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 A variety of out-of-date magazines are strewn atop a low coffee table; more neatly presented are the plethora of books filling the small bookshelves which line the eastern wall.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.

Obvious exits:
Kitchen/Dining Room Front Door STairs

Trevor is in the lounge, surveying the wreckage from the fight. He's currently taking an inventory of what's been broken, and checking the new claw marks. "Alicia-Rhya had better have a good explanation for this..." he mutters to himself as he works.

Natalie's knuckles rap sharply against the front door frame; a courtesy only for she pulls it open and steps inside without waiting for permission. "Mornin..." Her greeting's cut off by the other Galliard's mien, not to mention the leftover remnants of, "Looks like a helleva fight. What happened?" She's already perusing the walls with a professional's eye.

"Morning, Natalie." Trevor replies, before shrugging his shoulders. "It's funny that, I don't actually no. Nobody thought to tell me. But Alicia did say she needs to speak to Megan, so it must be really bad."

The front door opens up to reveal the mentioned Child of Gaia as she heads inside, frowning slightly.

"Lovely." The Walker paces slowly around the room's perimeter. "You want help cleaning up? I've got a little story to tell you while that's happening. Mark everything that needs fixing; my 'box is out in the truck."

"Sure, that'd be nice. And I'd be more than willing to hear your story." Trevor smiles, grateful for the help. He dosn't yet notice Alicia, engrossed as he is in his task.

Eve knocks at the front door, a quiet hesitant sound.

"We all got stories to tell I guess. Has Megan came in yet?" Alicia asks as she glances around.

"Course you are," Nat teases Trevor, a smirk twitching the corner of her mouth. "You're a damn Galliard. Say 'story' to one of us and we'll walk over fiery coals on our tongue." Speaking of... "Alicia." She acknowledges the Gaian before wincing at a particularly deep claw mark in the walls. "Damn, this is plaster and lathe, isn't it?"

Alicia glances over her shoulder at the knocking, then to the two Garou. She looks distracted and heads to the door and opens it up.

Eve is on the other side of the door and offers the Gaian a small smile. "Hey, decided to go for a walk. Ended up here."

Laughing, Trevor shrugs before turning to greet Alicia. "Hey, Alicia-Rhya. And no, she hasn't. Yay for storytime, though." He pauses to watch the door open and find out who's there. The lounge is a mess. There's all the signs of a recent serious fight, including mostly scrubbed up blood on the upholstry.

Eve:

A young woman in her late teens and of average height, Eve's appearance is unremarkable at best. The young woman's hair is cropped short and would resemble a military cut, if it wasn't spiked. The brown tips having been bleached to a near-blond by the sun, while her skin has been deeply tanned to a golden brown. The Gnawer's eyes are a chocolate brown, flat and expressionless, showing little or no emotion. Fine white scars decorate Eve's gaunt features, hardening an already angular face. Its hard to miss the fact that the woman's hands are horribly scarred and that she is missing two fingers on her left hand.

Something about the Eve is oddly disturbing. This feeling is only compounded by the way the young woman holds herself, each movement made slowly and carefully. The Gnawer's lean figure is clothed in a plain red t-shirt, which is covered by a worn plaid top. Blue denim jeans with ripped knees partially hide a formidable pair of black, scuffed, steel-toed boots.

Natalie jerks a chin toward the new arrival, her fingers continuing to play with the edges of the gash in the wall. "Who's that?" For once her query is more curious than demanding.

"This is Eve, a Garou who used to stay here for awhile. She's been gone a few months, but she's home now." Alicia says with a fondness at the girl at the door, opening it up and inviting her in. "Last night by the way, sucked guys."

Eve smiles faintly at Natalie. "Eve Walks-The-Darkened-Path, Cliath Theurge of the Bone Gnawers. Umm. What happened here?"

"That's what we'd all like to know." Trevor answers Eve, without greeting her. "But I'm sure we'll find out fairly soon, now that Alicia-Rhya's here."

"Least somebody knows about intros," Nat mutters to herself before straightening to give the Gnawer a nod. "Natalie Baker, Holds-the-Line. Galliard, Cliath, Glass Walker. OK, Alicia's story first? Works for me - mine's more of a blurb anyway, spread the word. Anyone mind if I keep looking at this stuff? Trevor, d'you have any spackle or anything?"

