Knock knock.

Sly pauses for a moment before shuffling to the door, peering through the peep-hole before sliding the various locks and bars open, letting her in.

Natalie pushes her way in as soon as the door's open, looks around expectantly. "Oi, Jeremy?" The stranger gets a suspicious look and a brusque, "Who are you? Where's Jeremy?"

Sly looks like hell, slightly warmed and basted, his skin looks pale and his eyes are bloodshot. He's got a heavy blanket over his shoulders, and another on the couch, the tv flickering silently, "Its me, Sly. Remember, Natalie-rhya?" he shuffles over to the couch and more or less collapses onto it, having closed the door after she got in

Sly isn't the largest of teens, standing at only about 5 feet 7 inches. He seems pretty trim though, standing and moving with some measure of grace. He has fair brown hair that borders on blonde, cut long enough to show off its sheen and body. His bangs are kept out of his face and the rest is nicely brushed.

His face has just the right angles in just the right places, his jaw recently filled out from puberty. Slightly angular but solid, his skull sets the frame for his pretty face. Sly is a good-looking kid, with light eyebrows that sit above hazel eyes. His eyes are that particular mix of green and blue that had no name, and glimmer in the light. His nose seems the perfect size for his face, and below it are his lips, barely parted in a smile. They are just full enough to be expressive and curve in a perfect cupid's bow, a pale pink that fits well with the flush of his skin.

In comparison, his clothes are almost drab, their plainness contrasted by the handsome boy that wears them. The shirt is a neutral gray, with a black infinity symbol scored across the chest. His pants are a long faded gray-green, complete with cargo pockets. His legs terminate in a pair of black and gray sneakers, tied with faded gray laces.

"I don't, no," the Galliard replies, still watching the boy as if expecting him to explode. "When did we meet? And where's Jeremy?"

Sly sighs deeply and rests himself on the couch, wrapping the blanket around himself, "About three weeks ago, at the Farmhouse, in the barn..." he shivers and clutches the blanket tighter, "You taught me a few new things about the Litany, before Flash got uppity." He glances up at her, then the bedroom at the back, "I dunno. Dakota is off running errands.."

Natalie continues to scowl. "Huh. Well, pretend we've never met, then." She waits expectantly for a breath before clarifying, "Introduction, please. Full one."

Sly sighs deeply, moving his blood-shot eyes back to her. When he speaks, his voice is still weak and shuddery, lacking energy, "Sly Dobsen, Silver-Tongue amongst the Garou, Moon-Dancer and Song-Singer, cub of the Children of Gaia."

Natalie says, "Thank you. You look like hell." She paces a few steps down the hall and peers as if expecting to see either Jeremy or Dakota hiding there before returning to her spot near the door and eyeing the cub. "You get caught in a combine or something?"

Sly gives her a weak grin, and despite his condition, its rather disarming, "Umbra. Two weeks, according to Dakota-Rhya. I went in in under a new-moon." his eyes flutter over her, watching for her reaction

"Stupid," is her reaction, eyes flicking over the boy. "Why aren't you dead?"

Sly hehs softly, leaning into the couch further, "Unicorn spirit saved my ass." he groans softly and rubs over his forehead, "If I could get some sleep I might feel better..."

Natalie's tone isn't especially sympathetic as she digs in the pockets of her coat. "So go take a nap. You're not on some sort of guard duty, are you?"

Sly doesn't necessarily notice the tone, though he snickers weakly, "I've been trying to sleep since I got back. Every time I close my eyes I keep seeing... that... that thing. A hundred mouths, all screaming for my blood. I get maybe a few seconds of rest..."

The rustling noises continue a few moments longer, then she mutters, "Damn." "--Look, kid," her voice pitched louder, "...don't think I'm not properly appreciative. You're damn lucky you're still alive after spending two weeks in the Umbra in the dark of the moon. ...Hell, it has to have been longer than that, the full was just last week. What's the last day you remember this side? And what made you think it was a good idea, anyway?"

Sly sighs and generally tries to make himself more comfortable, "I... I don't know really. Lets see. A week after I Firsted, maybe? I don';t really know. Not sleeping and funky Umbra time has really screwed me up. I don't even recall why the hell I went. I just found out how and... I guess I wanted to prove something, or maybe it was Flash. He gets on everyone's fucking case, especially us cubs. He made Joey cry cause he won't stop screaming. Maybe... maybe if I did something good I could shut him up..."

Natalie exhales a noise of dismay. "Ok. Stop, rewind. Flash is supposed to get on your case, 'especially you cubs'. You're cubs, he's Cliath. Capische? Second, he's Ragabash. It's what they do. Third, going into the Umbra, by yourself, in the dark of the moon, is hardly something 'good to get him to shut up'. If you were my cub you'd... hell. You're not. It doesn't matter. But you better get your head screwed back on properly, and thank Gaia you're still alive every time you draw breath. You hear me?"

