Currently in Saint Claire, it is raining lightly. The temperature is 46 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the south at 15 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 29.84 and rising, and the relative humidity is 86 percent. The dewpoint is 42 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius.)

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

Brownstone -- Basement Apt.

The basement of the brownstone has been split into two sections. The stairwell leads down into the northwest corner section, which contains the boiler room, furnace, and the elevator shaft. The rest has been converted into another apartment, and Signe's made it into a rather fortified one at that. The only entrance is through a re-enforced steel door with no less than three dead-bolts. There are absolutely no windows at all in any of the four concrete and brick walls. It's a rather stark but functional space. Overhead, the air ducts and plumbing pipes are exposed, while the cement floor is covered by a ragged dark wine and gold Oriental throw rug. A makeshift shelving unit of two-by-fours and cinder block has been erected along the length of the wall with the door, and it houses a stereo, tv and old vcr. Directly opposite this is a beat-up leather couch and two mismatched recliners. The kitchen is small but functional, with a round wooden table and four chairs. Half of the back end of the building has been walled off for a private bedroom, while the rest is open to the living area. This space has been converted into a home gym--complete with wrestling mats, weights, and a full weight boxing bag.

Contents:

Signe

Obvious exits:
Out Bedroom

Signe greets Natalie with a faint grin before shutting the door behind her. "Hey," she says, looking the Walker over.

"Hey," Nat agrees, shifting into Glabro as soon as the door's shut behind her. She looks like she got into a tussle with a raspberry patch, and lost. "How're you, Signe?"

"Better'n you, I see," Signe says, watching Natalie. For once she doesn't lock the door automatically. Moving toward the kitchen, she asks, "What happened?"

There's a quick rap at the door, and cause the door isn't locked, hey, its followed seconds later by Doc's head poking through the door. "'S it alright if I c'me in?" Poking through the crack in the door, rather, as she holds it close.

Natalie heads after Signe. "Joshua." It's a sour grunt and really, who needs silly things like elaboration?

Signe and Natalie are on their way towards the kitchen when Doc pokes her head in the door. It stops the Get in her tracks, looking back at the door. "Hey," she says, gesturing the Fury in. Looking back at Natalie, she says with some surprise, "Josh did that?!"

Natalie bares her teeth, a hand lifting to the healing wound on her shoulder. "Josh did that," she agrees, voice sullen. "Bastard was twisting my words around again, so I went for him. Or he went for me - I don't really remember. Woke up in the infirmary of the farmhouse."

Emma follows in after Doc, "Hey guys, I brought a bag of Jolly Ranchers." She steps in, finding it a surprise to see Natalie. "Well, almost the whole gang here huh?"

"Jesus, everyone and Joshua," Doc grumbles. "Karl was telling me about some rumble he had with him just last night. That and the guy's huge drinking problem."

"Megan still thinks that if he spends two months in the City everything'll be hunky-dory," Nat snorts. "I don't know who's blinder, him or her. I've been fantisizing about ways for him to 'accidentally' get filled with silver. --Hey Emma, Doc."

Signe's expression sours at Doc's news, and she shakes her head. "He can't go five minutes without picking a fight with the couch, can he? And I thought I was bad when I was young." Emma's news perks the Get up, though, like a sugar addict. "Hey, toss me one."

Emma opens the bag up and tosses a piece to Signe, then offers the others a piece as well. "Yah, since when is one Ahroun asking another to go scrap, grounds for an official challenge?" She shakes her head. "No sense of fun."

Hygieia takes a lemon one and unwraps it almost solemnly before popping it into her mouth. "I went by the farmhouse this morning for some PB&J. He left on a note on the fridge saying he wasn't gonna stay there anymore, contact Alicia if anyone gave a shit."

Natalie digs around for a strawberry one, nodding her thanks before finding a seat on the floor. "Yeah, the other day he declared that since I knew something S - Thomas didn't, that it meant I was telling everyone I knew more than he did. Idiot."

Signe gets an apple-flavored one and tears off the wrapper to pop it in her mouth. She settles in her recliner and puts her feet up. Doc's comment is met with a snort. "He better be prepared to quit that drama queen shit for the time he will be spending out here. I'm pretty sure Megan's not under the delusion that he'll shape up. She may have something more dire up her sleeve if he keeps acting like a shit."

Natalie says, "No, no she doesn't. She told Tony and me this morning that if she decided he wasn't really trying to be a Walker for those two damn months, she wouldn't do the Rite of Renunciation for him. Meaning, of course, that we'd be stuck with the bastard. And then she told me I couldn't do anything to him after those two months were up, either."

