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Currently the moon is in the waxing Crescent Moon phase (36% full).

Safehouse: Common Area

The foyer of this house is set off from the living room with its octagonal bump-out by a four foot high halfwall. Stairs lead up from the foyer, turning and disappearing to the right, and a steel door with a keycard lock claims the wall opposite the living room. The rest of the main floor is taken up by a small bathroom across the hallway from a dining room which is separated from the kitchen at the back of the house by another half-wall. The decor is decidedly sparse - white walls, beige carpeting in the living and dining rooms and down the hall, unremarkable vinyl in the foyer and kitchen.

A used couch and a pair of recliners are grouped around a coffee table in the living room, with a foursome of wooden chairs claiming the bump out for quieter conversation. The dining room boasts a white laminate table with four vinyl-covered - too new to be 'vintage', too old to be trendy. The appliances and cupboards in the kitchen are new - or at least refurbished to look like it - and a door leads out to the backyard from there.

Up the stairs are a number of empty rooms where anyone affiliated with the Sept can crash and an office for private meetings. The Glass Walkers have their own area accessible via a locked door off the foyer. The main doors themselves lead back out to the front porch of the house.

Obvious exits:

Guest Room Glass Walker Area Porch

A very bundled up Emma has arrived at the project in the works, hood of her coat pulled up and hands stuffed into her pockets. She waits outside after giving a firm knock on the door.

It's several long minutes before Natalie pulls open the front door to blink at the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man on the porch. "Can I..." she begins, only to boggle and ask, disbelieving, "Emma?"

Emma continues the question the other started with a, 'Come in please?' She grins then, shoulders bunched up as she waits for the answer. "Got some news 'm supposed to pass along."

"Uh," the Galliard answers, not moving immediately. Then it's as if she were prodded with a cattle stick, for she jumps and moves to the side, allowing her younger packmate entrance. "Sure, come on in. Sorry, a little distracted." She waits to close the door behind the Ahroun before adding, "Take off your coat? Want anything to drink?"

Emma pushes her hood back and shakes her head, "Uh, no thanks. Or, well maybe. Ya got something warm? Hot chocolate or something?" She unzips the coat then as well, but doesn't take it off. "Hope it's not a bad time, but I wanted to get this out before I started getting smacked for being slow."

Natalie says, "Nah," with a jerk of her thumb toward the door in the foyer, the one with the keypad beside it. "I was just doing some work on the other side. You're lucky I heard you knock - the CD'd just turned off and I hadn't gotten to it to replace it when I heard you banging. Hang up your coat," she adds, nodding toward the coat hooks alongside the stairs, "and come back to the kitchen. I dunno what we've got, but it'll be something. And then you can tell me your news."

Emma gives a nod and slips her arms out of the sleeves to hang the coat up. "Things going well here? Gunnar's looked all sad lately since he's not been using that sledge hammer anymore." She chuckles a bit as she follows the other into the kitchen. She sits herself down and folds her arms across each other on the table.

Natalie shrugs as she putters about the kitchen. The first cabinet she opens has only a pair of unmatched mugs and a couple of glasses holding court; the coffee, when she finds it, is a single box of Folgers 'coffee for one!' bags. "Going all right. I could use a couple more bodies, or a decent amount of cash to hire them instead. Is coffee all right? It's either that or hot water."

Emma wrinkles her nose, "Uh. I guess I can try coffee, with lots and lots of sugar. But if it's you're last one, better just pass. I don't think I like coffee." She rubs a finger over an eye and then lets out a puff of breath. "So, Signe's pregnant now." It comes out like yesterday's commentary on a high school football game.

Natalie says, "Um," again and puts the box away, unopened. "No sugar," she begins, only to stop, one hand on the cupboard door, and turn back toward the girl. "What? Say it again with me looking at you this time."

Emma looks up at the Galliard, "Signe is pregnant. Gunnar's elixir stuff worked, and she's been yacking for like a week now. It's really not pretty." She frowns a bit, the news not necessarily the happy kind in the Get's book. "She wanted me to get the word out to you and Gunnar."

Natalie hisses a triumphant, "YES!" and even pumps a fist. "Yes yes yes. I knew she could do it. I knew it!"

