Farmhouse: Hallway and Living Room

All doorways in the front part of the house lead to the front hallway, a J-shaped area with the short tail starting at the stairs, the front door hitting the bottom curve, the doorless opening to the living room halfway up the long side, and the also doorless opening to the kitchen and dining room at the very top. The hall has a simple wooden floor, and decorated with a generic print of soft-colored flowers hanging on the wall to the right of the front door, and a tall table sitting under the print which serves as a place to toss keys. A closet under the stairs serves as a place to hang coats or to toss shoes.

The doorless opening to the living room is halfway up the side of the hall's J, and the word cozy might spring to mind when looking into is, as it seems to radiate comforting vibrations. A long couch sits against the south wall beneath a large bay window curtained only by sheers that manages to obscure the view in but only filters the day's light. A variety of out-of-date magazines are strewn atop a low coffee table; more neatly presented are the plethora of books filling the small bookshelves which line the eastern wall. Three chairs sit about the room, focused inward, to allow group conversations. Large floor pillows are stacked in one corner of the room, except one, which lies carelessly in the middle of the floor, apparently left out the last time it was used.

An opening in the northern end of the hallway allows access to the kitchen and dining room at the back of the house, while carpeted stairs twist up at the other end of the hall, leading to the second floor. A door at the base of the J lets out to the front porch.

Contents:
Joshua

Obvious exits:
Kitchen/Dining Room Front Door STairs

Joshua looks up from the screen after a few moments of blissful ignorance of the Walker's entrance, bringing his own bottle up to his lips and slowly drinking some. He sets it back down in it's neat spot in the row, tacking away at the keyboard for a few more moments.

Natalie stops just inside the living room, her eyes cool. There's an unusual weary air about the Walker tonight. Perhaps the cause could be guessed from the drying sweat on her face and under arms. She eyes the Arhoun a moment, lips twisting, then crosses to take the seat farthest from him, even going so far as to turn it so it's not facing him.

Doesn't work. He doesn't look up from the screen, fingers tacking away at the keyboard. "Afternoon Natalie-Rhya. I was hoping to catch you today..." He says clearly, attention still the work. "May I have a moment of your time, or do you not want to deal with stuff right now?" Tact, eh? Even a little nice.

Natalie only grunts, tipping the bottle toward her lips. Let him take that as he wishes. She's sitting in one of the chairs farthest from Josh and his laptop, the chair [pulled around so she doesn't have to face the Ahroun.

Joshua's stare rises from the lap top, picking up his own bottle from the row of empties and draining it slightly. "Some other time, then, Rhya." He mutters, picking up the computer and setting it in his, gasp, lap.

Into this cheerful scene barges Quentin, who's coming in from... the kitchen, apparently, having navigated the back door. He's wearing a set of sweats rather than his usual clothes, and they're a bit damp with sweat. "Boss-lady," he greets casually, "Josh. Hey."

"Quentin," Nat agrees, her dry delivery reminscent of /another/ Walker Elder. "...Busy out here tonight."

Joshua tips the bottle back, swallowing. "Blue-Hair." He responds just as casually, setting the bottle back down. His hands return to the keyboard, tacking away at the grid to do... whatever he's doing.

"Stop that," Quentin replies, waving a hand vaguely towards Natalie, "Your Salem-impression is terrible. And you need a shower. Also, don't let the other tribes see that computer here-- one of the Get tried to feed mine to me once." His declarations made, he turns on his heel to go into the kitchen again, "Who wants a coke?"

Natalie hoists her beer at the other Walker in answer, then goes so far as to call a tired, "No. Thank you," after him. She's sitting in one of the chairs farthest from Josh and his laptop, the chair pulled around so she doesn't have to face the Ahroun. She looks as tired as she feels, and from her lovely aroma, has been working out.

In the back of the house, Jacinta steps into the dining room through the sliding glass door.

"Meh." Josh states flatly to Quentin. "'thanks. Got something." And from all the empties, it appears he's been having something for a while. Either he's been shifting to get all the booze out of his system, or he has tolerance that would make a Fianna envious. The last one isn't likely either. Oh, and he smells and looks just as peachy as the Glass Walker Elder... plus some mud, from his patrols.