"Its not much of a story since I've only gathered information from a few other people, but last night I was hearing signs of a fight while I was at the barn. So, after investigating, I found it to be a three way Crinos fight in the living room. Seems that this Shadow Lord guys... Um... Asteryx. He came here pumped full of silver and that Aubrey healed him before she took off." Alicia says with a frown. "After he woke, he was questioned of what happened and he explained to Olga, Karl and Anthony that Spiral Dancers shot him up. Olga then I suppose got in his face about coming back here if the Wyrm was following him and he snapped." She glances about the torn wreckage. "He frenzies and ripped Olga a good one until she and Karl put him back down. Thats when I happened on the scene. Aubrey plucked the bullets outta him and stuck 'em in a bowl, which I'm now carrying on me." She says, taking out a plastic bag, showing off the dented slugs inside the ziplock. "I healed Astro back to life and told him to get his ass in the infirmary an not to come down. Olga and Karl gave me the gist of it an hopefully, Megan will get with me before we go out on Totem quest tonight."

Eve covers her face with a hand and groans softly. "We don't need the Spirals back. We really don't."

"Spirals? Shit! And he came back here?" Trevor slams his fist down onto the shelf he's currently examining angrily. "Just like a fucking Lord, that is. Great. And we can't even hope he's insane, because if those bullets are silver it proves the enemy knows us." He sighs. "And now we have to presume they know about this place." Eve gets a comforting look "Don't worry Ren..Uh, Eve. At least we know this time, and we're going to be ready for them."

Natalie's eyebrows can't decide if it's safer down near her eyes or closer to her hairline and thus spend most of Alicia's story checking out both places. "...The hell? A, why are you carrying around silver, B, Who the hell is this Shadow Lord and why hasn't he had a brain transplant, and C..." She pokes at the wall again, sending little crumbs of plaster trickling down the wall, "Well hell, there isn't a C. That's just... damn."

Eve shakes her head. "They knew about this place before. I would be surprised if they all died the last time. Those that survived would have known and would have told others. We have lost other safehouses to bombs, in the last year. They never came themselves. They sent their kin."

"I figure the person who shot the bullets can be tracked, right? I got the Questing Stone rite. Also, Olga is suspicious of his story. She thinks he shot himself up for a story of quick glory." Alicia says with a shake of her head. "But... no one is ganna pump 'emself full of silver, right? That'd kill ya faster than anything." She stuffs the baggie back into her pocket. "So after I talk with Megan, I'm ganna use the Rite on these and hopefully figure out who pulled the trigger." Turning her attention to Eve, she nods her head. "Thats right. They'll come for us here if they want. Its not like we are exactly safe. Remember when I got shot in the gut while roaming the bawn a week or so after we reclaimed the Caern, sis?" She says. "Yi had to drag me home after I nearly died. I know for a fact we didn't get 'em all."

"So we have to assume they're going to try and and blow this place up, too?" Trevor frowns. "I need to speak to Megan-Rhya, I think. Things need to change here while this threat is around, one way or the other."

Natalie holds up a finger, looks from one face to another. "Uh... time for story part two. What the hell are you talking about?"

"Alicia," Eve says quietly. "That Rite won't work on the bullets. You need to track a person using their name. A name has power. Without it, the Rite is useless."

"I got Astryx's name, don't I?" Alicia says with a grin. "If he's the shooter, then it'd lead me right to him. If it doesn't, then at least some of his story checks out."

"Long story Natalie, and I'm not the best person to tell it." Trevor replies. "These two actually lived through it. Say, do you have one of them phones without wires a lot of Walkers are so keen on?"

Eve shakes her head. "It doesn't work that way. If you search for him, you will find him. Or not. The silver might get in the way of the Rite succeding. You'd be better off finding a Philodox and having her question him."

Natalie eyes the other women, then wordlessly pulls her cell phone from its belt clip and shows it to Trevor. "Cell. Phone." She holds up the phone, pointing to it encouragingly. "Say it with me. Cell. Phone."

"You take the fun out of everything, Eve. You so suck." Alicia says with a chuckle, the shrugs her shoulders. "Oh well, maybe we should create a new Rite or some shit that would work the way I want it to."

"There is a Gift," Eve notes. "Sense of the Prey."

"Cell. Phone." Trevor repeats, looking at the small gadget. "Cell. Phone." Alicia gets an amused roll of his eyes for her comment about making a new Rite.

Natalie grins at the Fianna and makes as if to toss the phone his way, then thinks better of it. "What number d'you need?" she asks instead, crossing over to his side and dropping her voice. "I'll dial, you talk, you hand back to me for hanging up."

Alicia grins slightly at Eve. "I can't get that one tho'. Thus why I want to make a Rite." She gives the Gnawer a nudge, then shrugs her shoulders.

"Ok, I want to ring Jeremy." Trevor explains to Natalie. "Do you have the number?" He pauses, then grins. "This is actually pretty fun."

Natalie only rolls her eyes. "Do I have Jeremy's number. Of course I do." On speed-dial too, apparently, for it's only about three keystrokes before she hands the unfolded phone over. "Talk here, listen here," she instructs, pointing to the relevant locations. "Got it?"