The young Get gives a serious brow crease, "Why you so excited about it? Do you have any idea how surlier she is now?"

Natalie throws Emma a disbelieving look. "Are you kidding? This was the hard part of her Challenge. The part she figured she couldn't do. And she did it! It happened! Now she only has a plan out the raid on the hospital, and she's done it. Damn, this is great news." The Galliard's face looks about to split wide open. "Damn. Yes."

Emma opens her arms up, palms up on the table. "We still have the Bridge Street mess, and then the hospital thing, and how is she supposed to go do that stuff if she is stuck in homid carrying a baby? It's not the hard part. The hard part is her lasting nine months without doing what she does best. And it only screws us to not have her there!"

Natalie shakes her head at the girl, a hand raking back through her hair. "C'mon, Emma, use your head. Part of what makes Signe great is her brain, not just her Real Ginsu Action. She's an Ahroun, right? That means she has to be able to plan, not just lead from the front making salsa out of everything she meets. No one's going to think less of her because she can't shift."

"No one except her maybe." She sighs and leans back into the chair. "So she'll plan the hospital thing then sit at home waiting for us? C'mon, she wouldn't be able to do that, and I can't go trolloping through bad guys on my own, I don't have enough experience or veil sense..." With that admission Emma goes quiet and stares down at the table.

"It's a Challenge," Nat says patiently. "It's supposed to be hard. That's why they're called challenges." She flicks an impatient hand, then crosses to the sink to turn on the hot water. "Damn, Emma, buck up, will you? You think it's going to make Signe feel any better if you're moping about whining about how hard it's going to be without her?"

Emma huffs, "No. That's why I don't bring it up with her. And yah challenges should be hard, but we're not getting anything out of the deal and it's just as hard on us." She shakes her head, "This whole sept is knocked up, it's crazy. What, come three months from now, no one's gonna be able to shift. How is that helpful?"

Nat's eyebrows lift sardonically. "Something you'd like to share with the class, Emma?"

Emma looks up defiantly at that, "Hey, I'm not knocked up, and I make sure that won't happen either! I got other jobs that are more important than dropping kids. I'm too young anyway." She sighs, looking away and avoiding the gaze of the Galliard. "What do I know anyway, I'm just barely past cubhood, right?"

Natalie says smoothly, "Then there's two of us, plus all the males of the Sept, who won't be practicing their Lamaze. C'mon, Emma, ease off. Getcher chin up. A lot can happen in a year. Nine months. Signe's gotta be due around, what, October, right?" The hot water seems reluctant to appear: she keeps testing the stream with her fingers but hasn't yet deemed it warm enough to fill the mug.

Emma gives a shrug, "Yeah. I guess. I mean, I want her to pass the challenge and all. Jus', I don't like change really. I like my happy little routine - and I'm learning that Garou don't have 'em." She gives a little chuckle though, "But man, I really don't wanna see her on a full moon when the cravings and moods kick in."

Natalie tears enough time from her tap-watching to roll her eyes expressively at the girl. "You got that right. And eh, just keep your head down. The two most important words for the next few months are going to be 'Yes Signe'. And for crying out loud, stay away from her when the moon gets full."

Emma grunts, "How do I do that? It's not like I can stay upstairs with Mitch when the moon gets like that. And she's got the Brownstone. An' fuck if I am out on the bawn full moonside with Josh. I swear Nat, one of these days we're gonna start it up, and I ain't stopping till it's finished."

Natalie pointedly clears her throat and looks around the room. "Well gosh, I don't... Hey! Isn't there supposed to be a, gosh, I don't know, a public safehouse? Yeah, it's somewhere in the city, but golly, I sure don't know where it might be. It's probably closed to Get anyway." Turning back to the girl, she does the sardonic thing with her eyebrows again. "And as for White Bear - part of me tells you to hash it out with him. Go until one of you is dead. The other part says that we can't afford to lose you, and the Sept can't afford to lose him. So use your best judgment."

Emma gives a faint grin to the thick sarcasm, "Oh, well, if that's an invitation, I'll keep that in mind." Her hands fold back up around her arms as she leans in, "I don't get him. Ya know, if he'd bother to spend any time out of lupus, maybe he'd start thinking like a human again. He acts like if you're not Wendigo, or Fostern plus, you've no right to be on the bawn. I shoulda killed him on our Rite is what I shoulda done."

