Currently in Saint Claire, it is a cloudy day. The temperature is 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). The wind is calm today. The barometric pressure reading is 29.48 and falling, and the relative humidity is 79 percent. The dewpoint is 35 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degrees Celsius.)

Currently the moon is in the waxing Crescent Moon phase (32% full).

Mid-morning, but the thick layer of clouds obscures all hint of the sun, settling a diffuse layer of 'brightness' over the city. It's under these clouds that Nat drives back to her current home, her own expression matching that of the sky. She stops at the gate, leaning out of the window, and punches in the gate code.

The front door of the mansion opens, Alicia heading out with a call back behind her. "Check ya later Boss! Oh, tell Rina I said Hi, and also Cat, Good Luck!" With a smile, she shuts the door and turns, heading back down the sidewalk towards the gate, hands sliding into her pockets. She's wearing the same clothes, so it appears that she must have stayed the night.

The gate slides closed after Nat's small green pickup passes through; the Walker still has her window down, left arm dangling from it. She drives slowly up the driveway toward the garage, her expression both sour and introspective. She hasn't, of yet, seemed to notice last night's visitor come 'round again.

Rounding the house, Alicia pauses as she watches Natalie drive up the way, then shrugs her shoulders, continuing towards the gate without so much of a Howdy-do.

Galliard and Galliard meet roughly where the driveway curves off toward the garage. The truck stops, Nat's foot on the brake, while the Walker eyes the Gaian. Eventually she offers a grunt and a, "Morning," neither one of which sound as sour as she looks. "Didn't expect to see you here," comes out second.

"Mm." Alicia says, brow lifting upwards some as she looks over towards Natalie. "Well, I made breakfast if you are into pancakes and eggs. Salem never seems to complain when I get bored in the kitchen. Nice seeing you again. I think." She turns and starts for the gate again, humming to herself.

Once more a grunt and the truck pulls forward, out of the Gaian's path. Then stops. Goes forward again. Stops, the engine shutting off. The door opens, bangs closed behind her. "Sorry if I'm rude," Nat offers, hands jammed in her jeans pockets. "I just got up at five o'clock so I could be fired."

Alicia turns around and stares over at the Walker. "You got Fired, how come?" She asks with a tilt of her head.

Natalie bares teeth in a snarl - no, a grimace. "Because I'm Garou. That's not what he said, of course. Muttered something about not enough work, too many people. And I was most recent hired." She thumps a fist into the uncomplaining side of her truck. "Dammit."

With a bright smile, Alicia asks. "Where did you used to work at, an who's your boss?" She asks, reaching into her pocket and tugging out a small note pad and pen, unscrewing the cap.

Natalie, spying incipient note-taking, waves the offer off. "Don't bother. S'not his fault. He was as decent as he could be. It's the other guys. Gave 'em the willies." Hooray, Curse in action! "He offered to give me a reference. S'just... dammit."

"Look, I got a lot of influence in the city, believe it or not." Alicia says with a slight drawl to her voice, head tilting to the side as she blows a strand of blonde streaked hair from her face. "So, name and place, trust me on this, alright?"

Here we have Alicia Jackson, a young woman who just turned 18, but has that hard look in her eyes which could easily be mistaken for older. Slender in form, her body is composed of lean, compacted muscle. She looks quick, with new budded muscle which has formed on her upperbody. Her eyes are a dark brown, curious and wandering, lit up playfully most of the time. She stands of average height, perhaps about 5'6 or so, carrying herself well when she moves. Her flesh is lightly tanned, kissed by the sun from the many years of running with the gangs on the street. Four ear rings adorn her left ear, two more upon the right, composed of small, goldeny hoops. The Galliard's hair falls down just past her shoulders. Once brown and red streaked to those who's seen her before. Now, pale blonde with slightly darkened roots.

