone over to Ex. "He'll text you, if he's got somethin' t'say." The butterfly darts back away from the poking, taking flight again to somewhere higher up.

Out in the hall, Pulling a pack of gum from her coat pocket, Riley looks momentary baffled by its presence, lifting it up to examine it closely before shrugging and unwrapping the peice and popping it into her mouth. There's a cracking little crunch, and Riley frowns, but powers through it. She continues frisking her pockets, glancing over to Rina with a more serious expression, "Issues and triggers?" She's asking for clarity, it seems.

The R2D2 sounds go again, and Flint looks at his phone, and looks over at Chit-Chat, and then looks at Nieve. "Sugar?" he asks. A moment later of fussing around the kitchen, Flint returns with a glass of juice, and a bunch of cookies and gummy bears on a plate. "Here, Chit-Chat. Sugar."

Ex takes the cellphone between her fingers, gingerly, and with a look of distaste on her features. Her eyes move from it to Nieve several times.

Nieve pages: There's a text from number withheld. Sugar? Sugar. Hi. Hi.

The spirit moves to settle on the edge of the glass of juice, wings fanning again.

Flint startles, ever so slightly, when the spirit lands on the glass of juice, and there's a moment of his mouth hanging open, before he looks down at the butterfly. "Alright. You, that. That's sugar too, I guess." Though this has Flint diverting back to the kitchen to carefully get a /second/ glass of juice for himself.

Ex frowns at the cellphone screen, then looks up at the butterfly spirit. "You're kind've duuuuuumb," she tells it, and then says into the phone speaker, "Duuuuuumb."

Nieve pages: Text: dumb but pretty!!!

The Theurge smiles a little bit as her companion gets comfortable with his juice, sitting back simply to watch.

Flint shoots Ex a rather dark, annoyed look, before moving and pulling out a chair at the table, cell phone set down next to him before he takes a few sips of his own juice.

Ex jiggles the cellphone. "Okay," she concedes to it. "A little." Flint gets a little bit of a glare in return. "/What/?"

Nieve pages: Get phone, can talk more!

Kevin returns, pushing a cellphone back into his jacket pocket as he re-enters. The ragabash has a sour look, as if whatever the phone call was that make him seek solitude some time ago wasn't a welcome one.

The butterfly drinks just the tiniest bit of juice, then with a lazy fan of wings fades out of sight, returning to his home on the other side of the gauntlet. Nieve shakes her head slightly. "I'ma head out an' get some work done. Okay if I have my phone back?" she asks Ex, holding her hand out for it.

"Not a chance," Ex tells the cellphone. "They can fucking track you with these things." As Nieve approaches her, she's quick to push it back into the Theurge's hands, though she does it in such a way that their fingers don't actually touch. She takes an abrupt step backwards, and her fever-bright eyes flick toward Kevin as he enters, narrowing faintly.

Out in the hall, Rina shakes her head a little, eyes down. "What happened to her. Sue and I... we've both been locked up."

Kevin's eyebrow rises, Spocklike, as he espies Ex, and more to the point, espies Ex scoping him out. "Hello, hello," he says. "Who do we have here?" His grouchy look evaporates as he walks into the room, eyes on the newcomer.

Flint actually laughs at the butterfly, a faint grin as it fades out, and then he takes his glass of juice back to the couch. "Hi again Kevin-rhya. Kevin, this is Ex. Or Rogue. She's a cub."

Ex reaches back and retrieves her slice of half eaten pizza from the counter (the rest of said pizza has been set out as well, but it looks cold), without taking her eyes off of Kevin. Rather than say anything herself, she gives him a wary, narrow-eyed looking over.

Out in the hall, Riley stopes rummaging through her pockets at that little bit of information. She gives a small nod, looking momentarily distant, herself. "Yeah, no doubt. She's had a rough time of things. Only need to take a look at her face to figure that out." She leans her head back against the wall with a dull thwunk. "Wish she weren't jumping out of the pot and into the fire, but that's just the way it is." Her hand tucks once again into her pocket and comes out with a knife in her hand. She gives it a little flip, turning it over so that the hilt is facing Rina. "...This is yours, speaking of."

Kevin says "Is that why Rina's lurking down the hall instead of coming in here with everyone else?" Kevin drawls. "Well, hi, Rogue. I'm Kevin. You must be the one I was hearing about."

Out in the hall, Rina glances to Riley's face, and musters a faint half-smile as she takes it. "Thanks. I shouldn't have, but..." One shoulder lifts. "She needed it."

Out in the hall, Riley is quick to shake her head, curtly replying, "No. She didn't."

Flint just nods, settling back onto the couch and keeping a bit of an eye on the cub.

"I'm not a recruit," Ex says abruptly, as if to stave off assumptions. "They're making me stay here so I can learn control and shit." She eyes Kevin a little more, and mutters, "Least you aren't a fucking thirteen-year-old."

Out in the hall, Rina raises an eyebrow, and then bows her head, looking away again. "This one's... gonna be a little different," she says quietly.

"No," Kevin agrees, with something of a smile. "No, no I am not." There's definitely something non-local about his voice, though it's hard to place his accent for sure. "I was once, though. How old're you?"

Ex gives a rough shrug. "Dunno." She glances toward Flint. "Older than that." She looks like she may be early twenties. Certainly no older, and not much younger.

Flint looks at Ex, then back away, and rolls his eyes.

Out in the hall, "If we keep treating her like she's different, it's going to make things worse." Riley murmurs coolly, "Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we need to be callous, but there's a right way of doing things, and then there's arming the unstable new cub." Her tone dials back a bit, softening, "Understand why you did it, just... no more weapons until she gets her head on straight."

