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Cockroach Mansion -- Downstairs

The heavy, dark opulence to this mansion known as Dominion is perfectly exemplified by the room vistors first enter, this front hall. Dark-stained wood serves as paneling on the walls, gleams with high gloss in the hardwood floor, and supports a semi-circular balcony in carved pillars. The heavy double doors, made of oak, open into the hall from the south, opposite the huge, hourglass-shaped staircase composed of red and black gneiss which soars up to the balcony; both are fenced in with a wooden railing of simple spiraled posts. Several doorways can be made out on the second floor, nearly blending in discreetly with the back wall. The wall to the left of the front doors is composed entirely of windows which run from the forty-foot-tall domed dark wood ceiling to the floor; if drawn, the heavy velvet drapes of deep red would completely mask them from view, but when parted, as they often are, one has a marvelous view of the grounds outside.

A doorway to the right of the front doors leads to a parlor, and towards the back are the kitchens, the large dining room, and Salem's office.

Contents:

Salem

Obvious exits:

Tower Stairway Salem's Office Front Doors

Salem comes of out his office looking pensive and preoccupied as he prowls through the house and toward the parlor.

Natalie quicksteps down the steps, swings around the last baluster and has to pull up short before charging into the man of the house. "Oh! Sorry, um... I didn't see you there." Obviously. She runs a hand through her hair, wondering, "Did you, um, get that note I left for you? About the greenhouse?"

Salem pulls up short and peers at her for a moment before smiling faintly. "I did. And I was thinking freestanding myself, actually... but why the octagonal?" His tone's more curious than critical.

Natalie shrugs, her eyes flicking past him to the kitchen and back. "Just like the look of it better. The rectangular's more traditional, of course. Octagonal kinda brings up aviaries, to my mind. English gardens, peacocks, all that. Titch more exotic."

Salem nods slowly, his eyes narrowing. "Hmm. I like that. Have you eaten?" Obviously, he's noticed her glance.

"Huh?" Her eyes meet his for a second, then drop. "Oh yeah, I have. I was just thinking about hunting up some popcorn, or something. Maybe see about a movie. This place is too... too quiet. I thought I was the only one here."

Salem grunts. "The one real problem with this large a house. But call me optimistic. Met any more of the family yet?"

Natalie bobs her head, a hand still resting on the bannister. "Yup. Jeremy - and there's a poster boy for geek if I've ever seen one - and Anthony. He talk to you about Chiminage yet? Oh, and Signe stopped by, um... Thursday. She didn't stay long."

Salem makes an 'eh' sort of noise when Anthony's chiminage is mentioned, then raises a brow at mention of Signe. "Ah, the Get?"

Natalie says, "Yup. She seemed kinda, mmm, surprised when I said you'd talked to me about packing. I told her I wanted to at least meet everybody first before trying to decide. The, um, greenhouse thing might be good for that. Like an Amish barn-raising, y'know? Only it'd be a Garou greenhouse." She offers up a small smile for the weak joke. "We could even wear the hats."

Salem snorts, sounding amused. "No hats." He's about to say more when the gate buzzer sounds, and murmurs, "Excuse me," instead and wanders over toward the front entryway to glance at the monitor. "Ah. Speak of the devil," he says, and activates the gate.

Natalie turns to watch expectantly, but doesn't leave her post near the bottom of the stairs. "How 'bout the overalls then?"

Salem gives Natalie a strange look as he opens the door for the Get Ahroun. "Tell you what. I won't forbid anyone to dress in hats and overalls..."

Signe greets Salem with a nod as she steps in. "Hey. Whose overalls?" She looks around, catching sight of Natalie. "Ah, hi."

Natalie grins easily at him, but doesn't press the issue. "Fair enough. Who's at the door, anyway?"

"You should know, since you've met her." Salem closes the door behind Signe; Natalie's over by the stairs. His gaze shifts from one to the other and back again.

