Farmhouse: Kitchen and Dining Room

Homey is the first word to come to mind when looking at the farmhouse's kitchen. Dark, wood-paneled wainscoting covers the walls to about waist height, dark beige wallpaper continuing to the ceiling. Twin refrigerators occupy the north wall, facing the large six-burner stove on the south. The kitchen counter runs the length of the eastern wall, broken only by the double-basin sink. Cabinets run above and below the counter and a twin-pane window is set in the wall above the sink. A small pantry is set into an alcove alongside the refrigerators, presumably holding the deep freezer as well as shelves of dry goods.

Some twelve feet above the floor, a large chandelier hangs from the ceiling, lighting the dining room and casting long shadows over the bar to the kitchen. A long table occupies the center of the dining room, three chairs setting along each side, and one on each end. On the west wall, a large window looks out on the trees alongside the western pasture. Set into the north wall is a large cabinet, its glass doors closed on shelves containing a full compliment of fine china and glassware as well as a few decorative nicknacks. On the east, a wide bar separates the dining room from the kitchen.

An opening in the southern wall allows passage to the front entryway of the house, while a sliding glass door in the kitchen opens to a clearing behind the house.

Contents:
Signe
Trevor
Joshua
Emma

Obvious exits:
Hallway/Living Room Back Door

Emma rolls her eyes, "Oh yah, I remember you chewing me out for that one too. Fuck, we should hang signs around to make sure everyone is aware they shouldn't call you that anymore. It was your name Josh, can't wipe that off your past."

Signe pushes her soup away calmly and moves to stand up. The excitable cubs are ignored long enough for her to move to the fridge, inspect its insides, and retrieve a beer before she tells Josh, "But it was your name. Whatever bug is in your ass about the name, allowing her to get under your skin like that, so fucking easily, it's real smart."

"Josh, this name, and I'm not gonna get into whether it is or isn't yours, and you don't have to answer me if you don't want to..." Trevor begins, pausing in his eating. "But this name, how did it come to be attached to you?"

Emma decides that since the Elders are in control here, she will shut up. She does have a sour look on her face about the whole urrah part of it. She puts her bowl into the sink and starts running water, getting ready to wash it up right away.

Joshua glowers in Emma's general direction for another moment, giving a short, irritated sigh. "What ever. None of ya would understand what 'm talking about." He noncomments, grabbing the chair and hauling it back to his spot. "But fer me, Signe-Rhya, it's on par with Charach." With that he starts poking at his soup again.

A truck pulls past the farmhouse and stops, the noise of the engine cutting out. Some moments later Nat clomps onto the porch and inside, her eyes going first up the stairs, then to the living room. "Afternoon?"

Signe frowns, but the understanding is clear in her eyes when she nods to Josh. "Still. You should try and curb your temper. Everyone pretty much understands what they're saying when they call someone a charach. Not everybody's gonna know the name pisses you off. Work on it." The call gets her attention and she moves to see who's come in. "Hey."

"Hey Natalie." Trevor calls out, remembering the girl from their one meeting. "Want some soup?"

Joshua lets out another sigh. "I asked her not to. I'm not that off the handle, but I will." He fishes out another piece of meat, chewing on it slowly, calmed down from the outburst a few moments ago.

"I'm good, thanks," Nat answers as she comes through the living room and into the kitchen where she leans against the wall. "Though if there are any cookies left, I'll have one of those." Each of the other garou get a nod in turn. "Signe. Mmmm... Travis, right? Joshua." Even Emma gets a nod, though not a name.

Emma looks up as well, and doesn't recognize the newcomer. She soaps the bowl, rinses, and then takes a dishtowel to dry it before putting it back into a cupboard. An elbow hits Trevor and she whispers a quick, "Thank you."

Joshua nods from his seat, looking for a moment like he would get up before he thinks better of it. "Afternoon, Natalie-Rhya." The Ahroun otherwise mostly works on the soup.

Signe grunts at Josh's answer. She's kind enough to move her soup bowl to the sink, but she doesn't bother washing it. "How are you settling in, Nat?" she asks.