"He should've been culled before he got to his Rite," Natalie answers flatly. "And if you've got problems with him, take it up with his pack alpha. If she won't give you the time of day, talk to the Warder. Then Megan. Capisce? Up the chain of command."

Emma gives a nod, "His alpha coddles him like he were a damned Wendigo. That whole tribe makes me sick. Well, the time I met Holly she was okay, but that's only 'cause she was bitching about White Bear too. Anyway. Yah, I'll come by here when things start to get a bit frazzled. Hey, is there any news with the gang stuff?"

Natalie says, "I'm not even going there. Jacinta, I mean." Her voice is full of badly-repressed disgust. "--And no, nothing from the gangs. Since I can't talk to her kin anymore, I have nothing, nada, zip squat zilch on the gangs. --Oh," she adds, voice and expression lightening, "I do have something, but it's roundabout." Finally she sticks the mug under the hot water, waiting until it's full and she's turned off the tap before continuing. "David called. He's got a gal pal in, and they're going to try some Jedi mind trick thing on the 'Brothers, see if they can't make them forget. Megan-rhya's cleared it. So we're to sit tight and not antagonize 'em."

Her blue eyes go large at this last bit of news. "Wait, who's David again, and how's he gonna make a whole gang forget about what's up, and not know why they are lugging silver around?" Emma gives a huh, "How's that work?"

Another eyeroll, this one accompanied by a fond little smile. "Sheesh, Emma, you gotta take notes, or something." She delivers the hot water before retreating to lean on the counter next to the sink, her hands braced behind her. "OK, David. David's the name I've given to my personal mage-slash-phone-stalker, since he won't give me his real one. He says that he and this other mage he's brought in - who's apparently kin, by the by, but I don't know whose - will be able to... to do something to the gang so they forget they ever saw us. Or something. Forget we're werewolves, and forget why they've got all this silver."

Natalie adds, "I don't know how it'll work, I'm not a mage. But he says if it works, they'll just sort of... I dunno. Rationalize why they've got the silver. Use it, probably. Just not on us."

Emma hmms at this, "So why didn't he offer to do that in the first place then? But that sounds really hopeful anyway." She pauses in thought a moment, "I forget about the behind the scenes stuff Nat, and you prolly got so many connections and names that I'd never keep up with them anyway." She grins at this and takes in a deep breath, "Well, I suppose I should get back I guess. You and Gunnar know, don't think anyone else was on the to know list."

Natalie gives the 'names and connections' another little smirk. "--Well, wait. Am I just supposed to sit on this news? Or am I supposed to shout it from the rooftops? Did Signe say?"

Emma pauses at this and looks up as if searching her brain visibly, "She just said to tell you and Gunnar. You should stop by and congratulate her, ya can ask her then if she wants it broadcast?"

Natalie says, "I will. Or maybe I'll call." She runs a hand through her hair, smirking wryly over at the other half of the house. "In my copious spare time. --Thanks for stopping by, Emma. We're still on for patrol tonight, right? Want to ask Signe if you should take her stint with me on Wednesday, too?"

Emma thinks on this, "Not yet. If we start treating her all preggo too soon, she's gonna get pissed." She gives a little grin at this, "And when it is time for her to chill, you get to tell her."

Natalie snorts and mimes throwing something at the girl. "Great. Now see, there's another perfect Fostern Challenge gonna go by the wayside because I can't give one to myself. Drink your hot water."

Emma laughs at that and takes the mug, drinking the water down and letting it warm her up. "It's gonna be forever before I can even think of Fostern. That's ok though, I'd rather do it when I know I'm ready."

"It's just been five years for me," Nat replies, sobering as she leans back on her hands again. "It'll... it'll come when you're ready. Don't rush it. Being Cliath just means you didn't die on your Rite of Passage. Fostern means you rarely screw up. Enjoy being able to screw up."

Emma lets out a laugh at that, "Oh in that case maybe I ought to not set goals that are too high." She finishes the water and sets the mug down, "Alright, off I go. Thanks Nat. I'll catch ya later."

Natalie tosses her packmate a two-fingered salute and turns to clean up instead of escorting Emma out.

[End of log]