"Briefly," Signe admits, lifting a hand to greet Natalie with a wave. "But just briefly. Galliard, right?"

Natalie lifts a hand to to Get. "Oh, sorry. H'lo, Signe. I was just trying to convince Salem-rhya that we needed to wear Amish hats and overalls for the greenhouse raising. Maybe just the Shadow Lords, though. What d'you think?"

Salem smirks faintly. "I imagine Cutter would love that."

Signe smirks, slightly amused. "You can dress the Lords in tutus and leotards if you want. Won't bug me."

"Galliard," Natalie confirms. "You can call me Nat, if you'd like. I was just going to go make myself some popcorn and see what sort of DVDs we've got." She tilts her head expectantly toward the parlor, including the others in the invite.

Signe seems at least mildly enthused. "Grab me a beer while you're in the kitchen?" she asks, turning back to Salem. "So, what's the news?"

Salem rubs the side of his neck, looking thoughtful. Considering. "Anything but _The Matrix_," he mutters, and waves Natalie toward the kitchen with a, "Popcorn's in the pantry." Then he turns toward Signe, grimaces slightly, and precedes her into the parlor. "News? Well, I attempted to talk to Joshua last night." The look on his face doesn't bode well.

Natalie gives Signe a thumb's up before heading kitchen-wards. Rattle-y noises commence.

Signe grimaces at the idea. "Attempt? That doesn't sound good. what, the kid start whining again?"

Salem settles into his usual chair with a grunt. "Something like that." His voice turns mocking. "'Woe is me, my elder didn't wipe my ass for me when I was cubnapped!' Feh." He shrugs. "I give up. I'm tired of trying to deal with his angsty crap."

Signe shrugs, pulling up a chair for herself. "Well, you won't have to much longer. He'll get it or he won't, and it'll be over. Right?" She puts her feet up.

Salem stretches his legs with another grunt. "Yes." He shakes his head. "The bitch of it is, I hope he does pass. Not that he'd believe it."

In the kitchen, the whirr of the microwave quickly gives way to popping. It sounds like Nat's doing some searching as well, opening cabinets and drawers.

Signe shakes her head. "You really think that? That he thinks you want him to fail?"

"I'm certain of it," the Walker Elder replies, flatly.

Signe leans back in her chair. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. He's young and stupid." She shrugs again, looking more closely at Salem. "Don't sulk. It's not your fault."

Salem's eyebrows rise; he frowns minutely. "I wasn't sulking."

Signe flashes Salem a little smile.

Salem glowers for a moment, then snorts. "Well, I wasn't. I don't sulk. I brood. There's a difference."

A few moments after the microwave bings! its finish Nat appears in the doorway of the parlor with three bowls in her arms. "Gonna have to go back for the beer," she says, crossing to offer her Elder first dibs. "Is there anything in there off-limits?"

Signe can't help but offer up a rasped little chuckle. "Yeah, I've said the same thing myself on occasion." Natalie's return draws her attention, and she takes her own bowl in turn. "Thanks."

Salem sits up to take the proffered bowl. "Avoid anything with a name on it. Bring in the good beer for Signe and me... and whatever you want for yourself."

"Gotcha." Natalie claims a chair for herself by placing her bowl on it, then disappears back toward the kitchen. Such a good little serving wench.

Signe munches idly while Natalie returns to the kitchen. Eyeing Jack, she asks, "So, how did you leave it with him?"

"Who, Joshua?" Salem shrugs. "Drove him back to the farmhouse, dropped him off. Soon as I saw we weren't getting anywhere."

Natalie passes Signe in the hall as the Get's leaving, they exchange farewells before the Galliard reappears in the doorway. "She didn't stay long. Here's your beer." Three bottles are easier to carry than three bowls, the necks clenched in her fingers. "So what was that about?"

Salem takes the beer with a nod of thanks and cracks it open. "Problem cub. Who won't be one in a couple of weeks."