Out in the hall, Rina nods, turning the knife over and over in her hands. "Yeah. I just... had to make her feel a little more safe. So she wouldn't bolt, or shut down completely, y'know? And it's not like she could hurt anyone except me."

Kevin turns to Flint. "Do we know -- " he begins, then pauses, and very deliberately turns back to Ex. "Do we know," he says again, "what your auspice is yet... if you know what that means? I used to hate it when people talked about me in front of me, when I was a cub," he adds by way of explanation.

Ex gives Kevin a blank look. "A what?"

Flint shakes his head. "No," he responds, not quite abruptly. "Doesn't know. Her birthday."

Out in the hall, "Yeah... just you. Or herself," Riley breathes, "And I don't much like getting stabbed either, but I take your meaning. At least it's only too late for her mattress." Having run out of things to search her pockets for, the ragabash begins to aimlessly fidget with them, "Anyway, empathy's fine. It's a good thing to have. Just... be careful around her. The way she is, feels like she's probably an ahroun, and you definitely don't want that popping on you. An' I think we can both agree, she's a fucking time bomb the way she is now."

"Shame," Kevin says. "Okey-doke. What do you know, then, Rogue? About why you're here, I mean?" He sits on the arm of an empty chair, swinging his long legs back and forth, but his focus remains on Ex.

Out in the hall, Rina looks to Riley, finally sheathing the knife at the small of her back. "Yeah," she says quietly. "I'm bein' as careful as I ever am. Try not to be around her, unless there's at least one of you guys there to get in the way."

Ex snaps at Flint, with sudden heat, "I know my fucking birthday!" Her left shoulder jerks. "But I'm not telling you assholes. Fuck no." She turns narrowed eyes on Kevin. "So I can learn control and not kill people when I'm pissed. Nobody'll let me leave until then."

"Well it. It would /help/ if. If you did tell us," Flint mutters.

Out in the hall, Rina winces slightly at the sudden snap from Ex, and she finally gives up and goes in.

Out in the hall, Offering a slightly wan smile, Riley gives a small shake of her head, "Shouldn't be lecturing you so hard over a knife. Anyway, you know the score." The shouting from the room prompts Riley to ease her head down against her hand, squeezing the bridge of her nose. "That's us."

Out in the hall, Rina goes into the breakroom.

Rina enters from the hallway.

Rina has arrived.

Out in the hall, Riley goes into the breakroom.

Riley enters from the hallway.

Riley has arrived.

Rina comes in, one gun and one knife in the open--no jacket, in the privacy of the building--and heads for the kitchen to get a drink. "Hey, Kev," she offers. "We should talk."

Kevin can't resist a slight chuckle at that outburst, though it doesn't seem to be meant in a mocking way at Ex; more an indulgent one. "That's one way of putting it," he agrees. "I take it, then, you've already killed someone when you were pissed? Or come close to it?" He asides to Flint, "Possibly... but she's a bit old for that, to only just pop?..."

"Yeah," Ex says, her tone turning derisive, and not losing any of its prior heat, "I bet it /would/ help. But you aren't fucking getting it. No birthday. /No fucking questions/." Her eyes flick to Rina as she enters, then to Kevin. She inhales slowly. "...Yeah. A few. Maybe some more. Fucking animal, right here."

Riley follows shortly after Rina, her hands lazily tucked into her coat pockets. She leans simply against the side of the door, being unsociable.

Rina comes in, one gun and one knife in the open--no jacket, in the privacy of the building--and heads for the kitchen to get a drink. "Hey, Kev," she offers. "We should talk."

Flint pushes to his feet, glances to Rina, then to Kevin and Riley, and turns and heads out of the breakroom. The cliath evidently doesn't go far, but he does /go/.

Flint leaves the breakroom.

Flint has left.

Out in the hall, Flint comes out of the breakroom.

"Hi, Rina," Kevin says affably. "Sorry to shove past you earlier, but you and Riley were deep in -- ah, here he is now." He hops off the chair arm and paces a little; either by design or coincidence he's placed pretty much in between Rina and Ex. "I was just getting to know this lady here. Who thinks she's an animal. Well," he says, addressing Ex again now, "at least you're not in denial. Lots of them are at this stage..."

"Kevin," Rina says very firmly.

Ex has lost all interest in the pizza now. She leaves the mostly eaten slice abandoned on the kitchen counter, and crosses her arms tightly over her chest, eyeing Kevin. "What stage?"

Out in the hall, Flint enters Devon's apartment.

"That's me!" exclaims Kevin to Rina. "I'm listening... Or do you mean, talk to me alone?"

Rina nods curtly, and gives a little jerk of her head toward the hallway. "I think that'd be good, yeah, if Riley's willing to hang out for a sec?" She glances toward Riley for confirmation.

Riley offers a soft little shrug of her shoulders, "Doesn't bother me. Chat away."

Ex huffs and turns away, though not entirely. She's facing the counter, but her head is still partially turned, keeping them just within view.

"Later," Kevin promises Ex, and saunters towards the door, waiting for Rina to precede him outside.

Rina leaves the breakroom.

Rina has left.

Out in the hall, Rina comes out of the breakroom.

Kevin leaves the breakroom.

Kevin has left.

Out in the hall, Kevin comes out of the breakroom.

Out in the hall, Rina steps into Kevin's apartment.

Out in the hall, Rina steps out of Kevin's apartment.

