Currently the moon is in the waning Half Moon phase (52% full).
It is currently 22:29 Pacific Time on Thu Jul 12 2001.
Currently in Saint Claire, it is clear outside. The temperature is 64 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the north at 6 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.10 and steady, and the relative humidity is 27 percent. The dewpoint is 30 degrees Fahrenheit (-1 degrees Celsius.)
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 A variety of out-of-date magazines are strewn atop a low coffee table; more neatly presented are the plethora of books filling the small bookshelves which line the eastern wall.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.
Kaz is currently flopped on the couch, asleep, quietly drooling into a cushion. Her hat is somewhere nearby, on the floor.
Jervis is currently seated, one leg crossed over the other, on a chair. He is reading a large paperback, until he notices the new arrivals, at which point he puts it face down on the coffee table.
Alicia heads in from the kitchen, decked out in her spandex work out shorts and bra, dripping sweat and carrying two hand weights. Her cheeks are red and flustered, seemingly just got back from a job. She's also carrying a can of soda.
Tobin treads lightly down the stairs, book in one hand and walking stick in the other. He frowns a bit, looking frustrated at seeing people.
Sophia waves to Jervis. "Hi, guys. I want to introduce someone." she says quietly, pointing to the girl beside her.
Dizzy walks in behind Sophia, taking off her red-tinted sunglasses and looking around, "So, this is the farmhouse?"
==Kaz==
Beautiful, this woman isn't. Most people wouldn't even call her interesting, although there is a spark of something, deep down in there. Even so, most people would call her homely, if they bothered to call her anything at all. She's about 5'6" tall, and burly. Not fat -- It's the kind of burly that's all muscle, just not well defined muscle.
Her hair is brown, distinctly curly, and in her eyes. Constantly. The part that's not in her eyes is about shoulder length. Her eyes are distinctly odd, although it's hard to tell, given how often she hides behind her hair. They're yellow, and look almost cat-like. The rest of her face isn't offensive, just boring. The nose is a bit big -- maybe it's been broken, or maybe she was just born that way. Her chin is broad, as are her cheekbones. Classic features for a man that don't at all work on her. There's a wry, cynical smile often playing about her lips that does nothing to add to her mostly non-existent charm. Makeup, it's clear, is of very little use to this person.
"Battered" would describe her choice of clothing quite well. Grey trenchcoat, tired blue jeans, an oxford shirt hanging open, with a t-shirt underneath. Her sneakers are black, and she often has a black hat jammed over her head.
==Jervis==
He's one of those guys that always looks like he's thinking. Either staring at something, or staring at nothing at all. He's timid-looking enough; he only stands five feet ten inches, and really can't weigh much more than one hundred thirty, but his eyes suggest something a bit more active than a lanky, underfed undergrad. They lie somewhere between an cat's eyes and those of a snake; large pupils, with even larger, bright green irises. There's not much white to them. He's Caucasian, that's for sure, probably French and some other ragtag European nationality. Fair-skinned but hardly pale, with lush, almost feminine lips and large, heavy eyebrows. He'd be a lot more attractive, perhaps, if he took the time to mind his appearance. His brown, wavy hair is much too shaggy to pull off his current hairstyle: a simple part down the middle, with each side flapping down over his ears. A masculine jaw-line saves his face from appearing girlish, but his body is so frail-looking it can, at best, come across as androgynous. When he moves, it's as if he's a puppet being manipulated by master of the craft; every movement perfect, but joint-motivated and mechanical. Today he wears a simple pair of jeans and a non-descript, warm-looking coat. His shirt is black, depicting something that almost looks like a corporate logo of sorts; a red circle, with a white, jagged lightning bolt through it. Apparently a band tee-shirt, as the words "Throbbing Gristle" are emblazoned in white above the symbol.