Natalie solves at least part of the problem of how to divide three beers between two people by opening a bottle for herself. "Cub? That'd be, either Cat, Katrine, or Josh, right?" She sits down, popcorn on her lap and open bottle in one hand. "Jeremy told me about 'em. Um, Theurge, Ahroun, and Galliard, if I remember."

"Joshua," Salem confirms. "The Ahroun. Haven't had much of a chance to sit down with Katrine yet, and Cat..." He shrugs, taking a pull from his beer. "Cat has issues, but he's as ready for Cliath as he'll ever be."

Natalie says, "I think we've all got 'issues'," as she munches. "They're all out on the Bawn, right? I'd like to meet 'em - Jeremy thinks me and Katrine are going to be best buds, or something. But that, um..." My, popcorn is a fascinating thing, isn't it? "Don't take this wrong, or anything."

"Cat's free to move between city and Bawn," Salem says, looking at her curiously. "...Within the limitations of not having a car or knowing how to drive yet. Why does Jeremy think you and Katrine will get along?"

"Frankly, I have no idea. Probably because we're both girls and Galliards. Anyway, um, that's not what I was..." Popcorn also makes a good delaying tactic too - but only for the time it takes to chew. Why couldn't it have been taffy? "Back home, I'd've been sniffed for Taint and everything by now. You just... run a looser ship?" Nat offers this explanation hopefully.

Salem pops a kernal of popcorn into his mouth and looks at her with a quiet, humorless little smile. "What makes you think you haven't been?"

Natalie regards him frankly. "Because usually there's some a person on the other end, and you notice it." She shrugs again, drops her eyes. "Doesn't bother me, really, except I feel like I'm on probation, or something. Maybe it's just self-inflicted, but there it is."

Salem drops the little smile and shrugs again, his manner cool. "You are... at least until I get arrange for you to meet with the Sept Alpha." He sets his popcorn bowl aside and toys with his beer bottle, rotating it.

Natalie nods ruefully. "Yeah, figured. So that brings me back to Chiminage - which is something I can do. The big question is who's paying. After that it's a matter of figuring out how the pieces fit." She aborts a swig, eyes narrowing. "Did I tell you about the ranges I found for price and size? I don't remember."

Salem shakes his head. "You didn't. As for who'll be paying the bill... I'm still arranging for that." He takes a sip of beer.

Nat says, "Yeah, well, you got a lot of leeway. Anything from 70 bucks to about 29 thousand. Most of them seem to be anywhere from about fifteen hundred to thirty-five. That gets you decent floorspace and polycarb walls. I'd recommend going with those, 'cause they don't need to be babied like glass does."

Salem's smile is faint but amiable. "Makes sense. May as well take advantage of modern technology. Could hardly call ourselves Walkers if we didn't."

"Darn tootin'," the Galliard agrees. "Same vein, I'd argue for aluminum frames instead of wood, and permanent instead of temporary. I've done a little research on where it ought to be located, but final decision's up to you. That's part of why I go for octagonal as well - since it's probably going to be seen from the street. If we had five acres and could hide it behind the bulk of the house, that's one thing."

"Put it behind the house, anyway," Salem muses. "The walls around the property will keep most eyes at bay, though. And, yes, permanent." He shifts his weight, sitting up a bit, eyes glinting. "Even with the few Garou that are living here now, the place has a frightening reputation to the neighbors, but it's always had that. The previous owners were... not good people. Nor the owners before that. A black history. Hence the ghosts, I suppose." He shrugs, sits back to take another swig. "Ultimately, I want this place to be made into a safe haven in the city... on both sides. The greenhouse is part of that. Come spring, I'd also like to have some work done on the grounds." He grins faintly. "Have you ever been to the tribe homeland?"

