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.

Joshua sits bare foot, bare chest and cross legged in the parlor, all the curtains pulled in the room to obscure the view from outside in. The youth of a Glabro is in front of the glowing TV screen, the X-Box whirring away as he plays the game he was given as a gift by Rina, Max Payne. Josh makes no noise, and for good reason: he's still very much missing his throat. Beside him sits pad of paper and the liberated bank pen, at the ready to 'communicate.'

The door slams, one irate Galliard stomping to the door of the parlor and stopping there, eyes sweeping over the room and a six-pack of small aluminum cans swinging from one hand. "There better be a damn good reason..." she begins, stops. No Tony. Just Josh. "...Where is he?" she demands on a growl, gaze skimming over the room again as if expecting the Ragabash to leap out from behind something.

The Ragabash doesn't leap out. Even if that would be rather impressive. Instead Josh stabs at the start button to pause the game, looking up and over to Natalie with a lazy bovine look. He idly waves over, then shrugs. Josh doesn't know, it seems.

This has to be a first for Josh: Nat's furious at someone and it isn't him. "The little bastard never called." Now she turns to Josh, eyes cold and face furious. "That your idea? You convince Tony not to call me?"

Joshua shakes his head, shrugging again. He lifts himself up and rotates his whole self around to face Natalie, picking up the pad and setting it in his lap.

Natalie chews on the inside of one cheek, clearly torn. After a minute, though, she drops him a jerky nod and heads back toward the kitchen. "Be right back," she calls over her shoulder. "Hold that thought."

Joshua goes from that bovine look to more than a touch confused. He's a little unsure what thought he should be holding at the moment. But Josh doesn't get up off the floor, remaining where he sits.

When the Galliard returns a few minutes later, she only has one can of Ensure. "Say hello to breakfast." She waggles the can at him, then tosses it over, digging in an inside pocket of her jacket. Plastic crinkles as she pulls a length of clear tubing from within. "Stopped at a beer - hell, I dunno what you'd call it. Beer supply shop. Got some food grade tubing. I didn't think you'd appreciate a funnel or trying to stuff a garden hose down your throat."

Joshua starts to frown at the mention of beer, but as the Galliard goes on, the frown fades off the youth's face. The Glabro catches the Ensure in one hand, eyeing it dubiously. With a wince, he stands up, abandoning the pad to the coffee table as he walks over and sits himself down. His chin tips back... clearly he knows the drill, even if he doesn't like it.

"...Cripes. Funnel." Nat tosses him the tubing and jogs back down the hallway. A few moment's rummaging and more jogging brings her back to the parlor, a funnel in hand. "Ok, what I'm thinking is this: figure out which one's your esophagus and stick the tubing down it... oh, I dunno. Four, six inches or so. Then plop the funnel on the other end, and pour slowly." She demonstrates with an invisible can. "That work for you?"

It is at this delicate moment the front gate buzzes. **Buzz buzz buzzzzz**

Joshua reaches over and pulls over the pad over. The bank pen scratches something out in the hand of the shirtless Glabro. 'know routine. make fast, and don't take personally if punch you. hurts like hell.'

Natalie's interrupted by the buzzer as she reads. "...Speaking of hell..." She crosses to check out the monitor. "Huh. It's Emma. You mind if she comes in?" Satan just bought ice skates, ladies and germs. That's twice in as many minutes that Nat asked Joshua's opinion, and sounded like she meant it!

Joshua grimaces for a moment, clearly in no hurry to let the Get see him in his current state. After a moment, he shakes his head 'no,' shoulders slumping yet again.

**Buzz buzz buzzz**

Natalie presses the intercom button. "Come on in, Emma. Front door's unlocked." She pauses there, finger stil on the button... then buzzes her packmate in without another word. She unlocks the door as promised, before retreating to hang at the parlor door. "We can let this slide a bit, if you'd rather...?"

Joshua nods sharply, and puts on his serious, 'time to deal with Gets!' face. As if he can pull off the Salem look. He sits back in the couch, putting the pad on his lap before running his hand to gather his hair back in its little bob again.