Alicia parks herself on the couch as she listens to the one way conversation, leaning back a bit and stretches out on the cushions.

Taking the phone from Natalie with a nod, Trevor speaks into it once Jeremy picks up. While he's speaking quietly, the conversation seems to be him arranging to meet up with the Kin asap, to talk about buisness. "Thanks Natalie." The Galliard eventually says, handing the phone back.

Eve settles down on the couch next to Alicia, watching as the phone is passed back and forth.

You say "No problem," as she takes the phone back, snapping it closed, and reholstering. "OK, if that's most of the rest of the story," the face she turns to the two seated suggests that she'll get more later, "We might as well go over my bit. Trevor, which group were you with for the Revel? D'jou head east with Signe, or south with Megan?"

"Ah, I wasn't actually there." Trevor replies to Natalie, leaning against a wall. "I had Rite stuff to do, unfortunately. What happened?"

Eve says "I wasn't here for that."

Natalie only hmns. "Well, we split up into two groups - Signe led a group east, and Megan-rhya took the rest of us south. We went to hunt for the Caern, for Chimera. From what I hear, Signe's group had a simple hunt: they flushed a stag and brought it down pretty fast. In the south it was a little different. For one thing, the birds were acting strangely. They were, I dunno, ravens or crows. Big honkin' black things, just sitting in the trees and watching us. They didn't do anything though, so we started hunting. We found a stag almost immediately; practically ran into us. Long story short, we brought it down too. That's when things got a little funky."

"Crows, you say..." Trevor files this away, before nodding. "A little funky... how so?"

"Or ravens," the Walker agrees, folding her arms over her belly. "Could've been either. Anyway, so while we're killing the stag Cutter and another guy - I dunno his name - spot this guy on a horse watching us. He heads off. When Megan-rhya hears about it she sent most of us back to the Caern and tracked him with a couple of others. Cutter for sure. She said they tracked him to a stream no problem and then poof, he ups and disappears. No scent, no nothing. They checked upstream and down, both sides, for like two miles and zilch. Just gone. Only get this - where Cutter saw him first they found a couple of arrowheads," she stresses the word, "In a tree. Not arrows, mind."

"The more I hear of this story, the less I like it." Trevor admits. "But I'm sorry to say, I don't see the significence of the arrow heads. It's the one part of the mystery for which I have no ideas whatsoever."

Eve rubs at her jawline. "That is interesting. Raven's children are known for watching..."

Natalie shrugs at them both. "Ya got me, really. Megan thought it important enough to tell me to spread the word. So I'm spreading. Me, I think that the freaky guy was hunting the stag and we swooped in and stole it away from him. Ashley tried to tell me that his disappearance was no biggie, but c'mon. I figure Megan-rhya's got enough experience in the Umbra to know if something is normal or not, right? Even if she isn't a Theurge." She turns to the current Theruge, lifting her chin. "What do you think? Normal, or not?"

"...And we know there are Corax in the area." Trevor finishes off Eve's words. "At least one, anyway. Leeches are also rumored to have control over animals in many tales, as are Name-Breakers. Whoever this guy was, I don't think he's good news."

"Corax?" Nat repeats with more than a touch of disbelief. "Pull the other one; it's got bells on. Why not try and tell me the dude was actually the Easter Bunny, just to make things even?"

"THe only thing you can ever expect in the Umbra, is the unexpected." Eve notes. "It is not held in place by the Weaver's webs, the way the Relm is. Still, you don't normally hear of humans in the Umbra. I have heard stores about ghosts."

"And are you going to accuse me of lying when I tell you she came into this house, changed before my eyes and ate at our table?" Trevor replies to Natalie, looking at her thoughtfully.

Natalie eyes the Fianna warily and delays answering for a moment by chewing on the inside of one cheek. "...If that's what you're telling me then no, I'm not gonna call you a liar. I've never seen one, though, and far as I know they're about as likely to turn up as a dinosaur. I thought - think - they're all dead."

Eve frowns. "That is true. There was rumour of one in the Umbra around the park, last year."

"Well, they're not." Trevor replies to Natalie. "She's here. Luke-Rhya, myself, Leonard...all had dealings with her of some sort of other. Maybe others too, I don't know. And they are such chatterboxes, I do not believe they would live alone. If we have one Corax, I will bet there are others and Kin here too."

"'f you see one you've got lots," Nat comments. "Well huh. All right, I'll take it on faith that the birds aren't all wiped out, but you'll grant me a little leeway about preaching the gospel of the returned bird, right? So. You two agree with Megan? There's something rotten in Denmark?"

Eve says "I would be suspicious and careful."