Natalie settles back into her chair and roots around for the last bits of popcorn. "Never been that far in, no. We concentrated more on this side of things - realmside, I mean - and just the other side of the Umbra." She looks over, curious. "I dunno how much it would help, but what about a cleansing? Even if we could just get a room where the ghosts couldn't go, that'd be something. Or... must've been Jeremy who told me that the ghosts are retreating here because of something even worse out," a hand flip, "there?"

Salem hands over his bowl of popcorn and concentrates on his beer. "I still think the ghosts are something... other. Outside our Tellurian, or some such thing. When we moved in, there was no ghost activity, not noticeably anyway, and the Umbra was... normal. About what you would expect for this part of town. When the ghost activity was at its height, we had some entities in the Umbra here gathering to feed on their pain. But they weren't aggressive, and now that the ghosts have settled down again, they seem to have wandered off." His mouth thins. "For whatever reason, this area, in their plane of existence, is a haven and they can't survive for long outside of it." A pause, and he adds, "Not that a Cleansing wouldn't do the place good. Anything that channels positive energy into the area."

"I'd do it, if I knew it," the Galliard volunteers, accepting the popcorn with a nod and smile. "Thanks. Or if someone's willing to teach me. I had some Wiccan friends back home who tried to sell me on salt, but I'd think sprinkling salt all over your house would do the opposite of cleaning it. Or maybe it's supposed to be the vacuuming afterward that does the cleansing. --What sort of entities? You ever get them identified?"

Salem swallows, then sucks on a tooth thoughtfully. "You'd have to ask Cutter. Shadow Lord Theurge, one of the people I'll be packing with."

The front doors to the mansion open up and Jeremy heads inside, shaking some wetness off his trench coat. "Hello?" He calls out through the mansion, lugging a bag behind him that probably weighs as much as he does.

Salem glances up at the techigoth's voice and calls out, "In here, Jeremy."

Natalie says, "I can do that." She and Salem are sitting in the parlor with beer and, in Nat's case, popcorn. "Hey Jer! We're in here!" More quietly she adds, "Anthony and I helped him unpack some spy gear on Friday. He's given me some info on this Russian thing, but I don't know much in the way of background. Something about a possible Veil breach?" Nat offers this last very carefully.

Salem grimaces, then finishes the last of his bottle of beer. "Worse than that. While most of the Russians are normal humans, they have something or somethings supernatural and Wyrmy higher-up. And they're into some very vile things, quite apart from being a danger to our little family here. Many reasons to want them... purged."

Heading into the parlor, dragging the bag behind him, Jermey puffs out a breath, releasing the straps. "Packed up and ready to go. Lee and I are going to bug Boris's house and get everything tapp'd and what not. I got the equipment set up in the van I rented."

Salem looks to Jeremy and nods, his expression somber. "Might be unnecessary to say it, but... be careful tonight. I'm sure Roger would return from the dead to throat me himself if anything happened to you." Touch of dark humor.

"But first see if we can find out who knows what, and how much they know." Natalie's approving. "Yeah, Jer, how are you getting him out of the house? Just going to hope for luck, or what?"

"He's at a banquet tonight, entertaining guests for the weekend. He won't be returning until late." Jeremy says with a nod of his head, offering up a grin. "I got bored and pulled a few strings, paid off the right guy."

Salem chuckles briefly, though his mismatched eyes remain rather serious. "Good."

Natalie adds more seriously, "Cockroach watch you. I got that CD you burned for me, but I have to say it doesn't make much sense without the backstory. I'll get that in a day or three, all right?"

Salem arches a brow. "CD?"

Jeremy tilts his head. "You know, of all that Russian stuff, the video that I pulled. I showed her the info that I hacked off the FTP, see if she could make heads or tails of it."

Natalie offers her half-full bowl of popcorn over for Jer to munch from. "Yup. No new insights here, though, like I said. Maybe later something'll snap into place."

Salem just nods slowly, his expression thoughtful.

Jeremy slips his black gloves off his hands and stuffs them into his pocket. Reaching out, he takes a handful of popcorn, grinning at Natalie. "Thanks. Hey, I gotcha something for yesterday, you too Salem."