After the appropriate amount of time, noise and shuffling, Emma is making her way through the estate into where she hopes to find Natalie. "Yah, Signe wants me to learn how to pack heat. Killer with a rifle, but haven't tried a hand gun yet..." she walks along.

Natalie leans casually against the door to the parlor, dropping her packmate a nod. "Yeah, well, join the club. And shut the door behind you, would you?" She glances back into the parlor, perhaps checking on Josh, then invites Emma in with a jerk of her head. "C'mon in. Most I know about guns is which end to hold to get the cub to shift. Josh is here."

Joshua scratches out a quick note on a section of the paper, tearing it off and passing it to Natalie. 'Hi Emma: Jer knows. So does Rina. They're both great. Rina taught me.'

Emma grins at Natalie, "I asked Signe if her plan was to surprise me with a gun wound when I got here." She gives another nod, and then steps in to eye the other Ahroun. "Hey Josh, you look like hell." She takes the note and grins, "But you are writing like you're in a good mood. Nice." She leaves it at that, surprisingly not pressing the issue. Now Josh can throw in that their most be avian pigs down there with Satan.

Natalie obligingly hands the note over. Just call her Nat 'Pony Express' Baker. "...Look, Josh," she says, apparently coming to some decision, "I'm gonna try calling Alicia. That's gotta be more fun than playing 'Thread the tubing down the Ahroun'. Make yourself at home," she adds to Emma before stepping back into the hall and making a call.

Alicia: 'Brrring!'.

Joshua shrugs in a 'it happens' sort of way at Emma's comment, leaning back into the couch. Josh nods to nat, the youth then idly doodles on the pad, having nothing to add at the moment to either of them at the moment.

Alicia answers the phone. "H'lo?"

'Hey Alicia? It's Natalie. You busy? Got a question and maybe a favor to ask.'.

Alicia: Um.. I'm not too busy, just relaxing at home, whats up?" She asks curiously.

There's a length of clear tubing - perhaps eighteen inches long - a funnel, and a can of Ensure near the Ahroun. Ominous.

Out in the hall Nat's managing to keep her voice down enough so that words aren't clear.

'Josh is back, his throat's ripped out. Hmn, 'bout a week ago I'd guess? Maybe a little less. Anyway, he hasn't been able to spend much time shifted. Can't eat, and he's breathing through the front of his neck. There anything you can do about that?'. Natalie sounds strangely phlegmatic about the whole situation.

Alicia lets out a breath. "Yah, Re-.. Eve ripped his throat out cuz' he was acting like a moron, accusing her of being a Mage and other stupid shit." She explains. "He went walking through the city covered in blood and would refuse to listen to her when she he needs to get out of sight. Why the hell hasn't he shifted to Lupus and curled up somewhere behind closed doors or back at the Sept?"

Natalie guesses dryly, "Because he's Josh? He's here now, and he's shifted. I was going to try and get some Ensure down him with some tubing, but I figured I'd give you a call before trying that. That's a little too much fun for this girl, you know? He said he wouldn't struggle much, but hey. This is Josh."

Emma looks at the odd set up, "Uh that's just weird." She grins and finds a spot to sit down, giving the battered Garou some space. "I'd bug you for info on how things are going, but uh, maybe later, like when you can talk hmm? Rina can shoot huh? She the one that... I think I met her once, she gave me the funniest look when I met her. Can't say it felt right."

Joshua scribbles on the pad some more, look up to Emma every now and then as if to remind himself who he's writing to. With a rip, he tears off the part of the page, smiling slightly as he slides it over the table to Emma. 'Rina shoots like no one's business. She taught me while back. No one in tribe can come close xcpt maybe K.C... good luck finding KC, though. God only knows where she hides most of time.'

'...Anyway, can you do anything for him, or am I going to be spending my evening pushing tubing down his esophagus?'.

