Currently the moon is in the waxing Gibbous Moon phase (61% full).
Currently in Saint Claire, it is partly sunny. The temperature is 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the northeast at 6 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.03 and falling, and the relative humidity is 58 percent. The dewpoint is 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius.)
It is currently 16:15 Pacific Time on Sun Jul 29 2001.
Roach Motel: Bachelorette Pad(#4128RAJ$)
Small, but inviting, this little apartment is clearly dwelling of a person who spends a lot of time at home. The sitting area has a reclining chair with heating, massage, and built in stereo speakers. The sofa is big enough to fit two comfortably. The home entertainment center is overloaded with scores of books. Titles like "Rescuing the Bible From Middle America" or "Zarathustra: Modernism in Antiquity" can be seen here, along with dozens of dime-store paperbacks. Though the TV set and all its accompanying equipment take up quite as much space as the books, the electronics are somewhat dwarfed by the quantity of reading material. A fine writing table and a computer desk are crowded in, the computer powered up and humming softly. Two swivelling office chairs sit nearby, at attention. The walls are decorated with nature scenes, among them a well-rendered image of a pack of wolves howling at a full moon.
The kitchen looks as if it might never have been cooked in. A small microwave on the counter is still blinking "12:00", no one having bothered to set the clock. Beside it is an electric can opener. The only evidence of use is a single glass in the stainless steel sink and a few fast-food bags in the trashcan. The sole decoration on the refrigerator is a postcard bearing a photograph of a monstrous, grimy power plant with "Come to Hanford!" printed on the bottom in fluorescent green.
Through a door opposite the kitchen, the tiny bedroom looks slightly more lived-in. On top of a black particle-board dresser sit a hairbrush, a few hair-ties, and several plastic hairclips, along with a small pile of cheap costume jewelry. A frame designed to hold several of snapshots is hung squarely on the wall. One bed is made, a bright yellow bedspread bravely trying to cheer up the room. Another is made half-heartedly, the bedspread just carelessly tossed over the top, as if to humor someone.
Having come up to her room and realizing that there was really nothing _to_ do, Dizzy is lounging on the couch, reading one of her roommate's books that she snagged from the entertainment center. She's not really into it though, and shifts uncomfortably in the couch as she reads.
Sophia walks in and glances at her roommate, an odd, curious look spreading over her face. Amusement in her voice, she asks, "Saving the Bible From Fundamentalism? Uh... that's a little heavy for a Sunday afternoon read, don't you think? Maybe you'd prefer something a little lighter... a textbook, perhaps?" She walks over and thumps the back of the book, saying, "C'mon. Since we're sort of free now, let's celebrate, and go do something fun."
Dizzy slowly lowers the book and is obviously still not pleased, having spent her time up her brooding on the recent happenings downstairs. "Since we're free? Did I miss a memo?"
Sophia tilts her head, studying Dizzy's face. "You're not kidding, are you? You need to start paying more attention in training, sis. You're losin' it! Didn't you hear Daisy say I count as a reasonable escort for leaving the house?"
Dizzy dops the book onto the couch, apparently she _did_ miss the memo. "No, I didn't hear that," she admits, "We can actually go out, then?"
Sophia shakes her head and laughs. "Yeah. Well, y'know, you four still need escorts. But it's not like I'm gonna boss you around unless the need comes up, y'know? Plus... I can't believe you didn't hear this... Daisy said you and Corey had almost earned your priveleges back, too. You honestly didn't hear her? No... c'mon. You're pulling my chain."
Dizzy grins, pleased at what she's hearing, "So, where are we going? The store? The coffeeshop? The park?"
Sophia walks over to the window to check the weather. "How about a real quick stop at the coffeeshop and then out to Lake Arthur? Or into the woods or something? Park's cool too, if you prefer. Somewhere we can feel the sun."
Dizzy jumps off of the couch and hurries into the bedroom. "Well, let me get my coat and my hat. Ooo, where did I leave my sunglasses? Are we going to be taking the car? Here they are."
Sophia thinks about this for a little while. "Well... Hmm. I could blade, I guess, if you don't want to take the car. It's up to you, really. I guess I'd rather ride. It does look a little chilly, so. And if we're going to Lake Arthur, we definitely want to drive."