Her clothing consists of a pair of baggy, over sized camouflage pants. Black, green, and brown patterns splashed along the fabric. A tight fitting sports bra hug her upper frame, revealing the curves of her upper body, flat stomach and lean arms. She wears a golden hoop in her navel. Knee high boots travel up her legs, firmly laced in each hole. Finishing off, she has a worn, dusty old black trench coat which hangs just below her knees. Her tongue ring is almost always seen, clicking in thought, or when she speaks with that ghetto accent of hers.

Nat says, "Nothing personal." She doesn't give over info, instead considering first the house, then the gate before eyeing the other Galliard again. "S'pose I'd better... Natalie Baker. Gossip." Intro made, she thrusts out a hand like a spear.

Reaching out, Alicia takes the hand firmly. "Alicia Jackson Henderson. Guards-The-Flame and Elder Moodancer for the Children of Gaia. Pack Leader for Rough and Tumble and Voice of the Goddess. Fostern and born of man."

Natalie's warm-o-meter drops several degrees as Ali's intro goes into detail. "Pleasure. Um... you know that it's probably not safe to do that out in the open, right?" Just in case she didn't notice the giant hole in Ali's head with brains leaking out.

Glancing around, Alicia shrugs her shoulders. "We aren't in the open. Unless of course the neighbors about two hundred yards away got ears of a bat." She says, flashing a grin. "Why do you think yer tribe picked this place? Its also rumored to be haunted, and from what I've heard from everyone, the rumor is right. No one wants to even come close to this place."

Natalie flashes a tight smile. "I'm sure Jeremy'd be thrilled to fill you in on the latest surveillance techniques. Look, you busy? Can I give ya a ride somewhere, or something? Back inside, maybe?"

Reaching into her pocket, Alicia tugs out a pair of keys and presses a button. Vrooom. The Red Mutang across the street fires up, engine rumbling. "I got a ride. But, if you don't mind actually hanging out and talking, I'm game. Then again, we're two Galliards and we can probably go all day."

Natalie says, "Hmn. Sure, but I gotta go take a shower first. I'll meet you... meet you in the living room, right?"

Alicia presses the button again on the keychain and kills the engine, pocketing it. "Sure. We can do that." She says with a grin upon her face.

Natalie, bless her little heart, pulls her keys out of the ignition and opens up the door for Ali. Aw. Then, of course, she gets back in her truck and drives away. To the garage!

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.

Obvious exits:
Tower Stairway Salem's Office Front Doors

Alicia heads back into the house and flops into a chair, relaxing happily as she tucks her hands behind her head. The smell of pancakes, eggs, and sausage wafts from the kitchen from her earlier conquests.

Natalie comes in the back door and heads up the servant's stairs.

Anthony clomps through the front door, shutting it behind him with his foot. His jacket gets pulled off and tossed over the staircase bannister as he heads to the kitchen in search of something to eat.

Alicia glances over at Tony as he walks right past him, smirking some. "Good morning to you too, Earth-Shaker."

After a little bit of banging around in the cupboards and fumbling with appliances, Tony returns from the kitchen with some slightly-burnt buttered toast. "'Morning," he mutters between bites as he passes Alicia a second time, heading back for the front door.

"Didn't want the pancakes and eggs I made?" Aliica asks with a smirk on her face. "Its sitting out on the table under the paper towels." She says, eyes rolling heavenwards.

"I didn't see them," Anthony replies as he ducks back outside for a moment. An idling car is turned off, and Anthony returns without the toast but with an old metal toolbox in one hand.

"You are welcome to it. Its why its there." Alicia says, turning her head to follow him, hands sliding into her pockets.

"Maybe later." Anthony and his toolbox again cross the front room, heading for the tower entrance.

"...Right... " Alicia trails off slightly as she watches Tony head off, then shrugs a shoulder. "Damn." She glances about the living room, then puffs out a soft breath, brows furrowing.

Not quite the world's shortest shower later, Nat thumps down the front steps . "Oi?" she calls out, poking her head into the parlor. "Oh, there you are. Where's Anthony?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Alicia waves with her hand towards the stairs. "He looks perky. So, what the hell is up with all the Walker's lately? You know, when I used to Beta the Walker pack oh not so long ago, we all kinda had this happy family shit going on. Now its like everyone is just pissy and serious and doesn't got much to say."