Alicia lets out a soft breath. "Nat, why are you trying to help him for? He's an ass hat. He should just sit in the Lupus or Glabro form for another two days and be healed. It doesn't take that long to heal a wound, even one like that."

Mutter mutter... "Tubing."

Emma reads the note and nods, "Well Rina is fine for shooting lessons, as long as there is someone else around. Like I said, something don't sit right with me about her. So uh, you and Nat getting along all right so far?" This is whispered extra quietly.

Natalie answers stubbornly, "He's my tribemate. If you don't want to, just say it. ...Though I have to say, it's been real peaceful around here since he can't talk."

From afar, Alicia chuckles slightly. "I don't want to, but I'll do it because its the right thing to do, and its obviously important to you. I got these gifts of Gaia for a reason, not so I can be selfish. My personal beliefs will always bounce off my professional beliefs."

Natalie lets out a relieved-sounding breath.

Joshua glances around, leaning forward to view out to the parlor. The youth, confident that Natalie is out of sight, nods a quick yes and gives a 'spooky' sort of face, before grinning slightly.

Natalie lets out a relieved-sounding breath. "Sweet, Ali. I'll open the gate for you in, oh, five minutes? Front door'll be unlocked too. I owe you one."

Alicia: Alright, I'll be over in a lil bit then. I'll grab my helmet.

Emma laughs and shakes her head, "Crazy. You are getting along with everyone, and I am ready to walk outta here."

Joshua puts his finger up to his lips as if to mock shush Emma, but he lacks all the parts to make the noise quite naturally. The Shirtless Glabro youth sits back into the couch again, setting the pad in the center of his lap once more.

Natalie says, "I owe you one." She flips her cell closed and comes back to lean on the doorway, smirking. "And you owe me one, Josh. Alicia was home. She's going to come over and try to heal you up. You lucked out in the Ensure department."

Emma looks back up to Natalie, "Uh, what were you going to do with that Ensure anyway? Ya know, nevermind, best left unknown."

Joshua looks over to Emma and shakes his head in one of those 'you don't want to know' sort of tight shakes, the small grin coming back after a moment.

The sound of a motorcycle comes rambling up the driveway, one head light flashing for a moment before the dull rumble ends. After dismounting the red and silver Ninja, Alicia peels her helmet off, tossing her hair from side to side, then makes her way to the door.

Natalie makes a pouring motion with one hand, her smirk widening. "...But we won't need it now - I hope. I'm gonna clean this stuff up," she adds, pushing off the door and heading into the parlor. "I'm gonna leave the gate and front door unlocked for her, so don't you two crazy kids let her catch you doing anything incriminating." She sweeps up the funnel, the tubing, and the Ensure in one hand, then back down the hallway to the kitchen.

Emma gives Natalie a scowl. "You are lucky I'm in a decent mood this moment girl." She huffs, and kicks back to relax a bit. "Incriminating. Geezus." She shakes her head again and folds her hands behind her neck.

Joshua doesn't have much of responce, other than to smirk before likewise leaning back into the couch. He idly fidgets with the pen, not much for conversation at the moment.

After making her way up the steps, Alicia knocks on the door lightly, then pushes it open. She is wearing a leather jacket and a pair of baggy black jeans, carrying her flame covered helmet. "Hey people."

Natalie's still back in the kitchen, doing kitcheny things.

Emma gives a rather quiet, 'Hey' to the Gaian, but otherwise keeps her attention off the woman.

Joshua waves as Alicia enters, that good mood evaporating before Emma's eyes. His face turns rather gaunt, tipping his head to the side. The problem with Josh is incredibly apparent: he's completely missing his throat. The whole thing has been torn out. The only thing that kept the wound from being fatal was the fact that it barely missed the blood vessels.

Alicia glances between the two of them. "Well, aren't you two rays of sunshine." She says, reaching out and tapping Josh in the throat gently, allowing a spark of blue to tickle her fingertip. Soon, the warm feeling rushes from one to the other as the wound swiftly knits itself together, muscle and flesh refussing.