Salem's eyebrows reach for his hairline again. "Oh?"

Natalie chimes in, "Yeah? What's that?"

Jeremy reaches over to the bag and opens it up, taking out a pair of chocolate roses, with cards attached to them. He hands it over. "Happy Valentines Day." He says, grinning wryly.

Natalie is, to say the least, bemused. "Ah... thanks, Jeremy." She glances toward Salem, then gives the foil-wrapped rose the obligatory sniff before planting it in her empty beer bottle. "I'll treasure it forever."

Salem accepts his with a rather strange look at the gothgeek. "...Thanks."

Jeremy chuckles slightly. "Yer' welcome. I got a buncha for everyone. Had a close out deal at the ninety-eight cent store. So, don't feel too special."

Natalie nods sagely and declaims, "Ah. Half price dollar roses. The true sign of love and devotion." That doesn't stop her, however, from reading the card.

Salem flips his card open as well, curiously, his scarred face a study of bemusement.

Jeremy pages: You get a lion king card, and on the back is: You are my Queen. It's signed "Jer" at the bottom. It's a picture of Simba and Nala with their muzzles pressed together, their heads shaped like a heart.

Natalie's head tilts as she reads her card; from her expression it's hard to tell if she's pleased or disturbed. "Well, thanks, Jeremy. Now I feel like a complete heel. Tell you what, I'll make you a new bag of popcorn, all right?"

Salem wrinkles his nose a bit at his, then shakes his head. "You're getting strange in your old age, Jeremy," he says dryly.

Jeremy chuckles slightly and rubs the back of his neck. "I broke up with Aubrey." He admits softly, glancing up at them.

"Mine's Simba and Nala." Nat offers her card over for the Elder's delectation. "Cripes, Jer, on Valentine's Day??"

"No. A few days ago." Jeremy says with a nod of his head.

"A few days ago was right before Valentine's day," points out the knower of such things with a shake of her head. "Sorry, Jer, no points for timing. Good points for doing it, though."

Salem peers at Natalie's card briefly, then turns his eye toward the kin. "Didn't work out, hm?"

Jeremy shakes his head. "She's an emotional leech and honestly... um..." He trails off a bit, then lets out a breath. "No, it wasn't working out. I wasn't comfortable in the relationship."

Salem actually looks a little sympathetic as he shakes his head and offers up a gruff, "Sorry to hear it."

Natalie's just all full of advice. "Don't rebound. She sounded emotionally whacked from what you told me. But then again: Fianna, theurge. Either one of those can be a little," she whistles the well-familiar 'cuckoo'. She and the others are in the parlor.

Jeremy shrugs his shoulders. "I'm not sure what I'm looking for right now. I just need to come back alive from t'night, you know?" He says with a smile on his face, glancing between the pair. "So, Natalie, whatcha doing this Friday?" He says in jest, elbowing her playfully.

Anthony lets himself in the front door and heads for the parlor, stripping off his jacket along the way.

Salem smirks. He says nothing, just unwraps his chocolate rose and takes a bite out of it.

Natalie gahs and whaps at Jeremy with her rose. "Rebound! Rebound! You're kin, I'm Garou; you're supposed to listen to me about these things!"

"I'm not asking you to marry me." Jeremy says with a laugh, pretending to cringe from her. "Just wanting to know if you'd hang out with me."

Anthony walks into the parlor casually, leaving his jacket on the windowsill like he usually does. "Yeah, and then he's going to ask you to marry him," he comments with a wry smile.

"Depends on what the boss says." Yes, that's right, hide behind Salem's... skirts. "Oh hey, Anthony." Time for a diversion to throw to the lions, yes! "You ask Salem yet about the plumbing?" Retreat! Retreat!

Jeremy crosses his arms and smirks, glancing over towards Salem. "Salem Rhya, Mister Don, can I go out with Natalie this Friday night?"