Riley leans off of the door to let Rina and Kevin through, lazily wandering over toward the counter and swiping the half-eaten pizza off of it, biting into it immediately, "Just us, looks like. You mind if, for a change, this doesn't end with me pinning you down? People might get the wrong impression."

Ex shies away from Riley, doing her best to avoid even light shoulder contact. She gives the other Ragabash a look that is clearly calculating.

"Believe it or not, I'd rather not spend the evening biting your head off. So," The girl murmurs, "Instead of that, you got any questions yet, or had your fill for the day?"

Ex mulls that over for a few moments, her eyes dropping to the counter and then back to Riley. "Yeah. What's a fucking auspice?"

Chewing thoughtfully on the borrowed slice of pizza, the ragabash lifts a shoulder in a shrug, "An Auspice is basically the sign of the moon you were born under. Think of it like... mmn. Like a horoscope, only less full of shit. For us," She gestures pointedly between herself and Ex to make sure she realizes she's included in the 'us', "It's a pretty accurate indication of personality quirks, and the sort of things you're inclined to be able to pick up. I..." She rubs the back of her neck, "You game at all? It's like.. you know. Classes. Wizard, Warrior, Thief, and all that shit?"

Ex eyes Riley sidelong as she reaches up to scratch roughly at her cheek scar, and then the back of her neck, where her very short hair meets the nape of her neck. "RPGs, okay. I kind've remember."

"It's like that," Riley murmurs, wandering across the room to close the door before seating herself on the arm of the couch, "Pretty much determines the sort of stuff that Gaia will be most inclined to teach you."

"No," Ex says, right away, with sudden sharpness. She's gone very, very still, though her fingers are trembling.

Looking up from around her current bite of pizza, Riley cranes her head slowly to the side, "No, what?"

Ex jerks her head from Riley, to the door.

"Ah," Riley murmurs, easing right back up from her seat to open the door about half-way before slumping back down onto the couch. "You can talk a little more, you know. So, closed doors aren't a favorite. Makes sense." The ragabash jams the last of the pizza crust into her mouth, chewing gracelessly. "Y'wanna head up to the roof again or something?"

Ex huffs. "The thirteen-year-old dragged me back down when I hopped up on the edge."

Riley snorts, "Then don't do that, huh? Look, I already made my point to you last night, right? For all intents and purposes, consider yourself on suicide watch." For a moment, she looks amused. "He's a little older than thirteen, but I appreciate the sentiment." She swallows the last of the pizza down and jerks her head to the side, opening the door, "Your lead."

Ex leans in that direction, but then shakes her head. "Maybe later." She turns, poking absently at the pizza on the counter. "Okay. So who're wizards?"

Out in the hall, Kevin goes into the breakroom.

Kevin enters from the hallway.

Kevin has arrived.

Out in the hall, Rina goes into the breakroom.

Rina enters from the hallway.

Rina has arrived.

Riley glances back down to the couch /again/ and just stays standing this time, moving over to the counter and leaning on it. "I'll just give you the full rundown, in order. New moon, that's the trickster's moon. Usually means you're the subtle or sneaking sort, but that's a generalization. If you're born under that sign, you're called a 'Ragabash'. In practical terms, you can usually tell a ragabash because they don't know when to shut their mouth." She lifts a hand, giving it a slow little wave. "Next up would be the wizards. Theurge. They're the quarter moons, and tend to specialize in the spiritual side of things. Spirits, umbra, all the shit that's going to be a thorn in your side as a Garou. I guess your mileage may vary." She taps her fingertips on the counter, "Half-moons are basically the folks that uphold the law and order and all that in our society." She manages an uncomfortable smile, "Our law system is... just don't get on the wrong side of it, okay? Anyway, those are Philodox." Riley stretches, "The three-quarters moon is Galliard, and they're usually gregarious and spirited, and... well, generally pretty awesome, all around." Her smile turns the slightest bit warm, "And lastly, the Full moon. Those are the warriors of the bunch. They're Ahroun. Easy to remember that one. Even sounds a little bit like 'Awhooooo.'"

Ex folds her arms over her chest again as Riley begins speaking. Her forehead wrinkles shortly into the explanation, and by the end of it, her nose is wrinkling too. "So you've got even more fucking words for all of that, /and/ a law system, /and/ a creepy religion, /and/ spirit monsters, and wizards and bards and warriors and judges and shit." She sounds, unsurprisingly, incredibly skeptical again.

"Awooooo," echoes Kevin as he re-enters the room, with Rina not far behind. "Yes, we have all those things, I'm afraid. We've got so much weird shit going down it's enough to make a body's head spin. Sorry and all that, I didn't vote for it, most of it's been around since before you or I were born..." He saunters up toward Riley and Ex.

"That's about the size of it," Riley murmurs, taking the comment in stride with a smirk playing over her features. "For someone that's watched me turn into a hulking critter already, you're chooisng some strange things to fixate on." Glancing over her shoulder as Kevin and Rina slip back into the room, Riley shrugs back in Ex's direction. "Pretty much what he said."

"Anyone need a drink, or anything?" Rina asks as she heads for the kitchen.

Ex watches the others re-enter, then gives Riley an uneven shrug. "Already knew about /that/." There's an unspoken tone of 'duh' to her voice. "Everyone but Rina's popping in and out of being a big fucking monster at will."

"Mmm, yes?" Kevin pounces on that remark. "How do you know I'm a big fucking monster and Rina isn't, then, Rogue? Are you making certain assumptions?"

Riley shrugs her shoulders to Rina, "Thanks, but I think I'm alright. I /want/ something awakened, but I sure as hell shouldn't have it."