Emma plops down onto the floor, digging around till she finds a grape one. "Well, it sort of puts the rest of us out during those two months. I mean, he's a loose cannon ya know?"

"If he becomes a too loose I reckon that changes how Megan-rhya wants him handled." Doc finds she can't suck on the jolly rancher too long, so the loud noises of her crunching it up sound obnoxiously through the room.

Signe tells Emma, "I'll cull him myself if he jeopardizes the Veil on my watch, in my territory." That said, she turns back to Natalie and nods. "I wouldn't worry about it, Nat. She might be forcing him to remain a Glass Walker, but you're under no obligation to do anything for him. And since he don't want you to, anyway, Megan's refusal is a bigger problem for him than it is for you. In fact, it's just her way of being even more stubborn than he is. He wants the Rite. 'Til he does as he's told, why should he get it?"

Natalie pushes the candy to one side of her mouth, offering Signe another one of those tooth-baring not-smiles. "Ah, but you see, the Sept Alpha in her wisdom has decided that we - the Walkers - must help him. Even if he doesn't want to be helped."

Emma huffs, "Can't fit a square peg into a round hole." She shakes her head, "Ya know, it's like in that one Star Trek movie. When Spock was dying, and he told the Capn' that the needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few or the one. He's gonna put us all in danger."

Natalie draws her knees up to her chest and regards Emma over them. "So young, and yet so wise. How come you can see that, I can see that, but Megan can't? Anyone wanna try and explain that one?"

Signe listens, grunting thoughtfully. "What the fuck does Megan expect you to do, exactly?" she asks.

Emma gives a little smile, soaking up the compliment. "How much has Megan had to deal with him? Maybe she is oblivious."

Natalie sighs and studies the ceiling, clacking the candy over her teeth. "Hell, I dunno. But she's said Joshua has to spend two months as a Walker, so he can try and experience this tribe he wants to abandon as an adult. She doesn't listen to the fact that yes, he is an adult, and as such, he oughta be able to choose where he wants to be, not be shoved into something by someone who doesn't know what she's talking about. Anyway. She said if he gives an honest effort - and she doesn't think he will - to being a Walker, then at the end of it she'll let him renounce and find another tribe. Only he can't look for other tribes in those two months."

Signe nods, having heard the pronouncement from Megan herself. "Right. Which means for two months you have to help Josh--if he honestly asks for anything from you. which he won't. And after that two months, no matter what Megan does or doesn't do, you don't really have any obligation to go above and beyond for him. Least, that's how I see it." she shrugs. "And, again, if he fucks up on my turf, I'll cull him."

Natalie fingers the wound on her neck again as she shifts around to look at Signe. "Ah, except then she slapped my hands and Tony's, for not bending over backwards to help the bastard. So she's gonna blame us, hold us responsible, if we don't at least try."

Doc mutters something about Megan being an expert at thinking she knows best without really... mumble mumble grumble, but shuts up cause after all, it is the Sept rhya and now she's getting rude. Grump.

Emma chuckles at Doc, "Really, why don't you tell us how you actually feel Doc?" She chomps down on the grape candy and licks her lip, her tongue turning a dark blue-violet. "Well, it's not like Josh would stay in the city, so he pretty much fails right off the bat."

Signe just shakes her head, sucking slowly on the candy. "I fucking hate headcases." It seems to be her final comment on the problem child.

"He fails," Nat repeats, "And he's stuck as a Walker. And we can't 'deal' with him. I asked her about that, too - 'cause Jeremy and Rina have plenty of silver, I'm sure. She said a flat out no."

Hygieia flops down on the floor, stretches out, puts her hands behind her head. "If I told you that, you'd be here for an hour listening to me rant and rave. So instead, I'm taking a nap."

Signe considers the problem a little more thoughtfully and then asks Natalie, "So, if he won't live in the city, what kind of help would you need to provide him with? I mean, if he refuses help from you, there ain't much you can do."

Emma shakes her head again, "This whole thing just stinks. But ya know, Megan is gonna be the one that looks like a damn fool when he dances the Spiral. And, as much as I hate to say it, that kid just reeks of 'prime candidate' material."

Natalie's candy rattles to the other side of her mouth. "I don't know. Hell, Signe, I... I don't know. I'm supposed to accept him as a Walker, and help him be one. I know and you know - we all know - that he doesn't want it. I'm sure as hell not going to trust him out of my sight, or in it either. You can't talk to him; he doesn't listen. Thomas was right: he shoulda gotten a bullet through the ear months ago."