"Denmark," Trevor says in a careful, considering manner "...stinks. That's about the size of it from my point of view."

Well, they were talking about large black birds and there does seem to be one at the window. COuld be looking for a meal, or examining the dammage to the room.

Natalie grins at them both. "Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Well, oh Warden of Escrowe Farm, just a couple more questions for you. One boring, one not. The boring one: who's gonna fix all this? I can do it or, more fitting I think, I can teach them's who broke it to fix it. I'll supervise. The not: do you know who knows Rite of Cleansing besides Megan? D'you think Flash knows it?" She doesn't appear to notice their beady-eyed observer.

"I know that Rite," Eve offers.

"Well, it'll either by you or Tas's girlfriend I guess." Trevor replies. "Although I'm fully supportive of you making that idiot Lord do it under your guidance. And there, question the second answered. With a much better candidate than Fla..." The Fianna trails off as he spots the bird, crossing to open the window. "Hello there." Yes, he looks stupid, but this is what it did last time.

The bird cocks its head this way and that, neck feathers flaring out around its head.

Natalie gives Trevor and his feathery friend a curious once-over. She tosses Eve a quick glance that suggests she'll continue this topic later.

Eve frowns and looks at the window. "Mmmmm."

"Rebecca, if that's you, come inside and stop embaressing me in front of the others. I'd like to talk to you." Trevor says to the bird, ignoring his audience. "I have food and stuff, and I promise there'll be no rocks or shouting."

The bird yawns and clicks its beak together, before hopping off the window and flapping out of sight.

Natalie asks once the bird is out of earshot, "You'd actually let it inside? Introduce us around like it's Sunday guest?"

"If it's Rebecca, yes." Trevor replies to Natalie, explaining. "She's been in here before, remember. So we're not losing mutch, and we'd have been gaining the oppertunity to ask her some questions. And it was Luke-Rhya who decided it was ok so long as a Garou was with her, so..."

Eve says "I've never met one, myself. I've never heard about any of them turning to the Wyrm..."

Natalie's got a more immediate question than 'Do Corax turn to the Wyrm': "Who's Luke-rhya?"

"Luke-Rhya was Sept Alpha, and Fianna Elder, for a while." Trevor answers. "He was very dear to me, though I never really told him so. So much so that Craig-Rhya once teased me about having a thing for him." He smiles a little at the memories, before sighing. "He was killed recently in a car accident. He gave up his life to preserve the veil, when he could have shifted and lived."

Eve makes a face, but doesn't comment.

Natalie's just Little Miss Questions today: "Does Megan-rhya know about this Corax having free wing of the farmhouse?"

"This Corax does not have free wing of the farmhouse." Trevor replies. "Ordinarily, I would tell her to buzz off. I only let her in in the first place because Luke-Rhya said so, and Leo accompanied her. But given the circumstances, I figured getting the chance to ask a few questions was worth letting her in someplace she's already been, with three Garou present."

Eve says "If that was a Corax at all."

"If," Nat agrees with a nod to the Gnawer. "All right, granted there. But that still doesn't answer my question - does Megan-rhya know of this Corax?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you." Trevor replies. "I have a feeling she does though, although I can't think w...Oh, I remember! During Luke-Rhya's challenge of her for Alpha, he used the Corax to help him get information on the Vampires. So yes, I believe she does."

"Not to step on any toes, but don't you think it'd be a good idea if she knew for certain?" A reasonable question, surely. "And Eve - you willing to teach me Rite of Cleansing?" [Natalie]

Eve nods slowly. "If you want to learn it, of course."

"Like I say, as far as I know she does." Trevor replies. "But, I will check and let you know. We need to have a talk sooner or later anyway."

"Such enthusiasm," the Walker Galliard drawls, recrossing her arms before turning her attention back to Trevor. "Well, Trevor, I think my work here is done. If you want wacko-boy to learn basic repair work, just give me a holler. Signe's got my number, so does Tony. Othern' that, I think I'm gonna head back home. I got classifieds to read."

Eve is watching the window in a distracted manner, just incase that bird returns.

"Ok, I'll see you later then." Trevor replies. "Thanks for your help today."

Natalie heads through the pair of them to the door, turns back to Trevor with another smirk. "And I don't think you need to mention to Megan..." She taps her phone meaningfully. "Do you? Gaia watch your steps, you two, not that damn Corax."

Eve waves. "Goodbye."

"No, I don't." Trevor agrees with his own little smile. "Mother watch, Natalie."

"Hey, Trev," Eve starts, once Natalie is gone.

Natalie obligingly heads out without another word, the door shutting behind her.

"Yes?" Trevor asks, turning to regard Eve thoughtfully.

[End of log]