In the back of the house, Jacinta passes through the open doorway for the front part of the house.

Quentin comes back out of the kitchen with a six-pack of soda cans dangling from his hand, declaring with a thrust of one hand into the air, "You people all suck, and I order you to stop right now." He sprawls out on the couch, "It's moondark, for chrissake, you don't have any excuse."

The front door creaks open to let in a dusty, slumpy woman, who with one sagging motion drops her bag and coat to the floor like a snake sloughing its skin. "Hello?" she calls out, though she must be able to hear those talking in the living room. Her voice is rough with the road and much quieter than usual. A few steps take her to the living room door, where she stands to look blankly at everyone. [Olga]

"You wish, Quentin," Nat mutters, rubbing the heel of her free hand into one eye. "...Damn." Which doesn't seem to be a commentary on Olga, just a statement for the world at large.

"Did you hear about Craig-Rhya?" Josh doesn't look up from the laptop. He's working on something hard as he addresses Quentin. His work comes to a crashing halt as Olga comes in. "Fat-Ripper." He greets, his head looking over to the direction of the door. There's that dark, 'not happy' tone again.

Jacinta comes through the broken back door, careful not to damage it further. She walks into the living room, eyes scanning, obviously looking for something or someone. Spotting Natalie, she walks directly to the Glass Walker, her gaze not drifting further.

"...what about him?" Quentin's chin tips up in a nod towards the door as Olga steps in, calling out casually, "Welcome, pull up a chair, identify yourself before we unleash the dreaded angst assault upon you."

Olga opens her mouth, but says nothing, and she lifts a hand to rub at her face, to wipe away her lost and awkward expression. "Hey, everybody," she says blankly. Quentin gets a dazed sort of look as she explains simply, "We met before." She stands in the doorway, debating whether to enter or leave, and when Jacinta enters, she too is greeted by a confused sort of look.

Joshua stands up, abandoning the Lap Top. He quickly looks over to Jacinta, but his look returns to Olga. "Olga... you get the news?" Dumb question, but the young Ahroun is sounding a little... unbalanced at the moment. "Did you hear?"

Taslyn comes down the steps, she's stayed in her room a lot after having disappeared for so long. Slowly, but surely... The brain is coming back up to speed. Just may need a few refreshers from people she hasn't seen yet. She lifts a hand to the assembled. "Hello all..." Giving some in the room an almost confused stare, trying to remember who they might be.

"It was," Quentin observes with a bit of a roll of his eyes, "A joke. I'm trying to get the room to lighten up - it's damn good for me that I'm not a ragabash, as I'm not all that good at this clearly." He shifts to sit up, pulling one leg under the others as the mask of humor falls for a more serious expression and he reaches for his soda. "So. What happened?"

Natalie pulls in on herself as the Wendigo approaches, her eyes dropping and feet tucking underneath her chair. Even her tiredness withdraws, leaving behind a sort of weary shame. "...Jacinta."

Jacinta moves around until she is directly in front of Natalie, and then crouches so that without the other needing to rise, her own head is lower. Her gaze rests somewhere about Natalie's nose as she begins to speak. "If you have a moment, I would speak with you about Joshua."

Olga nods blankly at Quentin, head bobbing along directionlessly, and she greets Taslyn with a hollow-sounding "Hey, Tas." She turns back to the room and draws her tongue in along her lips with a strange sucking sort of motion. Her throat moves, clearing itself, but Jacinta's words to Natalie stop her; so, she just stands there.

Taslyn looks a little concerned with the bit of tension in the room. She steps over towards Olga and raises a brow. "What's happening?" As she folds her arms across her chest. She leans in and whispers to Olga, something quite soft, a tinge of red crossing her cheeks.

"They killed him. Bane Feeders, they killed Craig Rhya." Josh's tone suddenly gets very very flat, and very very hard. He could be talking about weather. Or zoology. "Got caught in the crossfire in the city between two gangs. They... They killed Uncle Craig."

Those words catch Natalie's attention as nothing else really has. She glances over at Joshua, then nods once and stands, careful not to knee Jacinta in the head. "All right. Mnh - upstairs?"

Jacinta rises with a nod. "Ii."