Signe just shakes her head again. "Well, even Megan can't argue if you cull him for doing something stupid. So, we'll just keep an eye on him, and if he fucks up, he fucks up."

"Megan will find a way to argue," Natalie predicts glumly, crunching through her candy with Neandertalish teeth. "I just know it. ...You know," she adds, glancing between her packmates, even the sleeping Doc, "I was gonna turn Eldership over to Leala yesterday."

This brings a blink of surprise from Signe. "What?" she asks the Walker Elder.

Emma chews down the last bit of her Grape Rancher, "Huh? What for? Because of the Josh thing?"

"Because of the Josh thing," the Galliard agrees, focusing on Emma. "And because of the Russian thing, and because of who I am, and because of something Alicia said. You'll notice," she adds with a wry quirk of her lips, "That I didn't say I did turn it over."

Emma narrows her gaze. "Not sure I am following you. Josh thing, don't. Not worth it. But, can't say for sure whether or not it'd make sense outside of that. Well, outside the fact you are the only Walker I've ever thought was worth the shoes they wore."

Natalie snorts. "Thank you. I think." She wraps her arms around her knees. "I figured I'd see what her plans were for the Tribe, nod sagely, and hand it over. Except, frankly, I think her plans suck dead rat through a cocktail straw. I think I'm a better Elder than she is, even if I just got here month and a half ago. Did you know she wants the entire damn Sept to sit down and talk about what should happen to Joshie? What does she think we are, damn Children of Gaia?"

Emma chuckles, "Well, was she close to Josh? Some people still got hope for him ya know. Too bad he don't have it for himself. Man, I am so glad I don't have those kinds of responsibilities."

"She's never had a problem with him," the glabro snorts dismissively. "Even when I all but told her she was living in happy happy land. I mean you, me, Tony, Jeremy, Signe, Walker himself... one person I could understand. Personality issues, or something. But all of us? Damn ragabash's got her damn head in the sand."

Emma nods. "Yeah I just, I wish this would resolve itself one way or another, now, rather than later. Too much going on to be worried about an angry, bitter Garou."

Natalie says, "Ain't that the truth. I've got enough to deal with without having to worry when the headcase is gonna go psycho. Who was it that told me he was gonna do some Rambo commando raid into the city to Avenge Craig's Death?" She ladles the words with scorn and derision until it fair drips off. "Idiot."

Emma shakes her head, "There should be like, therapists for Garou. But hey, ya know, we can't let it get us so riled up that we waste our efforts and energy on him. Ignore him, maybe he will get the idea and stop pulling this shit?"

While the rest of the pack talks, Signe gets up to fetch some bottled water. she's listening but not adding to the conversation for now. "We have therapists. Well, at least I do," she says, grin slightly wicked. Obviously, she's thinking of Rachel.

Natalie snorts her opinion of that. "You wish. No, if we ignore him he'll decide he's the Lone Ranger or something, and that we're too afraid to do what needs to be done, so he must. He's a damn headcase, Emma. You can't deal rationally with him. Trust me, I've tried." She nods toward Signe. "What he really needs is some heavy drugs and a good therapist, yeah. The Glass Walker's vision quest."

Emma chuckles, "Drugs, can we lace a rabbit with some dope? That'd be pretty amusing, seeing him all mellow in lupus."

Signe grunts again. "That might not be a bad plan, Nat. Send him off to find himself, spiritually. Do you guys have a theurge around these days who could do it for him? JAmes could, if not."

Natalie bares teeth again before laying her head on her knees. "...I wish. Cat... Cat couldn't do it, I think. He went to the Wendigo. The damn Wendigo for a vision quest. At least Jacinta's some honor; she came and told me. I told her to tell him no. That's part of the fight from the other day - he said Thomas told him the Walkers didn't have a vision quest. Well excuse me if maybe I've been a Walker a little longer than he has, huh? We've got a vision quest. We call it 'therapy'. Or 'serious drugs'. I dunno how to run the damn thing, but I know we've got one. And with Thomas gone, I can't even ask him what he said to the damn headcase, see what his side of things is."

Signe falls back into the recliner. "Knowing Ja--Thomas," she says, gritting her teeth over the near-mistake, "The way I do, most likely the headcase simply distorted or changed what he said." She shrugs again. "but, yeah. Jacinta's cool. You know, for a 'savage'."

Emma searches through the bag to find another candy, placing another grape one into her mouth. "Hasn't she worked with Josh a lot? Why don't she speak some sense into him?"