==Alicia==
Here we have Alicia Jackson, a young woman who looks around the age of 18/19 or so. When in truth, she just turned 16, but that hard look in her eyes could easily be mistaken for older. Slender in form, her body is composed of lean, compacted muscle. She looks quick, but not very strong. Her eyes are a dark brown, curious and wandering, lit up playfully most of the time. She stands of average height, perhaps about 5'6 or so, carrying herself well when she moves. Her flesh is lightly tanned, kissed by the sun from the many years of running with the gangs on the street. Four ear rings adorn her left ear, two more upon the right, composed of small, goldeny hoops. The Galliard's hair falls down just past her shoulders. Once brown and red streaked to those who's seen her before. Now, pale blonde with slightly darkened roots.
Her clothing consists of a pair of baggy, over sized camoflauge pants. Black, green, and brown patterns splashed along the fabric. A tight fitting sports bra hug her upper frame, revealing the curves of her upper body, flat stomach and lean arms. She wears a golden hoop in her navel. Knee high boots travel up her legs, firmly laced in each hole. Finishing off, she has a worn, dusty old black trench coat which hangs just below her knees. Her tongue ring is almost always seen, clicking in thought, or when she speaks with that ghetto accent of hers.
Kaz snorts in her sleep, and then turns over, blinking slightly at the noise. Then she sits up, blinking even more. "Whoa, mass ingress. 'Sup?"
==Tobin==
Sharp, aquiline features dominate this pale young man's face, belying a pure blood-line many generations old. One day, he will be very handsome, but now it looks like all the pieces don't fit quite right together. This situation might be helped if he smiled more, but smiling doesn't seem to be something Tobin is much interested in. Lank, chin-length black hair frames clear blue eyes which are as sharp as the rest of his face. He looks to be about 16 or 17, and is not very tall at 5'5", though he may still add height as he gets older. However, his lack of height does little to dampen the presence he brings to a room. He has a wiry build, somewhat awkward but not without its grace. Sometimes he seems sure of himself and proud, carrying himself with a dignity not normally found in people his age. Most of the time, however, he is wary and seems frightened.
He's dressed in an odd combination of fashion and utility. Starting with a dirty white button-down shirt and black slacks, over the shirt he's wearing a trendily cut black suit jacket that looks like it came from Hot Topic. Enveloping this ensemble is a black floor-length duster that must have been very nice once but is now scuffed and worn. Equally worn hiking boots adorn his feet. Occassionally glimpsed underneath the duster is a small, primitive-looking drum hanging from his left hip. He's got a large, expensive-looking hiking backpack on, and is carrying a walking stick a little taller than he is. The top of the stick is wrapped with leather cord and has a variety of rocks, crystals, and feathers dangling from it on yet more leather cords.
Jervis nods. "Hi Soph." He looks to the newcomer, and smiles warmly. "Hi."
Sophia smiles at Kaz's snorting. "Hi, Kaz. This is our new cub, Amanda. A Ragabash. Amanda, this is... well, I'll let them introduce themselves, but they're all family, so it's cool to talk."
Dizzy nods to Jervis and the others, stuffing her glasses into her coat, "Hello. Call me Dizzy, please."
Kaz blinks, and runs a hand through her hair. "You want mine with all the bells an' whistles, or just the kinda terse version?"
Alicia stretches her arms up shamelessly and yawns, then drops them down. Her hair is tied back and sweaty, matted to her head. "Hey there Dizz'ay." She drawls. "Ah'm Alicia, Or, Guards-The-Flame, Children of Gaia and Galliard. Nice ta' meetcha."
Jervis smirks. "Why 'Dizzy'?" He then notices Tobin, and his stick. "Christ, dude, do the stairs _really_ count as hiking?"
Tobin scowls at Jervis, and says acidly, "Not for me, but I thought I'd bring the stick down for you in case you needed help getting back upstairs." In a more normal tone, and without the scowl, mostly, he continues, "I was going to go for a walk in the woods."
Dizzy is quite surprised at the state these people are in, but at least its not more little girls in biker jackets. To Kaz she replies, "Whatever you feel more comfortable with." She turns to Alicia and gives her a fake smile, "Hello." And finally, she answers Jervis's question, "Because, Amanda is what Dads and mom call me. Everyone else calls me Dizzy."