Ex recoils a little, and eyes Kevin carefully. "...She said so. She's a carrier."

"But how do you know I'm not a carrier, too?" Kevin rejoinders. "(Don't worry 'bout me, Rina, I'll grab a coffee in a few.) See, Rogue --" Kevin holds both hands out in her direction, palms up, though not close enough for her to be able to touch -- "what I'm saying is, you need to be ve-ry careful about making assumptions, from now on. Things may not be what they seem... or some things you think may not be what they seem, /are/ what they seem after all. Confusamundo." He pauses a second, then adds, "And yes, I am a monster. Garou, we prefer to call it, because we're kind of sensitive on the subject, which I think is understandable, don't you?"

Casting a glance from Rina and Kevin to Ex, Riley apparently decides that her presence isn't strictly required anymore, "I've got some phone calls to make, Red Talons to appease. Stay outta trouble." With that, she heads on out the door.

Rina sets up the espresso machine, and pulls herself a latte, noisily.

Ex rolls her shoulders forward and gives Kevin a faint glower. "Well, I was /right/," she points out. "Monsters. Werewolves. GLS. Garou. Whatever. All the same fucking thing."

"You were right this time," Kevin concedes, "but you only need to be wrong once for real bad stuff to happen. Just saying. So, anyway. Want a coffee or anything? I've always thought the world can't be a complete dead loss, as long as it still has caffeine in it."

Ex gives a rough shake of her head at the offer. "No." The kitchen appears to be getting too crowded, however, and so she eases away from the counter and out into the apartment proper, still keeping a close eye on Kevin as she goes. Notably, she gives him a pretty generous berth.

Kevin doesn't press the point, nor does he crowd Ex. "So, Rogue. That's kind of a neat name. Pick it yourself? Or was it bestowed on you?"

"Riley gave it to me," Ex replies. "'Cause you think you're the fucking X-Men."

Kevin grins widely. "Ooh, burn. Okay, if that's so, which one am I? Can I be Wolverine? Or Rorschach... hang on, he wasn't X-Men, was he?"

Ex makes an exasperated noise. "You can't be fucking Wolverine if you don't even know who the fuck's an X-Man. You can be...I don't know. Some asshole who talks a lot. I don't remember names."

"An asshole who talks a lot. Man, you have the gift!" Kevin beams at Ex. "That's me summed up in one sentence. An asshole who talks a lot. Still," he says, "even I shut up sometimes. I was gonna watch something on TV, chill out some. You got any favourite programs?"

Ex gives the TV a very uncertain look, and a little of that irritability bleeds away. "...I don't know what's on any more."

"Nor do I," Kevin confesses. "Shall we see what's on the house network, or just take pot luck?" He bounces into a chair, snatching up the remote control as he passes with surprising grace for his rather angular, gawky outward appearance.

"I guess." Ex only moves a few steps toward the TV, and she doesn't sit down. She looks toward it with the same sort of wariness she gave Kevin, and a muscle in her cheek tics several times.

Kevin clicks the device on. It starts blasting out an advertisement for relief-giving hemorrhoid cream. "I think not," murmurs Kevin, and changes channels. Next up is a college basketball game. "You into sport?"

Ex claps her hands over her ears, and gives Kevin a dark, glowering look. "It's too loud." The question causes her cheek to twitch again. "I don't know."

Kevin lowers the volume considerately. "Well, I am," he says, "though not so much basketball. All those big tall dudes bouncing around... Then again..." He grins quietly to himself. "Feel free to change over if you get fed up." He puts the remote control down on the arm of the chair nearest to Ex, and sits back to watch.

Rina's curled up in one corner of the couch, a knee drawn up to her chest. She's not watching the screen; she's watching Ex.

----

Tenement Building - Cockroach's Breakroom(#3365RJ)

Here, a large studio apartment has been converted into a mutual meeting space for the tribe, one with its own kitchen and bathroom. The walls are a simple, plain white, and the floor is covered in stain-resistant beige carpet. The windows look out onto the somewhat less than scenic view of downtown St. Claire, but more often than not, white blinds prevent anyone from peeking in, or out.

Amenities are what might be expected--a well stocked refrigerator and cupboards, a microwave, a coffee maker, a toaster. There's a wooden table that seats four, five or six if people scrunch, and enough chairs to service it. There's also an old couch and armchair along the walls, angled to face a large, plasma screen television. Most of the entertainment goodies are here. An old NES system, an original Sega system, and an XBOX 360, each with assorted games. There's also a DVD/VCR combo player, and nearby a box of movies, most of them Ed Wood and Roger Corman specials. Ah, classics.

Along one wall is a row of tables and chairs, on which sit five desktop computers as well as the Walker's network server, a printer, and a scanner. (+view for more details)

Contents:
Nicodemus
Kavi(#3249PJOc)
Rina
Memorial
Information Board: Skindiggers Cult

Obvious exits:
Out

Kavi sits on the floor in front of Rina, but once the credits start to roll, he rises. A glance is cast backward to the kin on the couch, a faint smile, and then he heads for the kitchen.

Ex has claimed the armchair for herself, though the scarred young woman isn't sitting in it in the usual fashion. She's laying with the back of her head propped against one armrest, and her feet pressed against the other. Her arms are crossed tightly over her chest. Toward the beginning of the movie, she was at least half watching; now, she barely glances toward the screen. The ceiling seems more interesting.

Out in the hall, The door to one of the apartments down the hall opens, closes, and there're soft footsteps, along with a humming that's more or less instantly recognisable as Flint's as he heads towards the breakroom.