Dizzy comes out, hat and sunglasses already on and still in the process of putting her jacket on. "Driving is just fine. I really don't mind."
Sophia grins. "Lemme get ready. We still hafta wait for Corey and all, so don't trip over yourself hurrying so much."
Dizzy blinks, finally getting her jacket on, "What does Corey have to do to get ready?" She pauses and heads into the bathroom to make sure she looks alright.
Sophia shrugs, clueless. "Hell if I know. You know how guys are. Always dawdling." Slowly, she moves into the bedroom, pulling on her boots and making sure she has everything she needs in her backpack. She pokes Samantha to wake her up. "You coming, doggie?" The dog looks up as if this is the most incredible thing that's ever happened to her. Going outside? Really?
Dizzy says, from the bathroom, just trying to create conversation, "What did Kit want to see you about, by the way. Last night. Or do you not know?"
Sophia ruffs up the dog's hair and says, "I don't know. I still don't know why she came over in the first place. You know she thinks Jeremy took advantage of /her/? I find that pretty hard to believe, myself."
A sarcastic laugh comes from the bathroom. "Yeah, right. I belive that," Dizzy says, stepping out, straightening her jacket out.
Sophia nods. "I mean... you've /seen/ her, right? She just doesn't look like the type that would let a guy like Jer..." Soph breaks up into giggles, unable to continue.
"Yeah, I have seen her," Dizzy says, disgusted.
Sophia rolls her eyes. "Are you back on that whole beauty thing again? I thought you were over that. When are you gonna see it's not how you look but how you carry yourself? And you carry yourself just fine!"
Dizzy shakes her head, "It's not that. She seemed to revel in the fact that she's the center of all the hubbub around here lately. I was like, excuse me, who are you again?"
Sophia chuckles. "I know what you mean. She's self-centered, right? I noticed that too. But all in all, I really think she's Ok. Just a little egotistical."
There's a soft rapping at the door.
Dizzy goes over to the door and knocks on it, "What's the secret password?"
Sophia slings her backpack onto her back and signals to Samantha that it's time to go.
There's a moment of confused silence, then Corey's voice answers, "The hawk flies at midnight. Or is it 'please'?"
Dizzy giggles and opens the door, "I'm sorry, that's wrong. I'm afraid I'm going to have to take care of you now. Sam, git'im!"
The dog looks up at Dizzy, then at Corey. After a brief glance at Sophia to ask permission, she lunges for Corey, trying to knock him down so she can lick his face.
Samantha succeeds admirably as Corey falls backward under the slobber assault. "Ech. Sam! I'd prefer to go out on a first date before kissing!" He mock-struggles to get her off of him. "Help! Help! I'm being eaten alive!"
Dizzy giggles and steps over the mess of cub and kin into the hall. "Okayokay, let's get going, guys."
Sophia giggles as Samantha sits on Corey, claiming him. "C'mon, Sam. Leave it. Let's go." The dog leaps up and is down the stairs, waiting by the front door within seconds.
Corey gets up, wiping his face. "Do we have a plan for where to go?" he asks as he starts down the stairs himself.
Dizzy shrugs, tackling the stairs, "Sophie suggested going out to a lake or something."
Walker Safe House(#2832RAJ)
This small tenement building is a work that any interior decorator would be proud of. The building is somehow filled with light and space, despite the fact that the room is far from large. Mirrored surfaces and lush green potted plants are much in evidence - jarring only slightly with the video cameras that perch unobtrusively in various locations. A small sign on the wall lists the number of apartments upstairs as eight, though there are no names next to the apartment numbers. A very thick door leads downstairs, with no visible method of being opened - except a keypad next to it. A monitor is perched above the entrance, showing images from the hidden camera that watches the outside of the building.
The lobby branches off into what appears to be a small recreation room; for use only by residents and their guests. Much like the rest of the building, mirrors are prominent. There is a pool table set up in one half of the room, along with a small fridge for storing drinks and a cabinet for snackables. The remainder is dominated by a large home theater system, with an incredibly expensive-looking couch in front of it. The couch nearly screams out, 'Don't spill anything'. For those who might, there are also two matching side-chairs, and a bean-bag on the floor - far too close to the television to be good for anyone's eyes.