Jervis rolls his eyes somewhat, and mutters something about "Linus and his fucking blanket" under his breath. He then recollects himself and turns to the new guests.
Sophia elbows the new cub and whispers something to her, irked.
Alicia gives a quick smile back to Amanda, watching her eyes the entire time. She studies the new girl, then clears her throat, almost as if she has come to a conclusion.
Sophia whispers "Be nice. These people are family."
Tobin scowls at Jervis, muttering, "I heard that..." before turning to study the newest cub himself.
Kaz says, "Works f'me. Hold that thought." She heads kitchenwards briefly to get a glass of water, and then, once she gulps it down, ambles back in. "I'm Kaz. Ears, t'Garou. Ear-to-the-Ground, for those as wants formal names. Bone Gnawer and Galliard. Alpha of Trouble, and daughter of 'Hood. He's a raccoon," she clarifies. "An'," she adds, regarding Dizzy through her hair, watching her reactions, "Metis. An', y'know, good t'meet you."
Dizzy has already concluded what she thinks of Alicia and doesn't give her a second look. She listens to Kaz's introduction and cocks her head to the side at the unfamilliar word. "Metis?" she asks.
Kaz looks from Dizzy to Alicia and back again. "Riiight," she mutters, and leaves it be. "Sophia, you wan' me to explain this, or you wanna take it?"
Thats quite alright, Alicia has a better fashion sense. Pfft. The Gaian drops her eyes away from the girl and casts a quick look over to Sophia. Shrugging, she waves to the others and makes her way to the front door to finish off the rest of her jog. "Luna light your pathways home."
Sophia grimaces a little as if Diz has made a faux pas. "I, uh... I think maybe you should take this one. I don't want to, uh... say something wrong or anything." She waves to Alicia with a bright smile, returning her gaze to Kaz.
Tobin just continues to watch and listen, deliberately staying silent, maybe hoping he won't be noticed.
Jervis looks on the interplay between Alicia and Dizzy, and then smiles, opening his book again, and dog-earing a page before putting it back to rest on the table.
Alicia leaves through the front door. You can hear the screen door swing shut again with a clatter.
Kaz says, "Well, I dunno, this is one've those things that th' tribe kinda dictates opinions on. An' believe me, you ain't gonna offend me. But if you want, I'll take it anyways. So," she starts, and then stops. "You gotten th' Litany, yet, Dizzy?"
Dizzy looks from Kaz to Sophia, then back to Kaz. It's another thing she probably should have known, but didnt, probably.
Dizzy nods, listening now, "The thirteen rules? Yeah, we've gone over it a couple of times."
Jervis nods and smiles, empathy somehow creeping through his body language.
Sophia nods to Kaz. "Yep. She did. I went over it last night with all the cubs together. But they didn't get much of a chance to ask a whole lot of questions."
Kaz finds her hat and stuffs it on her head. "Well, a metis is a violation of the first law. My folks were both Garou, an' went an' gave int' their hormones, and poof, we got me. An' while bein' me is a perfectly good thing, an' all that, metis in /general/ aren't real hot shit. We're sterile, we all got some kinda deformities, an' basically, we ain't as good in th' fight f'Gaia as a normal Garou is. So, y'know, keep y'hormones t'y'self, basically."
Dizzy ahs, nodding, now undstanding something Roger had said to her. She turns to her roommate and asks, "Roger is one too, isn't he?"
Sophia nods. "Old sourpuss? That's right."
Kaz snorts. "Yeah. He'd be one've us. He's, uh, kinda whacko. But he does ok, most've the time."
Jervis smiles. "-with a very large gun." he adds to 'old sourpuss' as soon as he hears it.
Dizzy turns back to Kaz, now enlightened. "He said something about being a mule. By the look of his appartment I figured he meant, like, a pack horse."
Kaz shakes her head. "Nope. Mule in the 'no kids from ME' sense. Which, y'know, I'd be a shitty parent anyways."
Sophia wrinkles her nose. "Aw, come on, Kaz. All those folks around you all the time? You'd make as good of a mama as you are an alpha." She turns to Dizzy and explains, "Alpha is another word for leader, see."