"Ex," Rina says quietly. "I have a question. But it's not about the past or anything, okay?"

Kavi once again glances back toward the others as he starts the water running and reaches for the dirty plates.

Ex mutters, unenthusiasm personified, "Okay."

Out in the hall, Flint goes into the breakroom.

Flint enters from the hallway.

Flint has arrived.

Flint makes it to the doorway of the breakroom, and pauses, slipping in with a nod of greeting, though he heads for the computers at the moment. The young galliard seems cheerful enough, and better-rested than when he'd left, earlier.

"What d'you like to do?" Rina asks softly. "Do you know?"

Nicodemus finishes clambering up the stairs, shirking the elevator. He's carrying a lone made-from-recycled-plastic grocery tote, probably full of groceries. He enters the hallway, catching sight of Flint just as he enters the breakroom. Nick moves to take Flints spot, standing in the doorway. "Hey, Flint. Rina. Kavi. And new person. Brought some fruits." He hefts the bag, indicating the fruits he brought are groceries and not unusual people from a gay bar.

As he rinses the dishes, Kavi keeps his attention on the task, avoiding looking toward the kin or the cub. The entry of the others, though, does grab his attention, and he nods a silent greeting.

Ex lifts a hand and digs two fingernails idly into the back of the armchair. "No," she says sullenly. Nick's arrival has her sitting up, albeit lethargically. She peers at him over the top of the chair back, feverish eyes narrowed. "Sufferer, or Carrier?"

Rina winces a little, and looks over her shoulder. "Hey, Nick," she says quietly, unfolding herself from the couch.

Flint gets distracted from heading for the computer, and looks over towards Nicodemus. "H-hi Nick," he offers, moving over to take the grocery bag if Nick will let him. "Here."

Nicodemus does indeed lift the bag so Flint can take it. It's filled with all colors of apples, oranges, plums, peaches, and even a couple lemons, limes, and grapefruit. "Hope fruit is okay? Good to see you again, Rina. Been a while."

"Kin," Kavi says over the running water. "Nick is kin." He turns the water off, though the dishes aren't finished, yet, and moves to the edge of the counter.

"Carrier," Ex says, as if confirming the matter to herself. She rests her arms on the back of the chair and continues to stare at the newcomer. A muscle in her jaw tenses and relaxes in a slow cycle, with the occasional tic in her scarred right cheek.

"Nick," Rina says quietly, "this is Ex. Who's... a very unique lost cub. You're good with people... maybe you guys would get along."

Flint carries the bag over to the kitchen, setting it down on the counter, and beginning to put the fruit away. "Thanks, Nick. It. It's good, thank you," Flint says. The cliath, at least, seems excited by the groceries.

"I'm good with people?" Nick echoes with a somewhat dubious tone in his voice after Flint relieves him of the groceries. He does, however, enter the room to get a better look at the newcomer, sizing her up, and then stepping up to offer a black-gloved hand to Ex. "Pleased to meet you. I'm kind of new to all this. So how're you unique, if I might be so bold to ask?"

Kavi draws in a breath as Nick asks the question, but clamps down on anything he might say. He glances briefly to Ex, but quickly turns away, helping to unpack the rest of the fruit.

Ex watches Nick as he approaches before her gaze drops, and she eyes the gloved hand very, very carefully. "Fuck if I know," she says. Her voice sounds a bit hoarse. "I'm new too." She lifts her right hand slowly, and then, as if this were all very experimental, she takes Nick's hand for half a second before dropping it. "I want some of those."

A faint smile, barely there at all, comes to Rina's lips as she watches.

Flint looks over at Ex. "Which?" he asks her, raising his shoulders.

Kavi reaches over for a grapefruit and holds it out for Ex. "This?"

Nicodemus pulls up a chair, forming a triangle with him, Rina, and Ex. "I'm kind of new--newish--to it all, too. About a year now." Pause. "It's confusing at first. Hell, I'm still pretty ignorant about a ton of stuff. But it gets better. Easier, at least. Or--perhaps--simply more familiar."

Ex shakes her head roughly. "No, /those/." She points to Nick's hands. "Gloves. Rogue wears gloves." She settles back on the armchair, still resting her arms on the back of it. "There are too many stupid words for everything. And they keep watching me. And there's weird paintings on the walls." She sucks in a breath through her nose. "The spirit monsters are unexpected though. The last one was pretty dumb, but Kavi summoned a fucking /sphinx/."

Rina's mouth tugs up at one corner. "She wore gloves because she couldn't touch people, though. You just don't want people touching *you*."

Flint shakes his head a little, and returns to putting away the last few groceries, before he pulls out a soda from the fridge and cracks it open.

Kavi looks to Nick's gloves and gives a small nod. He puts the grapefruit away, and starts the water running to finish off the dishes. Even as he does, though, he keeps an eye on the other three.

Nicodemus listens, then peels one glove off. Then the other. His hands look perfectly normal, despite his habit of wearing gloves constantly. "I'm not a big fan of being touched, either. Try this armor on for size and see if they fit?" He holds the gloves out with just two fingers, ensuring his bare hands need not be touched in any upcoming transaction.

Ex touches her tongue to the corner of her mouth as she regards Nick more out of her left eye than her right. She reaches out again, just as gingerly as before, and takes them from the opposite end that Nick is holding them. They're pulled on very quickly once she's leaned back, and there's a certain pleased light in her face, even if she doesn't smile. "Yeah. These are nice. And not fucking creepy rubber ones either."

Rina's brows lift briefly as she watches.