Joshua is wiry, in his teens', stands at 5' 9", and is by no means a towering giant. His frame is much better worked than the average person, a layer of built muscle visible under his skin from obsessive training, but he lacks almost any fat, looking lean from months of slim eating. His skin seems stretched over his frame, pale, and of clear northern European descent. His face is cold and lined, with no real defining features: dull brown eyes, thin lips, a smaller nose, and a few freckles still clinging on after most of them faded away. His head is covered in short stubble, dirty red colored hair only beginning to grow back. The youth has a near constant disheveled, almost feral quality about him in spite of how clean he keeps himself. Bruises and cuts are scattered across his frame; one could deduce that he gets in more than his fair share of scrapes. Currently, Joshua looks like hell, only wearing a pair of sweat pants. His chest is heavily bandaged, and the bandages are pretty much red over the right chest. He's breathing hard, chest is slightly lopsided.

Emma:
4'10" of youthful energy packed up into a body all too willing to use it. Emma would be described as pretty if she were cleaned up and dressed the role, but all too often the scrapping tomboy paints herself with bruises instead of blush.

Somewhere in her mid-teens, her features are strong but decidedly feminine. High cheekbones and full lips work well to compliment her almost button nose and deepset eyes, while dark, ash blonde hair frames her face. While not straight, it is not curly either, and untied it reaches down past her shoulders. Her eyes are a cool blue, reminiscent of a bright summer day - but like the weather they seem to hold an amount of unpredictability. There is a hardness to her gaze, and while her smiles can be warm and sincere, they are well guarded.

Her posture is an odd mix of insecurity and confidence -or at least what might be confused as confidence. She seems surefooted and comfortable with herself, but exudes a certain edginess to those she might see as a source of ridicule.

"Trevor, actually. Travis'll do, though." The Galliard grins, moving over to the sink to do both his own and Signe's washing up. "'S'ok." he murmurs back to Emma.

Natalie says, "Trevor, right. Sorry." She looks briskly around at the counters before shrugging and tucking her hands into her jeans pockets. "Pretty well, thanks. Got the greenhouse ordered, brought Kat back to the City. Stopped by to check on Josh," the cub's dropped a nod, "And to see if I could find our -other- Cat. The Theurge."

"Unless something's changed..." Josh responds from his soup, looking to but not at Natalie. "Cat is with Salem at the Dominion er what ever it's called."

Signe looks between the two Walkers. "Yeah, well, I should probably get going back." Telling Emma she'll meet her out front, the Get takes her leave and exits through the back door.

"Bye Signe-Rhya, Emma." Trevor nods to the two Get as they leave, continuing with the washing up.

Natalie can do patient, see? "Obviously, I didn't see him there. So I came here." She hoists her chin toward the Ahroun. "What happened? Tony said some other cub nearly killed you."

Natalie adds, "Trevor, d'you know anything about it?"

Joshua starts to raise the spoon and correct the elder before he shrugs. "Yeah, I guess that's close enough. Got in a fight, got torn up. Getting better." He breezes through the explanation, glossing over a whole lot of details. He taps the spoon to his chin for a moment... "Cat is... third story, Sixth door on the right. The one with the art on the door and that smells of lucky charms."

"Know anything about what, Natalie?" Trevor asks, finishing up the washing up, for now.

Natalie scowls at the cub's summary. "About him." She nods at Josh, her words for Trevor, then addresses Josh directly. "Salem'll want to know more than that. Details."

"That's good, because I plan on telling him more than that." Josh responds, a touch of ice hinting at his tone. "So when I tell him, I won't leave any details out. He's due by here any day, now."

"Aye Natalie, I know plenty." Trevor nods. "I wouldn't be any good if I couldn't keep track of my charges, after all."

"Keep talking, Joshua," the other Walker informs him sweetly. "Your brain needs the oxygen." Then off the wall she pushes, ambling over to join Trevor at the sink. "Then would you mind telling me what happened to my cub? My Elder will want to know. Got a towel?"