Dizzy nodnods, it makes sense. The alpha is the lead wolf, and we're all wolves. "So, what tribe are the cubs here?" she asks, towards Sophia, but not really asking just her.
Jervis glances at Tobin briefly. "Silver Fang. They've gone over the tribes with you yet, or no?"
Kaz tilts her head at Sophia. "Y'think? I think I ain't got the patience for some baby bawlin' at me..." She trails off, and raises her eyebrow at the two Fang cubs. "Lotta tribes. Though these guys're both th' same one... An' I'm s'prised they ain't introduced 'emselves already, you'd think Brit'd bash their brains in on that front."
Tobin resists the juvenile urge to stick his tongue out at Jervis when he's not looking, and just nods, "Yes, Jervis and I are both Silver Fangs."
Dizzy admits, "Only a little, Glass Walkers and Stargazers, and I've heard of Gnawers, er Bone Gnawers I guess."
Sophia smiles at the boys. "You wouldn't know they're tribesmates to look at them, would you?"
Tobin /does/ stick his tongue out at Sophia after that comment.
Dizzy grins at Sophia, "Yeah..."
Jervis simply makes an exaggerated shrug, which becomes even more exaggerated and defeated looking when he notices Tobin with his tongue splurted out.
Kaz suggests, "Y'all wanna maybe explain Fangs? I mean, it'll give you somethin' t'do other than annoyin' each other."
Jervis perks a little, and says, "Oh, I'm sorry--geeze. I'm Jervis Michaels, by the way." He leans forward in chair, offering a hand. "That's Tobin." he says, as he waits for it to be shook.
Dizzy shakes Jervis's hand lightly. "Nice to meet you," she says with a genuine smile.
Sophia watches the newer cubs with silent interest, amused.
Tobin blinks at having been noticed by the adult in the room and shapes up a bit, "Um, of course, yes." He steps off the last step and towards Dizzy, offering his hand as well, "Tobin, Silver Fang cub and Theurge." He glances at Jervis, "You want to tell her or shall I?"
Kaz flops back onto the couch. "I oughta mention, there's some higher up types that'd be kinda pissed if you didn't introduce y'self right off, s'don' go doin' what y'did with her with any've them."
From the kitchen with a bottle of Coca-Cola in hand is Helen, shashaying into the living room. Both brows lift as she declares, as if everyone was so incredibly stupid not to notice, "Well, lot of people here. And late, too. Hi."
==Helen==
A first glance would declare that this girl is into the gothic style: all black. Thank God she doesn't wear black lipstick, because it would look most terrible on her pretty high-cheekboned pale olive skinned face. Tiny, this young woman isn't: she is well-built, tall and slender with wide-set features that proclaim pure Greek heritage. Thin lips are coated in a dark red lipstick, dark as blood. Her hair is almost pitch black, ebon black, the kind of black that is the night sky at midnight. Scraggly and let loose most of the time, her hair falls about beneath her chest, tapered off in split ends that she doesn't seem to mind of. There are bright red streaks that look like dark blood in her hair, giving a tint of sadism to her demeanor. A well-defined chin and perpetually arched dark brows complete the look; there's a little mark upon her left eyebrow that seems to be healing, the result of a piercing. Her ears are pierced, five times in the left and seven in the right, but only three are usually seen with the studs or dangly-earrings or what have you in them.
She looks like she's eighteen or nineteen, and a very attractive one at that. She's got the almost regal bearing and could pose as some gothic model for a place like Hot Topic, but apparently she doesn't. Long slender fingers are donned in various rings with designs and such on them, but it's only on the right hand. Her torso is dressed in a tight fitting black t-shirt with a red, sparkling Playboy Bunny head. There is no text there: just that image. Low-waisted denim cargo pants is what she wears on her legs, and her feet are donned in height-elevating black sandals. There's something odd that is hung 'round her neck: a black leather strap with a black rock dangling from it. It's vaguely circular, this rock, and obviously must be of some strange, meaningful possession.