Flint turns to watch Ex and Rina, before he walks over towards the computers, actually turning one on and sitting down at it.

Nicodemus pages: And the gloves are extra warm inside. Not burny, but toasty. Though that'll fade slowly over the next half hour or so.

Kavi sets the last plate on top of the others and turns off the water. He stands there for a moment more, and then looks across to the others again. "There's soda. Or juice?"

"They're yours," Nick says, indicating Ex can keep the gloves. He glances up to Kavi as he stands, declining with a hand. "I was just dropping off some food and need to get going. Is there anything anyone needs from the store on a future delivery run?"

Ex looks up from opening and closing her newly gloved hand to squint at Nick. "What's the catch?"

"The only catch is Nick's a good guy," Rina says softly, a faint smile lingering. There's sadness in her eyes, but warmth as well.

Flint scoots the chair so that he can watch Ex, and Rina, but for the most part, he seems rather intent on reading a website he's pulled up.

Kavi nods to Nick and then crosses to join Rina on the couch. "Thanks," he says to the departing kin, though without specifying what the gratitude is for.

"The only catch is you've got to give them back when you don't need them anymore--or pass them on to someone who needs them more than you," Nick states. He flexes his own recently liberated fingers as he takes a couple backwards steps towards the door. "See you all later." And he heads out the door, quiet as a ghost.

Ex rubs the gloves fingers against her cheek as she watches Nick depart. "Weird catch," she mutters.

Rina offers Kavi a swift, small half-smile, but doesn't sit down again. Her attention shifts to Ex, and she says quietly, "How was your stomach today?"

Flint chews on his lower lip a little as he reads, then picks up his soda can and moves back to the kitchen.

Kavi's attention shifts from Rina to Flint and finally back to Ex. "It's... It's a catch that. He knows that you need them, now. But you won't always. And when you don't, it will be time for you to do for someone else what he's doing for you."

Ex clasps her hands under her chin. "Better," she murmurs to Rina. "Just felt a bit queasy." She gives Kavi the squinty look now. "What, give them gloves?"

Rina hitches a shoulder. There's a sadness behind her smile, still.

Flint turns to look back at Rina, and past Rina to Kavi, brows furrowing slightly.

"If that's what they need?" Kavi's gaze ducks downward, and then rises again. "You'll be ready to help someone else. To give them what they need. If that's gloves, or a hat. Or if it's just time and... and understanding. His catch is that, when you're ready, you help someone else. Don't waste his gift by letting it end with you."

Ex snorts softly. "Yeah, I'm not any fucking good at that. I /eat/ people."

"Not. Not anymore," Flint says, quietly. "Control, r'member?"

"It'll come," Rina says quietly.

Kavi glances to Rina and nods. "Not today," he says, looking again to Ex. "Not now. But. Rina's right. And when you're ready, you'll know. You won't need the gloves, anymore." With those last words, he reaches for Rina's hand.

Ex's hands shift from under her chin to folded over her chest. "Well, that's a pretty fucking fairy-tale, anyway." She scoots around, so that she's finally sitting semi-normally on the arm chair, though her legs are still drawn up. Her eyes flick to the mural on the wall. "...So you kill GLS two babies, and you die a lot. What else do you do?"

Flint turns back to the kitchen, can of soda in hand before he moves to start getting himself a plate of some lasagne from the fridge.

"Told you," Rina says quietly. "We *don't* kill babies."

Kavi's eyes go a little wide at the notion of killing babies, and he swallows, nodding eventually at Rina's denial. "I. We don't," he says with a swift shake of his head. "I. I sing. Sometimes alone. Sometimes with a band? Rina paints. Flint," he says, nodding toward the boy, "carves. There are other things, too. But. For me? Singing and writing? Music is most of my time."

Ex gives a long-suffering sigh. "The GLS two guy said you kill those kinds of babies. And you said not /here/." Her eyes dart toward Kavi, and then away. Her jaw tightens for a moment. "I don't do anything. Sit in a room. Hit the walls. Eat people."

Flint glances to Kavi and Rina, a moment, before he sets the plate in the microwave and puts it up.

"But you *can*," Rina says quietly, sitting on the arm of the couch and watching her over the back. "You can, and you will. And you'll find out who you really are. Get rid of all the-- *shit* they put in your head."

Kavi pushes up from his seat. "We don't," he says, more firmly now. "We don't kill babies. Not metis, not... We don't." He swallows as he passes Rina and heads toward the doorway. "And you can learn... You can be anyone. You can learn who you want to be. I. I'll be right back."

Rina gives Kavi a questioning look.

Flint looks over at the older galliard, and doesn't look at Ex. "Kavi-rhya?" he asks, quietly.

Ex knocks her head against the back of the chair. "That's the /problem/," she says, low and tense. "They didn't put anything in there. /Nothing/. Just knives. Bits of wire. Everything else went in instead. What else am I supposed to do?"

Kavi answers Rina's look with a hint of a smile. "I'll be right back," he says again, and then heads down the hall.

Rina comes to the end of the couch that's closer, glancing over to Flint briefly. Then she looks to Ex, and says, softly, "I don't understand?":

Flint manages a faint, small smile, when Rina looks, though it's grim, and then the microwave beeps, and the young galliard goes to see to retrieving his dinner.

Ex baps her head a few more times against the cushioned chair back. "They didn't put anything real in my head." Her tone is one of strained patience. "They don't talk /to/ you. At you. Through you. Oh, nice piece of furniture for the office. Lots of questions that don't mean anything. How can they put anything in your head if they only care about taking things out? That's what I'm saying."