Natalie stays on the floor, the glabro's arms wrapped around her knees. "Because there isn't a stick big enough for that, Emma. There another cherry one in there? If I have another strawberry, my teeth are gonna rot off."

From the door atop the stairs to the basement, there can be heard a knocking. Well, it's more of a banging, really. And from behind the reinforced portal can be heard, even through it's thickness, "I can smell your stink, Signe! I know you're in there! Open up the fucking door!"

Emma laughs, folding the bag over and tossing it to the Walker. "Pretty sure there is, go for it." The smile on her face is quickly wiped off by the bellowing from outdoors, "What the fuck?"

Signe snorts in response to the talk, and she seems about to say something further but the banging stops her and brings a scowl. She's off the chair and at the door in a second. Since she left it unlocked for Doc, she doesn't need the keys and just opens it.

Natalie uncurls at the banging, reshifting her weight so she's able to stand quickly, instead of sit idly on her butt. "You said it, Em."

Owen is standing on the other side, a cello case suspended upon his back and his arms folded across his chest. He looks a little worn, almost dusty, from his travels. When the door opens, he remains standing there, grim as ever, one eyebrow raised. "What? No beer?"

Signe stands there staring for a moment. "Jesus Fucking Christ," she eventually says. "You look like shit." And then the Get ahroun laughs.

Emma is standing up now too, staring across at the new arrival with guarded interest. Obviously Signe knows him, but his entrance was less than comforting.

Natalie scuttles sideways, like a crab, to get out of immediate sight of the door. "Someone wanna close that?" Like Emma, she's willing to wait for the arrival to identify himself, and trusting to Signe to be their first defense.

Owen huffs, just once, perhaps his version of a guffaw. "Well, I found you. I'm back. I'm thirsty. I'm tired. And I'm still standing in your doorway."

Emma stands up and nods, moving to shut the door. "Friend of yours Signe?"

Signe gets out of the way to let the other Get inside. As she does, she shuts the door so Natalie can relax. "Yeah," she answers, grinning a little once Owen is inside. "I'll let him do the introductions, though. I'll get the beer."

Natalie hoists herself off the floor and onto a chair, still wary but relaxing. "Natalie Baker," she offers before he can speak. "Galliard. Walker Elder. ...You were at the farmhouse this morning."

Owen steps in, taking a moment to set his cello case down. One can hear several metal and wooden objects on the inside shift around inside it when he does so. "Indeed," is his only answer to the Glasswalker. He peers over towards Emma while awaiting for Signe.

Emma hmms, and gives him a looking over. "Emma Mahler here, Ahroun of Fenrir, Cliath and Signe's protoge'." She grins then a little, seeing what Signe thinks of her intro.

Signe returns with a couple of beers, smirking with fond amusement at Emma. She holds one of the German imports out for Owen and twists the cap off her own.

Natalie's eyes narrow, but she holds her peace.

Owen nods once to Emma, then peers down to his bottle, seemingly impressed. Opening it and taking a drink first, "Owen Hollsinger. Wildfire. Fostern Modi and," He glances for a moment to Signe, "once Jarl of the Get of Fenris here. Formerly a child of Wolverine, Fenris, Weasel, and Black Unicorn. Rited in the Sept of the Sentinel and still full member of the Sept of the Hidden Walk, once the Wheel Renewed. Grandson of Ule Gathering-Storm Hollsinger, Skald and warrior of the blitzkreig then later hero of the retaking of Dresden, himself a great grandchild of Otto Dragon-Thane Von-Heisling, Modi during the rise of Prussia." Every word is spoken clearly and proudly so that it may all sink in.

Signe rolls her eyes at the introduction, sipping from her own beer. "You forgot 'all around thug'," she says, finding her chair again and putting her feet up. "And you were only Jarl because I left town." Now she grins rather ferally.

Emma wows at the introduction, "Well then, pleasure to meet such a fine model of Gethood Owen-rhya." She looks down to the sleeping Doc. "I think I will put the snoozer to bed, then head out on a food run. If ya all want anything?"

Natalie offers a dry, "Anyone care to translate that?"

Owen eyes Signe for a moment. "Isn't that why you're Jarl now, too? And besides, you forgot Head-Fuckwit." He doesn't look back immediately to Natalie, but is by the time he finishes saying, "It means I have some big shoes to fill."

"No," Signe quips, shaking her head. "I'm Jarl now because I came back to town. Simple." she looks between Natalie and Owen and then gets up to give Emma some money and a small list of things she wants. When she turns back to the newly arrived Get, she adds, "In case it wasn't obvious, these guys are my new pack. Havoc. Children of Wolverine."