Sly fehs softly, "Yes, I know. Bad cub, stupid stupid. I got the message and now I'm trying to make for it okay? I don't mean to disrespect, and in the future I'll think ahead further, okay? I just wanna get back on track, and get some rest, and be a good cub." He sighs again.

"No no, bad dog," Nat agrees grimly. "So what are you going to do to make it up? Way I figure, you've got a lot of groveling to do: Alicia, Flash, and Unicorn to name three."

Sly lets one of his arms slip from the blanket, counting off with fingers, "Stag, Unicorn, Dakota-rhya, Alica-rhya to name them all."

Sly says "Oops, and Eamon-Rhya.."

"You forgot Flash-rhya," the Galliard points out inexorably. "So. Since you can't sleep, you might as well plan on how you'll be making it up to them."

Sly puts his hand back in the blanket, eyes closing, "No, I didn't. As for making it up, I'm fasting for Stag. Unicorn, I need to find a creature of the wilderness that is sick or injured and nurse it back to health so that it may return to its home. Alica-rhya and Dakota-rhya, well, I'd better just bring glory and honor to our tribe. Eamon-rhya... I have no clue."

Natalie repeats with all the flexibility of an iron ingot, "You forgot Flash-rhya. Don't argue with me on this one, Sly. You said yourself you went into the Umbra to try and prove something to him. So. How are you going to prove to him that you're not the same idiot cub you were before you went into the Umbra?"

Sly continues, with a tired monotone, "I'm not gonna do anything about Flash. I came to the realization that he is completely devoid of worth or respect for anyone. Elders, equals, those of lower station. He doesn't care about anyone else beyond that which is necessary to continue his own survival. He's tried to kill me. He's humiliated and harassed me. I won't deal with him any further."

Natalie crosses to the cub in three quick strides, fists thudding into the cushions beside his head. If he were to look up now he'd see Angry Galliard about a foot from his face, teeth bared and nostrils flaring. "Errt. Wrong answer, boyo. He's a Cliath, you're a cub. I don't care what your personal feelings for him are, but guess what? He ranks you. If he tells you you need to stick hotdogs in your ears, there better be damn Wranglers in your ears two minutes later. You got it?"

Sly has his eyes closed, though he hears and feels her slamming down on the pillow, a wry grin on his face, "Oh, I understand the Litany. Submission to higher station. Though I doubt rank gives you free rein to be a jackass. Nothing in the Litany I know of says I gotta respect or like him. Just do what he says. Which I'll do, cursing him under my breath the whole time."

"The Litany," Nat's breath is warm on his face, "Gives Flash free rein to do whatever the hell he wants, as long as he sticks within it. Now from what I've seen of Joey, making her cry is about as hard as walking down steps. If that's why you have issues with Flash, you can just change that right now. If you have issues because he's a wise-ass... well guess what, Sunshine, he's a Ragabash. He's supposed to. Whining at him about that is like whining at me because I tell people what the hell's going on." Could there be, perhaps, subtle warning there?

Sly stays silent and still, his body looking to be completely relaxed

Natalie's weight shifts; before the cub can open his eyes there's a hand under his chin tapping it once, twice. "Uh-uh," she warns, voice sharpening. "Don't start with me, kid. I had enough of this passive-aggressive crap with Joshua."

Sly as the hand taps his under-chin his brow furrows and eyes flutter, opening up as he lets out a little gasp, "Huh? What?" his head jerks forward and his body tenses, "Shit! I just got asleep!"

Perhaps from a distance one might think that Natalie is grinning, but from close up it more closely resembles a baring of teeth. "Don't give me," she repeats, enunciating each word, "Your passive-aggressive crap, kid." She replants her fist next to his ear, pushes herself out to the limits of her arms. "I'm only going to ask you once more, and you better hope to get the answer right. What are you going to do for Flash?"

Sly rolls his slightly sunken, blood-shot eyes towards the ceiling, "Passive-aggressive isn't my style. You not sleep for a week or two and try to not pull a narcolepsy trick..." he sighs and leans his head back, "And I told you already, nothing. From the way he treats me, I honestly believe what he wants me to do is stay far away."

Natalie pushes herself up and away, giving the couch a solid kick. "Wrong," she says flatly. "Next time you're trusted alone you're going to go find him and apologize. Hell, I'd go find him and drag him back here if I thought you were worth it. You are going to explain to him, in great detail, exactly how you were stupid, how many people you crossed, and how you're apologizing to each one. This is going to be a sincere apology, kid - I don't want any little thoughts about how mean I am or how stupid Flash is running through the hamster wheel you call a brain while you do it. You understand me?"

Sly shrugs a little leaning into his pillow, "If you wanna cross Alicia and raise her ire, thats your business." he closes his eyes again and seems to sink into the couch, "It's not as if I can stop you, right?"

Natalie snarls audibly and kicks the couch again. "Not worth my time or hers. Whimpering little coward." From the sounds she walks away, the door slamming behind her.

[End of log]