Rina presses her lips together for a moment, as she listens. "But you remember," she says softly. "And it's... clouding everything up inside. Like silt in the water. We just... gotta help it settle. Be in the past, where it belongs."

Ex's frown deepens. "Yeah? Then what'll I be?"

Rina watches her, the shadows heavy behind those dark eyes. "You'll be *you*," she says quietly. "You'll be... free." A little shake of her head, and she swallows. "We can't ever erase the past. But we don't hafta be caged by it."

Ex hunkers down in the chair. "Isn't /that/ fucking ironic?" She gives the television a brief, irritable glare.

The door at the far end of the hall opens again, and Kavi starts making his way back toward the others, arms laden.

Flint looks over at Ex, a moment. "You. Whoever. Whoever that is. And. It'll... it'll be good."

Rina presses her lips together hard, and leans forward, elbows resting on her knees and head bowed. "Yeah," she says quietly. "I get that."

Ex studiously refuses to so much as glance toward Rina; the floor is getting the full brunt of her glaring now. She twitches a little at the sound of Kavi's return, but doesn't look toward him either.

Kavi steps back through the door, carrying his burden nearly all the way to the cub. First he sets down the guitar case - the new, electric, not his old acoustic. The book in his other hand is set on the table, and then he lets the backpack slide from his shoulder. "I brought some things for you to try. To see what you think. If they... If you like them." He opens the pack and pulls out one of Rina's empty sketchbooks, casting a glance at the kin even as he sets the pad on the table. He also pulls out a spare spiral bound notebook of his own. Next comes a handful of pencils, mostly simple number 2 type, but also a charcoal pencil and a few prismacolors.

Rina straightens, twisting to look toward him.

Flint takes his plate of food now that Kavi's back, giving Ex a wide berth to move over and sit down at the far end of the couch, but he's also watching Ex, to see her reaction. "I. If," Flint says, for a moment. "I. There're some things, I could get. From the workshop. To try, too."

Kavi's guitar gets a faintly interested glance, the book less so. She's actually starting to look away when he plops down the sketchbook, but then her gaze focuses on it. Ex's forehead wrinkles. When the pencils are added to the mix, she stares. There's something a little glassy about it, but she seems either unwilling, or unable to look away. She's gone quite still.

"Ex," Rina whispers, "talk to me."

Rina swallows. "Or just-- just do what you need to. It's okay." Her voice is hoarse, rough.

Kavi leaves the materials on the table and takes a step backward. He looks again to Rina before adding another step, and then another.

Flint takes several bites of his food, unwilling to set it aside while it's warm, and willing to pay attention to it since the older galliard is present. Nonetheless, there's a cautious gaze kept on the cub.

There's a faint trembling to the cub, and then she kicks the nearest table leg as hard as she can. She shoves up out of the armchair and fairly rushes into the breakroom's bathroom. Slam. Click. Silence.

Kavi's backward progress stops at the first sign of trembling, but by the time Ex kicks the table, Kavi is moving forward again, not toward the cub, but to put himself between her and the kin. At first, he simply moves quickly, but at the sudden burst of movement from Ex, rage and instinct take over, and with a low growl, Kavi is simply there.

Rina just draws in a breath, holding it for a tiny moment; the bathroom door closes, and she exhales. "Oh," she says. "Okay."

Flint starts to get up as Ex moves, plate of food still in hand, but there's a deep breath and the cliath sits back down, returns to eating. Enthusiastically.

There are several heavy thumps from the bathroom--kicking a wall, possibly her only current pastime--and then those subside into quiet again.

Kavi draws in a breath at the first series of thumps, and he turns to Rina with a worried frown. "I..."

Rina's brow furrows a little as she watches that door. "It's okay," she whispers. Hopefully, maybe.

No noise from the bathroom now.

Kavi's frown doesn't subside, but he nods once to the kin. His gaze turns to the bathroom door, but as the silence continues he looks back to the pile on the table. "What did she see?" he asks in a whisper.

Flint finishes his food in silence, and sets the plate down on the coffee table to get up and walk over to the other two, and he looks between Kavi and Rina, and the table.

Rina wets her lips, still watching the door. "It was the pencils," she says softly.

Kavi nods and starts scooping the pencils back into his pack. "I should have..." He swallows down the rest of the sentence, finishing with a soft shake of his head, instead.

Rina shakes her head quickly. "No," she says, maybe a little sharply. "Don't put them back. Leave it."

The continuation of no noise from the bathroom has Flint chewing on his lower lip, glancing back towards the door every so often, almost nervously.

Kavi stops at the sound of Rina's voice and he looks to her, the unspoken question clearly visible in his face.

By then Rina's watching the bathroom door again. "Leave them out," she says softly. "We're not walking on eggshells, y'know? Just... trying to create an environment that she can interact with. Safely. Without negative events. I don't-- I'm not sure what kind of trigger it was."

Flint glances down at the floor, then goes to retrieve his plate, and wash it.

Kavi's frown doesn't fade, and he seems to consider Rina's words for a long moment before he finally nods. He takes a few of the pencils back out of the pack to leave them on the table before he moves to join Rina.

"Let her have all the time she needs," Rina says quietly, rising and turning to Kavi. "You want something? I want some tiramisu."

Flint turns, even from watching the kitchen, to look towards the bathroom, frowning again, but there's a nod to Rina's statement about time.

Kavi lets his breathing ease, though the frown remains. "I... Maybe?" He glances toward the silence of the bathroom and then back to Rina. "Okay."