Natalie merely shakes her head at Emma's offer. She's not planning on staying for supper. "...Modi?" she asks instead. "I'm not up on my Nordic auspices." Though the words could be a challenge she doesn't offer them as such. Must be that damn Galliard nosiness again.

"I'm back in town, too," Owen returns. "Ahroun," Owen states flatly for the Glasswalker's benefit while Signe takes care of business with Emma. Signe's last statement, however, keeps Owen silent, for once, and he keeps his gaze on his beer.

Signe turns back to Owen once Emma's out the door and it is once again locked and bolted as usual. She hitches up her jeans. "Alright," she says with a certain fatalistic sigh. "We might as well get it over with then, huh? You want to do this here and now, or out on the bawn?"

The cliath Galliard stays nice and quiet as the pair of fostern Ahroun start beating chests. "..." she offers, then just gets up and heads for the far side of the room.

Owen sucks on a tooth for a moment, then sets his half-empty bottle down someplace convenient. "I had to walk away from Jarl-ship. I will not slip back into that position by breaking my foot off in your ass. I will have it handed back to me instead." He thumps the heels of his boots together and gives a stiff, German, bow to Signe.

Signe scowls, back stiffening. Mild irritation solidifies into something more concrete as she eyes the other ahroun. "Just what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" she asks, ignoring the bow for now. "Because I'm not handing you shit."

My, how nice and solid this wall is that Nat's admiring. It's all... solid. And wall-like.

Owen straightens back up and takes a silent moment to put the cap back on the bottle (best not let a good beer go to waste). "That means, beefy-tits, that I'll show you by example instead."

Signe stares at Owen like he'd grown a second head on his shoulders. Her tone, when she speaks, carries that timbre used for small children and the mentally impaired. "Owen? I'm not sure where you've been since you were gone, or what rock you hit your head on, but that's not how we do things. See, I won't tolerate some asshat pretending he's Jarl around my back. Right here, and right now, you throw down and challenge me, or you show throat. The only other option you have is to get on your walking shoes and hit the fucking highway again."

Natalie turns at that, the wall at her back. "...Do you wish a Galliard to witness this, Signe?" Her voice is strong, unbroken, even if her flesh is abused. "Because if not, this is Tribal business, and I have no place here."

Owen glares back up at Signe. "How dare you even insinuate I would do shuch a thing as that? Work behind your back? I just showed you throat. Perhaps, right now, I'm tired of clawing up other Garou because of their small-minded shortsightedness. Maybe I'm tired of getting this same bullshit everytime we're in a closed room together. Maybe I'm also tired of our tribe's own ifighting because we can't keep our heads out of our asses. I'm telling YOU that WHEN I deserve to be JARL again, I won't have to challenge you. You will KNOW it." Natalie is seemingly ignored for the meantime.

Signe winds up ignoring Natalie, as well, though not on purpose. all of her attention is focused on the other ahroun, and she seems to be struggling with control despite the relatively small moon. Eventually, with calming, even breaths, she gets herself back under control. "Fine," she says, with a slight nod. "As long as we're clear. You staying in town, or out on the bawn?"

Owen stands there for some time as well, swallowing his own anger down. "Apparently this city still isn't big enough for both of us. I sill have a hole to crawl into outside of K.C." He turns and snatches up his cello case once more, again the muted sound of clanking wood and metal escaping from it.

Signe seems like she wants to speak, but for the moment lets it go, since tempers are still slightly frayed. She simply nods to Owen, indicating she remembers where the compound is.

Well, they haven't gone for throats. Nor have they acknowledged Nat's presence. So a win-win all around, really.

Owen slings the case once more over his shoulder, letting it depend on his back by a thick strap. He silently stands there now, hands behind his back, feet spaced perfectly under his shoulders, at ease.

Signe moves towards the door to unlock the three deadbolts. "The city's big enough for the both of us, Owen, as long as we respect each other. Our problem has always been your idea of respect doesn't sit well with me, and my idea of respect seems to do the same to you. I'll stop by your place soon and fill you in on all of what's going down lately."

Natalie pushes away from the wall, not that there doesn't appear to be imminent bloodshed, and returns to stand behind her chair. "Nice meeting you, Owen." Ah, polite pleasantries.

Owen doesn't say another word, instead shrugging a shoulder to get the cello case into a more comfortabe position. It seems another thing he's tired of is talking. He walks out of the place, leaving the beer where he left it.

[End of log]