Anthony, sans toolbox, returns to the front room from the tower, hands in his pockets as he ambles back towards the kitchen.

"I've got plenty to say," Nat argues - politely - as she steps into the parlor to join Alicia. "I just don't want to say it out on the front lawn where anyone with some half-decent tech can hear it. I'm called Holds-the-Line, Cliath. Maybe what's got a bug up Salem's butt is the current state of his Tribemates. I'm not exactly peaches and smiles over our cubs either."

"I wouldn't be either, you know, since Josh is cramping yer' elite reputation. He's no John, thats for sure." Alicia says, bobbing her head up and down, as if she had a song lost in her head. "Cat on his Rite yet?"

His stop at the kitchen complete, Anthony heads into the parlor, plate of pancakes in one hand.

"Not that I know of." In her chair Nat idly sticks a foot out in front of Anthony's path. It's one of those 'so obvious it hurts' maneuvers, especially after she announces, "Trip!" "--Sometime this week, though. I think. I think Josh and Cat are heading out together."

Nodding her head, Alicia clears her throat. "Cool... that should prove interesting. I hear they are tagging along with Emma. Oh well. Whats up with Katrine?" She asks rather bluntly. "She doing alright? Dakota says ya'll took her away from the farm."

None too swiftly, Anthony avoids the foot in his path -- and ends up tripping over the coffee table, losing his pancakes in a graceful arc in Alicia's general direction as he ends up face-first on the carpet.

Blinking her eyes, Alicia gets pounded in the chest with pancakes. She raises up a brow slightly, then glances to Tony, then to Natalie. "... riiiiight..." She trails off some, letting out a soft breath, then glances upwards. "John, Roger, you left us way too soon... fuckwads." She rolls her eyes, then begins to pick up the pancakes and plate.

"I didn't take her," begins the Minnesotan, only to be interrupted by the Keystone cops. "Crap! Jeez, Anthony, you all right? Alicia?" She gets up and starts helping with the de-pancaking. "Cripes, Tony, did you leave any syrup in the bottle? Alicia, you wanna go take a shower? Want me to wash your clothes?"

"I'm okay, kinda," Tony says, peeling himself from the carpet and holding his nose with one hand. "Sorry..." He looks genuinely upset, as far as one can tell with his hand covering half his face.

Alicia shakes her head. "It's ok. Just my shirt." Rolling her shoulders out of her trench coat, she puts it to the side, then peels off her shirt, revealing her sports bra that covers up the rest of her. Her stomach is sculpted into a six pack and her upper body has a good deal of defined muscle to it. There are scars that litter her arms and wrists, as well as odd Tattoos of symbols and names. There is a small cock roach on her shoulder caught in a web of barb'd wire. The word Nevada on her other arm, like a band. The state of Arizona is on the small of her back, and her navel is pierced. "Just pancakes. I can wash it when I get home." She says, reaching over for her trench coat. There is another scar along the back of her neck, one that looks deeper.

Natalie's not about to give up that easily. "Sure you don't want me to toss it in the sink, at least? Soak it?" Lucky her, to get to split her attention between the two. "What do you mean, 'okay kinda'? Want me to shut the drapes?"

"Eh, uh, I'll be okay," Tony says rather nasally, reluctantly peeling his hand away from his face and revealing his bloodied nose. "I'll just go get some ice or something."

"Just shift to Glabro in the kitchen an it'll be done in like less than a second. Why bother ruining good ice?" Alicia says with a grin, then shakes her head to Natalie. "Its alright, really. Its just a shirt. Got plenty of 'em at home if I can't get the syrup out, which I believe I can." She offers a warm smile.

Natalie settles back into her chair reluctantly, careful this time to keep her feet to herself. "'F you say so. Those two: John, Roger. I've heard a bit about 'em. Ahroun and Galliard, right? Died a couple years ago?"