"Right." The Ahroun rumbles back irate, slowly standing up so not to rip the wound again. He ambles over to the sink, pouring the last of the mostly eaten bowl out. "For the record, Signe's my Keeper, Nat. Trevor-Rhya's just making sure I stay in the infirmary until they think 'm healed."

"Josh, do you have a problem with me telling your Elder what happened? Or is it something you'd prefer to do yourself, being as you are fully capable now of doing so." Trevor asks the cub, nodding to Natalie. "Here." he tosses her a towel.

Joshua shrugs, running the bowl under the water. "If you think you have all the details, shoot. But I plan on telling Salem-Rhya when he asks myself."

Natalie ignores the cub, instead catching the towel and setting to work on the dishes. "Thanks. Let me know where they go, and I'll put them away." All perfectly pleasant, perfectly ordinary.

"Ah, leave it, I'll do it." Trevor replies. "As Josh has indicated, he'll tell Salem-Rhya. But I'll fill you in, so as you know. Josh and the new mule, Atcen, I believe is the name, got into a pissing contest. Normal cub dominance test type of thing. However, this contest gradually esculated. It only became really violent when the mule insulted Josh with an insult he had warned her several times already not to use. As I understand it, said insult is to him as charach would be to you or I. And that, is what happened to your cub." He looks over to Josuh, to check he got it right and no injustice was done.

Joshua gives a one shoulder shrug, standing rather steady now that he had food in his stomach. If he has a comment one way or another with Trevor's telling, he doesn't seem inclined to make it.

Natalie says, "Huh." Several pieces of silverware pass through her towel. "Thank you. And do you know what this ultimate insult would be?"

"Yes, I do." Trevor nods. "But I'm not about to upset and offend Josh by repeating it. If he wishes to tell you, he will." He begins to put the silverware away.

Natalie shifts over to give the other Galliard room. "How can you be insulting Joshua if you're talking to me?" All very reasonable. "Though..." She turns one way, then the other to locate Josh. "There you are. What was this insult, Joshua?"

Joshua gives another one shoulder shrug. "It's a name that used to be ascribed to me that was both shameful and derogatory. The person who lived under that name ceased to be after the rite of breaking with the past, and I resent any implication that I'm that name. And as part of that Rite, I don't speak of that name."

"So now, I assume, you understand how I can insult him while talking to someone else." Trevor replies to Natalie. "If he no longer speaks of that name, then it is not our place to do so." Plus a Rite is involved, and Trevor takes his Rites seriously. Oh yes.

Natalie huhs again, studying the boy as she chews on the inside of her lip. Then it's back to drying. "I hadn't realized cubs could be a part of any Rite besides Passage. No, that didn't come out right. I hadn't realized they could be the focus of any Rite besides Passage. ...Or Wounding. Here." She hands Trevor a bowl. "Besides, isn't giving up a name akin to Renunciation?"

"Rite of Breaking with the Past can be done with anyone ready and willing to kill their old self and start over as a new person." Josh intones flat. "Salem-Rhya was aware of it. But giving up a name isn't Renunciation, except in a personal sense. You're 'renouncing' the person before you as unworthy to be yourself."

"I need to go deal with some stuff." Trevor heads for the door. "I'll be back later. You guys be well. Josh, I'll see you when I get home. Natalie, I'll see you whenever." And he's gone.

"I'll talk to you later," Natalie tells Trevor's back as she finishes drying the last plates. She fishes in the sink for the plug, squinting over her shoulder at the other Walker. "Why d'you think you're ready to Rite?"

"What do you mean by that? The Rite of Breaking with the Past? Or why do I think I'm ready for the Rite of Passage this Saturday?" The Ahroun asks, leaning lightly against the chair behind him.

The plug comes loose with a glub; Nat shakes her hand dry and dabs at it with her towel. "Well, since you've obviously already undergone Breaking with the Past, I can hardly ask if you think you're ready to do it, hmm? -Think-, Joshua."