Salem glances up as Anthony enters, his gaze raking briefly over the New York Walker before giving a thin smile. He swallows the bite of chocolate. "Yes, Jeremy, and I give you permission to ravish her, too." Perfectly deadpan. Then he looks from Jeremy to Anthony. "Plumbing?"

OK, that worked out not at all. Nat sags back in her chair and 'pouts' over her beer-planted chocolate rose. "No one asked me about the ravishing."

"Well, uh, I heard you were having Natalie here do some construction work and I got to thinking that since I used to do, like, contractor work back home so maybe you could use some help fixing this place up a little, or something, like maybe the plumbing?" Anthony spills, then clears his throat.

"The pipes in the basement suck ass Salem. They are old and corroded as Tony pointed out the other day." Jermey says, glancing sidelong to Natalie with a knowing wink. "So, I'll pick you up around... nine?"

Salem blinks at Anthony, then sits up a bit. "Good god, man, why didn't you mention that before?"

"It didn't occur to me...?" Tony finds a place to sit, then takes off his cap and wrings it idly.

Natalie gives Anthony a discreet two-thumbs up and a grin. Hah! "Uhm, maybe Jer? Yeah, I guess. You've got a key; you don't have to be buzzed in."

Salem snorts, then gives Tony a rare grin. The Elder's in a good mood tonight, oh yes. Someone take a picture. "Consider yourself hired. And go get yourself a beer or something."

Jeremy chuckles at Natalie and glances over to Tony. "Cool beans. You get a beer... oh... Salem is smiling... hold that." He starts digging around in his jacket. "Got my Elph in here somewhere."

Anthony grins back at Natalie, slouching back in his chair. "No thanks, I'm not thirsty," he says to Salem, shaking his head at the offer.

It was the popcorn. Natalie bends down to snatch the beer bottle by her foot and offers it to the Ragabash. "Wouldn't want you to get lost on the way to the kitchen. No? Then I'll put in back in the fridge before I go up. I'd've offered it to you, Jeremy, but I wasn't sure who's driving. Anyway, you wanna be sharp for tonight."

Salem refrains from throwing something at Jeremy -- he's too dignified for that -- but snorts and immediately goes deadpan as he bites into the chocolate rose again. Bastard.

Click! Jeremy catches a picture of Salem eating off a chocolate rose. With a smug grin, he slips the small credit card sized camera into his jacket, patting it.

Salem casts a long-suffering look at the ceiling.

Anthony nods slightly to Natalie, then glances distractedly at the brandished camera. "Nerd."

"Respect those beneath ye, all are of Gaia." Jeremey quotes as he leans back with a smirk on his face, settling into a chair. He wraps his hands around one knee as he draws it up to his chest, leaning upon it. "You can not call me a nerd. It is offensive." He pretends to look hurt. "Salem, gut him."

Natalie volunteers, "I think this is my cue to run. I mean, go upstairs to brush my teeth. Like I said, Anthony, you can borrow my blowtorch." She stands and collects her rose bottle, stacks her two bowls together. "G'night."

"Get your new girlfriend to do it," Salem retorts, turning half-lidded eyes back to the scene. "...Or not. Good night, Nat."

Laughing, Jeremy feels 'schooled'. "Ow... alright..." He trails off, glancing over to Nat, blowing her a kiss. "Good night love, see you in the morning."

Anthony chuckles slightly, waving as Natalie makes her exit before settling back into his seat.

Natalie, at the door, swings 'round to level a Look at Jeremy. Her lip pulls up in a hint of snarl but her voice is calm as she advises, "Don't push your luck."

Jeremy lifts up two fingers in a 'peace' salute, offering up a smile.

Salem smiles thinly as he finishes off the chocolate rose and sets the now bud-less stem into his empty beer bottle.

All hint, all suggestion of snarl disappears as Nat dips her head a last time to her Elder. She disappears down the hallway toward the kitchen.

[End of log]