"Oh... right." Tony chuckles for a moment, then stops to frown and gingerly poke at his nose. "I forgot I wasn't in public," he explains, and heads off to the kitchen at a good-paced jog, trying to keep the blood from getting on his shirt.

Nodding her head, Alicia clears her throat. "Mmhmm... John Walks-Thin-Ice and Roger, who we used to call Dreamer." She grins slightly. "Both of them were packmates of mine, when I used to run in Synthesis. I was the only Child of Gaia in an all Walker pack, until they died and we took in other tribes." She pauses in thought. "John, Roger, Salem, Leala, me... Francisco... we all fought well together. We were probably the main fighting force that helped take back the Caern at least from the realm side when all the shit hit the fan. After John and Rog' died, Salem and I took up leadership, an then we all parted ways once the months went by."

"Shift in the hall! No windows!" Natalie calls after her tribemate, turning a pained grimace back to Alicia. "I've heard of Leala. Not this Francisco, though. You're not going to pack with Salem again? I mean, he's getting another together. You don't want in?"

"I'm the Alpha of Rough and Tumble right now. But... I do beleive I'll be passing that on to Craig, and leaving the Gnawers in his care. I've mothered 'em too much. Now that Renee high tailed out of town, its not the same. I'm creating my own group." Alicia says with a nod of her head. "Ganna talk with Salem again, see if we can both run the city and shit. I'm sure he's going to claim downtown as his territory, I can see about snagging uptown. Gnawers got the Zoo. Ganna rekindle an old pack of mine... Pathfinders, with Owl as our totem. At least that is the goal." She hooks her thumbs into her belt loops. "Frankie was a Half Moon. We called him Skyscraper cuz he was like seven foot nine or something. He was real tall and a damn good fighter. He an Q-ball took off to Los Angeles after Synthesis broke it off."

Natalie offers a quiet, "Damn. Huh." She shifts her butt forward in her chair, forearms resting on her thighs and hands dangling. "Well, info dump, I guess. You've got a lot more that I want than I've probably got, but. You've heard a bit about the Russians, right? Whaddya know?"

Anthony returns, cleaned up and nose back to normal, though he still looks plenty embarrassed. He wanders into the parlor, hanging in the doorway for a moment before heading for a nearby chair.

"The Russians? I know they picked a fight with the Katanas after I busted 'em up a few months ago." Alicia says. "They got into a weird shoot out at the park, two vans, lots of bullets, then they disapeared. Not sure if its a supernatural gang fight or some shit, but from what I hear, you all got problems involving a fucked up tape that looks like jackass. Something about creating super humans or whatever? I saw the news. Rumor on the street is this guy got shot up, an bullets bounced off his chest like he was fucking super man, right?" The Gaian asks with a raise of the brow. "Far as the rest of the details go, I don't know. Thats why I'm here, to see if I can hook ya'll up or some shit. We're all about to tag team the Katanas down town, wipe 'em out, kill off the vampires that live in the warehouses, see if there is connections to yer problem. Seeing how they got an issue with each other."

Natalie starts nodding about halfway through Ali's monologue. "Yeah, something like. Possible Veil breach with these Russians. They know about Salem, some guy named Cutter, and Rina. They also know where Jeremy - you know Jeremy? Our kin? - lives. They went in and started shooting. So word from Megan is keep your head down and stay low. That is why I nearly ate pigeons when you started yapping outside, Rhya. They've got some pretty decent spy equipment, and it doesn't take Jeremy to realize that 200 yards isn't that much of a problem. Way I figure, anyone spending any amount of time with any of those four goes onto the Russian's Hit List."

"Well, look at it this way Natalie. If they are already on to Salem, Cutter, Rina and Jeremy, they know of this place." Alicia says rather bluntly. "Especially since ya'll dragged three of 'em down here and made 'em talk." She flashes a quick grin. "But, that is before your time I believe. A few months too late. So, trick is, to make 'em come out of hiding, eh'?" She asks with a wettening of her lips. "So obviously these guys got beef with the Walkers, or maybe Garou in general. They know Salem an they think he is this evil demon, right? Thats a good sign."