"That Alicia?" Nat calls from the kitchen, the woman herself reappearing in the parlor doorway a few moments later. "...Good. So Em - while they're doing their thing. You want to learn to shoot, hey? Jeremy and Rina are the two to talk to, though I haven't seen either of 'em in... cripes. Days for Jer, weeks for Rina. Now that Dakota's packed with Megan, though, we'll probably be seeing more of the geek." She smirks again.

Joshua's nostrils flare after the flesh mends back over the gap, Josh a little wide eyed for a moment as he inhales suddenly. His hand goes up and gently grasps the throat, swallowing a few times.

Emma stands up and moves to a position to better speak with Natalie. "Yah, Signe brought the idea up. I used to hunt quail out on the farm, but I doubt I'd have a .22 rifle out here. And honestly, a .22 pistol just gonna piss someone off if you use it on them. Least that's what Jordan used to say."

"I wouldn't know. Like I said..." Natalie interrupts herself long enough to call over, "Say Alicia? Can you not heal his vocal cords? He's a lot, hmn, easier to be around when he's quiet." Let the others decide if she's teasing or not. "...Sorry. Like I was saying, the only thing I know about guns is which end to hold to get cubs to shift. Not real useful."

"Heh... um... sorry... my bad." Alicia says with a grin towards the three, pulling her hand back and revealing only a bruise on the kid's throat. She offers him a quick grin. "Well, my job here is done. I guess I'll get back home."

Joshua nods out a quick thanks to Alicia, still holding his neck as he shifts back down to Homid form, rubbing it slightly as he takes a few moments to try this whole 'breath through your nose' bit.

Emma watches Josh as he adjusts to the healing, but nods to Natalie. "Right heh, how come you don't know. Thought it was the thing to do as a Walker?" She glances to Alicia, "Heal and run huh?"

Natalie steps inside the parlor to lean against the wall there. Now she isn't blocking the doorway anymore. "You can stick around, Alicia. We've got plenty of Ensure." Her tone's so dry you could plant a cactus in it. "But thanks. We," she stresses the word slightly, her eyes flicking pointedly to Josh and back, "Owe you one." Back to Emma for her ping-pong conversation. "...Nah, not really. They're useful, sure, but I've managed. I'd like to learn, but I've just never got around to it."

"Its cool Natalie. I need to get back as it is. Dakota been blowing up my cell phone. Looks like they found Sly stuck knee deep in the dark Umbra. She's madder than a stepped on hornet's nest right now." Alicia says with a grin on her face. "An ya'll don't owe me one." She slips out the door, closing it behind her.

Joshua stands up, nodding once more to Alicia, before making his way up and over to the Kitchen for some of that Ensure... stomach grumbling the entire way.

Natalie waits until the door's closed behind the Gaian and the sound of her bike starts up. "You owe her one," she calls firmly down the hall. And lo, there shalt be no quibbling.

Emma lets out a yawn. "Hey Nat, there someplace I can crash here? I am beat, and don't feel like hoofing it back to Signes right now?"

Joshua is too busy chugging some of that crappy meal like substitute drink in the kitchen to respond to Natalie.

Natalie scowls at the lack of response from the kitchen, the expression fades as she turns to her packmate. "Better. I'll drop you off on my way back to my place. C'mon." She jerks her head toward the door, snagging her coat off the banister and slipping it on. "G'night, Josh," she calls pointedly, not waiting for an answer.

Emma nods, "Thanks. Yah, see ya Josh- take it easy."

Joshua comes out of the Kitchen, standing in the door way and making some noise that is presumably an attempt at talking with a very sore throat. He waves to illustrate what he was trying to say, ensure in his free hand.

Emma leaves first, leaving Nat behind. She tosses one last look down the hallway, pausing toss the ahroun a wave of his own. "...I meant it," she adds seriously. "When you have to stop and think about what you're going to say you're a lot easier to live with. So. Something to take to heart, hey?" Now she leaves, the door closing firmly and quellingly behind her.

[End of log]