Rina gets down four small plates, and pulls the plastic-wrap-covered dish from the fridge. She dishes out three squares of the creamy dessert, two of them sizable.

Flint looks towards Rina, and then towards the tiramisu. "That. That looks good," Flint notes, a smile appearing on his face again. "It... thanks."

Finally, there's the faint sound of stirring in the bathroom. Ex doesn't emerge, but she's apparently alive and such.

Kavi watches Rina, though at the sounds from the bathroom, his attention shifts. His posture shifts, as well, and he half-rises, a line of worry creasing his brow.

Rina brings two dishes out to the wooden table, glancing across to the bathroom door for a moment as she sets them down.

Flint glances at Kavi, a moment, and the cliath walks over, just to where he's the closest to the bathroom when and if it opens again, although he stays plenty away from the door itself.

Kavi settles back into his seat when Rina returns, and looks across to Flint with a shake of his head. "You should... Come sit at the table and eat."

Click, goes the lock. Another few moments, and the door opens. Ex fairly slinks out, head down, shoulders slumped, eyeing all of them carefully. She looks drained, but otherwise there's no apparent harm done.

Rina's on her way back to the kitchen for her own plate by then. "Ex, you want some tiramisu?" she asks over her shoulder. "Um. It's dessert. But it's pretty mild."

Flint looks at Kavi again, and nods. "'kay," Flint agrees, and paces over to the table, pulling out a seat for himself across from Kavi.

Kavi glances toward Ex when she emerges. His gaze turns back to Rina after just a moment, though he keeps an awareness of the cub even then.

Ex shakes her head very, very slightly. "Gonna go to bed," she mumbles. It's audible, if only just.

Rina turns to look to Ex, then, focusing on her for a moment. "Okay, sure," she says quietly. "'Night, Ex."

"G'night, Rogue," Flint offers. "Seeya." There's a glance to watch the cub go, before Flint pulls one of the plates of tiramisu over in front of him.

Rina looks to Kavi and asks, "Walk her over?" softly.

Kavi looks across to Ex, and at Rina's words he rises, crossing to join the cub. "If you need anything," he says softly as he nears.

Ex doesn't look at Kavi. She doesn't look at Rina, or Flint. She especially doesn't look at the sketchbook or the pencils--but as she passes near them to leave, she nevertheless reaches out and snatches up both book, and a single pencil, and hurries out in front of the Galliard.

Rina lets out a slow breath, and a smile dawns; the sort of smile that softens away some of the hard lines of her face.

Flint picks up his fork and takes several bites of the dessert, glancing to watch Ex leave the room. And then, with all the usual enthusiasm, proceeds to finish the piece of tiramisu such that the plate is left clean.

Kavi doesn't try to encroach, but he does accompany the cub to her room, pausing just at the door. "We'll be close," he says gently. "If you need us."

Ex continues on into the room with nary a glance back, and only a grunt of acknowledgment. She takes her prize to the slashed up bed, and flops onto it. The hand not holding pad and pencil lifts, so that she can squint briefly at her 'new' gloves.

Rina turns away, going back to the counter to put away the extra plate, and pick up her own. A hand comes up to rub at her forehead. "Jesus," she says softly. "This shit is *getting* to me."

Flint looks over to Rina, a frown etching his face slightly. "Is..." The query is cut off, and Flint shakes his head, and looks to his empty plate, which is picked up, taken to the sink. "Take care of. Of yourself, too, please?"

Kavi remains for a short while, turning to give the woman privacy even in his presence. Eventually, he heads back to the breakroom, leaving Ex to sleep, or not.

Rina looks over to Flint with a thin little smile, warm despite the fact that it doesn't quite chase away shadows. "I'm aright, kiddo," she says in that rough-edged voice. "You?"

Flint busies himself with washing the plate for a moment, rather than answering, or looking back at Rina, or at Kavi when he returns. "I. I'm... okay," he decides, lips pursing slightly. "I. The... it's hard, that she doesn't. Feel it. Understand. But 'sokay." The young galliard looks down at the plate in his hands, finally remembers to turn off the water tap.

Kavi doesn't stop at the doorway when he returns, but crosses directly to Rina, one hand taking hers and holding tight. "I'm sorry," he whispers.

Rina turns to face Kavi when he gets close, looking up at him in searching confusion. "Sorry?"

Kavi meets her gaze for only a second before looking down again, and away. His eyes close for a second, as he nods, and his grip on her hand tightens.

Rina swallows, her brow furrowing. "You got nothin' t'be sorry for," she says quietly.

Flint sets his plate in the dishrack to dry, before he moves over towards the fridge, coming out with the carton of juice this time. However, there's a sense that the teen is giving Kavi and Rina a little space, and intentionally not listening.

Kavi draws in a breath and holds it for long enough to meet Rina's gaze again. The nod that follows is more one of acceptance than agreement, but he lets the breath slide away. "Okay," he whispers, and glances toward Flint.

Rina gives his hand a little squeeze, and musters a taut, closemouthed smile before letting go and turning to get her plate of dessert. His own is already on the table.

Flint considers the juice for a long moment, then turns towards the refrigerator again. The juice is put back away, and the cliath comes out with a bottle of hard cider, moving over to one of the drawers to search for a bottle-opener.

Kavi watches them both without moving, though as Rina retrieves her plate, he finally moves to take his seat.

Rina comes to join him. "I'll drop a box of good pencils in there for her, tomorrow."

Flint does find a bottle opener, moving back over to the table to take a seat, and a long sip from the drink. There's a faint, tight smile for both of them.