"You said 'd', which could mean either Did or Do. I didn't know which you said. So I asked for clarification" Josh responds unfazed. "Because Salem-Rhya said I am, because other people have said I am. Because I've fought the Wyrm and Corrupted portions of the Weaver more than any other Cub. And because I just know I am ready." The Ahroun shrugs his shoulder, as if the gesture would explain the rest.

Natalie glances up at the ceiling as if expecting to find patience there. Or perhaps she'll find it in the lungful of air. "So you think you're ready because other people have told you it's going to happen. And because you just know you're ready." Her tone's flat, disbelieving. "That's it."

"Sure." Josh remains relatively composed, leaning against the chair. "What else is there? Two months of combat training, twice to three times a day for hours on end? Lessons on spirits, the Umbra, on the trait, on what our tribe holds as truth, and a hundred other things? If you wanted to know what I've learned out here, I could have just said that."

No patience in that breath, why not try another? Natalie's carefully not looking at the cub. "I see. And why didn't you?"

Joshua blinks, looking throughly confused. "Because it has nothing to do with my ability to complete the Rite, Rhya? It's important... but people with less skill at fighting than me have gone on the Rite and passed. Miss Rina is fond of reminding me... as is Scar-Rhya, that it's more about being a Cliath then knowing what a Cliath should know."

Natalie keeps watching the ceiling, lest it leap down upon them both. "An interesting way of looking at things: the things I learn as a cub are completely worthless when it comes to my Rite of Passage."

Joshua shakes his head, beginning to look a little physically worn out from all the talking. "Didn't say that, Rhya. But what I learn as a cub won't guarantee my success."

Natalie shifts to lean back against the counter, her hands behind her and bracing. "Nothing will guarantee your success, Joshua. But what you've learned as a cub does affect it, and also what happens afterward. Everyone's Rite is different. Your Rite won't be the same as Cat's, even though you're going out together."

Joshua blinks, looking right back to Natalie. "Then where's the disagreement? What you learn as a cub is not what makes or breaks your Rite. Showing that you are ready to be Cliath in your actions is."

Natalie still hasn't looked over at the cub. My my, that ceiling is nice and flat. "Perhaps, then, you could explain to me how... what was it, attacking another cub over an insult, then refusing to tell an elder about it proves you're ready to be considered an adult? Why didn't you walk away, Joshua? And why do you keep evading my questions?"

"I didn't refuse to tell you anything." Josh's tone drops to a pure, flat, emotionless sounding voice as he pushes off the chair. Never a good thing for the Ahroun. "You never asked me, and I'm not going to answer questions that aren't asked. You said that Salem would want details, so I said I would give Salem details." He clears his throat once in a dead pan, adding. "Other questions: How it proves I'm ready to be Cliath. It doesn't. It doesn't have anything to do with it. Signe-Rhya's done it, and she's Fostern. Other Elders have done it too. And it wasn't just an insult, but a slander that demands to be answered for sake of honor. Something I learned from y'all that I have to watch. Which is why I didn't walk away. And I'm not evading your questions in the least, because I can't evade what isn't asked."

Natalie says, "...I can see this isn't getting anywhere." She pushes off the counter, her eyes finally drifting over the cub's location without really looking at him. "If you're going to be deliberately difficult, fine. Good luck on your Rite; I hope you don't die." Not exactly the warmest of farewells.

"What the hell?" Joshua's brow creases, crossing his arms over his chest. "If Rhya would be so kind as to tell me how I'm being difficult here? I just answered each and every question you asked. If I was anymore forth coming I'd spill my life story."

Natalie stops halfway to the living room and turns back. "Oh? That would be nice. Go. Oh wait, that wasn't a question, was it? So you don't have to answer it."

Joshua makes an airy groaning noise. "Was that sarcasm, Rhya?" He asks simply, keeping his tone flat.

Natalie's only answer is a tight smile. She turns again and heads into the living room.

In the back of the house, Joshua snorts, starting after the elder, but breaking off to head back up to the Infirmary, where he can shift to Glabro and go back to healing.

[End of log]