Natalie leads the way upstairs, bringing her beer bottle with her. She gives Taslyn a sort of nod as she passes, but doesn't stop for introductions.

Farmhouse: Upstairs

Hardwood floors creak beneath your feet as you step into the hallway. A single lamp hanging just above the stairway sheds enough light to prevent serious accidents but allows shadows to shroud the majority of the ceiling and the several doorframes on both sides of the hall at night. During the day, however, sunlight streaming in from the windows at both ends bathes the hall in golden light.

A room converted into a small, private infirmary is through one of the doors to the west, while the door to the east on the farthest end leads to a stairway up to the attic. The stairs down lead to the main floor of the house.

Obvious exits:

TRevor's Room TAslyn's Room INFirmary Attic Main Floor

Jacinta mounts the stairs from below, coming to the second floor with a soft creaking of floorboards.

Natalie stops perhaps halfway down the hall, out of earshot of casual eavesdroppers downstairs. "What's up with Joshua?" she asks, sagging against the wall. "How's he screwed up this time?"

Jacinta stands straight, not leaning, but with her back against the opposite wall. "He asked a favor of me, but it is one that I wished to ask your thoughts on, before granting." Her face is a mask, now, not showing displeasure or approval.

"Likely I can't grant it," Nat warns, thumb idly corking and uncorking her bottle. "But go ahead: shoot."

Jacinta nods once. "I know that he has been told by Firewatcher to embrace the ways of your tribe, and not seek the wisdom of any others' until he has fully given himself and the Glass Walkers a chance. However, he asked me to lead him on a vision quest, and said that your people do not have a traditional method for this. If you would give your blessing, I will lead him to seek his visions. If not, I will send him to you. But, I am confused to hear that you have no such rituals of your own."

Natalie hears her out and then some: she's quiet for several moments past pure politeness. Finally she speaks, choosing each word carefully. "Josh is... mistaken. Perhaps we don't have vision quests as the... more traditional tribes, but they exist." She looks off toward the stairs again. "In any case, I have to refuse his request - your request - for now. Joshua's situation is. Hmn. Complex. Until I've spoken to Megan, until Leala's Challenge is complete... No. And frankly, for asking you to do this for him, he's pissing all over Megan's wishes." Her lips lift, and her earlier weariness is sloughing away. "Bastard."

Jacinta also is silent, her eyes following the line of Natalie's jaw as she speaks, watching her lips. Her own features allow a measure of sorrow to show. "He seems to truly believe that you have no such ways of seeking wisdom. I will honor your wishes, but, perhaps you could show him what rituals your tribe has - help him as he requested of me?"

Natalie's attention swings back to the Ahroun. "Hmn. If he still wishes it after the Challenge, I will think about it. He should speak to his, he should have spoken to Cat, or myself, instead of looking out-tribe. And, I'm afraid, our ways would be... uncomfortable for you. But. If things pan out so that he is no longer a Walker, then any decision of mine won't stick any more, hey?"

Jacinta nods in agreement, though to which of Natalie's statements it's not entirely clear. "He should have, yes. He went first to the Fianna, Trevor, who in turn sent him to me. When I asked why he did not go to you, he answered that Salem had told him you had no such ways of your own. I think that he understands far less of your tribe than he thinks he does - far less than he should."

Nat says, "No argument from me on that." She sighs, then, and runs a hand through her sweat-sticky hair. "Would you mind telling him, Jacinta-yuf? Mood I'm in tonight I'd end up smashing that damn laptop of his and probably end up killing him. Not that it wouldn't solve problems," she bares teeth in a smile, "But Megan would make me clean up the blood."

Jacinta shakes her head, the sorrow still evident. "I have told him. I do not think he hears those words."

Natalie pushes off the wall with one shoulder. "Oy. Bastard. Well, tell him again, if you please. If he's still got a problem with it, tell him... just tell him no, period. Maybe he'll understand better if we use small words." She offers over a thin, humorless smile. "I'm gonna head back home. I've got a shower calling my name. Gaia watch your steps, Jacinta."

Jacinta smiles gently. "Luna guide your path. I will try to make him see."

"You've my permission to use teeth and claws if you have to," Nat tosses over her shoulder as she heads for the stairs. "G'night." And she's gone.

[End of log]