Natalie points out, "Suspecting and knowing are two different things. What? Yeah, before my time. I just got in a couple weeks ago. Tony?" She turns her attention to the Ragabash. "You know anything about it? And can you handle a gun?"

"But we don't know what they know about us beyond that," Tony chimes in. "Or what they don't know about us. Or what they are, even." Shifting in his chair a little, Anthony turns to Natalie. "I can handle a gun, yeah," he says, nodding confidently.

Alicia tilts her head a bit as the conversation switches to Anthony. She raises up a brow with a slight grin.

Natalie says, "Better'n me. I gotta get lessons. All right." She eyes him for a minute before shifting back to Alicia. "Now you know what I know. What d'you have that I'll need?"

"What do you need?" Alicia asks as she leans back. "I got ears in the city. I run a Gnawer pack, and I'm the grapevine of the Sept. If you need things done, I can get it for ya over night. Sides' that, I just need to talk to Salem, work out a game plan, then start firing shit up. You got any ins, or just flying blind?"

Natalie flaps her hands like a birdie's wings. "I'm talking with Jer so I know what he knows about the spy eyes he's got on the Russians. Other than that, I'm swinging free. I haven't even finished my Chiminage yet. Salem mentioned his pack to me that first night, but since then? Zip, zilch, nada. I hardly even see him."

"So you are like the rest of us. It's cool, I can talk to Salem if you need me too. I know how to push the right buttons wi'em. Use Vodka, talk fast." Alicia says with a soft laugh, crossing her legs some as she sinks herself into the couch, relaixng. "I miss packing with him tho'." She trails off. "Synthesis was the first real family I ever had in a pack." She sighs wistfully. "Well, anyways, you ganna pack wi'em?"

Natalie opens her mouth to reply, closes it again. Looks over to Anthony, as if expecting him to throw her a lifejacket, or perhaps one of those nifty personal submarines.

Anthony notes the look he's being given, and raises an eyebrow at it, not sure what Natalie's looking for, then turns back to Alicia, smiling somewhat confusedly at her, looking a bit overwhelmed by all the information changing hands.

Alicia raises up a brow. "Um.. what? Am I missing something here? You don't want to pack with Salem or something?"

"Well, no," Tony blurts, then coughs embarrassedly.

"Well, I wouldn't mind it. He seems the kinda of alpha who'll push back." So says the Walker Galliard with a jerk of her chin.

"He will push back." Alicia says with a slow nod of her head. "He is a good friend too, if you need to know, very loyal to his family. He learned a lot of that from John when he used to be the Big Dog here."

"Who're you looking to pack with, Tony?" Oh good, let's focus back on Tony. "Anyone caught your eye? Megan says she wants to get a suburb pack going, get information going between the city and Sept," Nat says.

"Um, I dunno," Tony says, doing his best to evade being talked to or about. "I haven't thought about it much yet."

"Start doing the thinking then. Megan is ordering all lone wolves to find a pack or something. Strength in numbers, yadda yadda." Alicia says with a click of her tongue upon the top of her teeth.

Natalie glances at her watch, snorts, then stands. "Well I'm gonna go grab lunch, then maybe head out to the farm, or something. Maybe Josh'll be there. I need to beat up on something."

"So you are going to beat up on Josh?" Alicia asks with a wry grin. "If you want, I'll spar around with you. I could use the work out."

"Yeah, I know," Tony says, twisting in his seat a little. "I'll find something eventually," he adds, rather unconfidently.

"You better," is Nat's cheerful advice. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go see what I can wrestle out of the fridge. I'll catch you later, Tony. And maybe I'll see you at the farm, Alicia."

Alicia nods her head to Nat and offers a quick smile. "Aiight. Thats cool." She hops up to her feet, snagging her shirt as she wads it up, glancing over to Tony with a hitch of her shoulder. "You, my friend, need to get some confidence in yer'self. If you need help with anyone, just ring me. Salem knows all kinda ways to get ahold of me."

[End of log]