Sophia shrugs. "I just want to be outside. Lake, Woods, Park, I don't care."
Corey holds up a finger. "One moment. As long as we don't have any real destination in mind, mind if I go loop? I've been trying to learn how to run like that in here, but there's just not enough room."
"You should probably shift now then," Dizzy suggests, "We'll be taking the car, but you can get the practice once we arrive."
Sophia nods. "Sounds ok to me. Just act like a dog, y'know, so it doesn't look weird."
Corey nods and drops to all fours, shifting through the forms until he gets to the other end of the scale. He sneezes once, then bounds in place and chuffs. I'm ready.
Dizzy makes it to the front door and opens it up, holding it for the other cubs. "Freedom awaits," she announces.
Sophia grins and bounds through it, Samantha by her side.
Regan Avenue, Downtown
Tenements, small businesses, and tiny restaurants line the street. Heavy metal bars encase the glass fronts of the stores. Battered cars, almost falling apart with rust, are parked haphazardly here and there along the sidewalks. People travel in groups, here, wary of the small gangs of young boys at street corners. Several blocks have the same dull repetitiveness, from Fifth Street all the way to Twelfth. Only the graffiti marks a difference between the blocks, the occasional rudeness sometimes broken up by light colors and strange designs.
Nails shoots out of the door like he was launched from a ballista and comes to a halt by the Beetle.
Dizzy takes out her car keys and, with a push of a button, simultaniously deactivates the alarm and unlocks the doors. She goes around to the driver's side and gets in.
VW Beetle(#2391aet$)
You are sitting inside a bright yellow Volkswagen New Beetle. The interior is grey perforated leather and fairly clean. There are a bunch of CDs sitting in a tray inbetween the front seats below the center console with three front beverage holders. There is one rear beverage holder, color coordinated front seatback magazine/storage pockets, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and power windows that can all be operated and locked from the driver's seat.
Sophia opens the passenger door, holding it open so Samantha and Nails can get in.
Nails clambers into the rear seat and pokes his muzzle toward the left side of Dizzy's headrest, preparatory to sticking his nose out the window. I've always wondered what dogs see in this.
Once everyone is in, Dizzy starts the car up and glances over at her roommate. "Where to?" she asks.
After Samantha leaps up and into the backseat, Sophia climbs in herself. "Where to? Um... Dunno. Coffee Shop? Pizza parlor? Up to you."
Dizzy looks back at Nails, "I know you spoke out against coffee earlier, not that we can really take dogs in there."
Nails thinks it won't be a problem. Act good doggie. Wait outside, if need.
Sophia grins. "How about a quick stop at McDonald's, and burgers for all, then to the park?"
Dizzy nods, and pulls out into the street, "Sounds good to me."
Dizzy steps on the gas and heads towards west.
Regan Avenue West, Downtown
For two or three blocks, between Thirteenth and Fifteenth Streets, red-brick apartment buildings alternate with the occasional small, struggling side garden or a small business. A pizza parlor decorates the corner of one intersection, and a relatively prosperous deli takes up space at another. Along one street, a fire station interrupts the other buildings, small but obviously in good condition from frequent need. Graffiti shows on sidewalks and on a few of the buildings, but is not prevalent. The road has been paved sometime within the last few years, to judge by the lack of potholes.
Dizzy pulls up to the squawkbox at the local McDonalds. "Okay, what do you g... want, Sophie?" She slinks down a bit in her seat, embarressed that she almost blew it.
Sophia giggles a little, covering her mouth. "Three Big Macs for me, and a Coke. And some ice water. Two ice waters. And super-sized fries."
Nails tries asking Samantha if she wants anything, curious how close wolf-dog language is.
Samantha leans on Nails. There's a sly look in her eye, as if she could communicate more if she chose. All she says is: Food is good. Any food.
"Hello and welcome to McDonalds," a voice says from the menu-sign, "May I take your order?"
Dizzy grins and yells out of her window. "Yeah, can I get two cheese burgers, three Big Macs, two cokes, and two ice waters. Oh, and two supersized fries."
Nails can't help but notice the leaning, but so far thinks nothing of it. He attempts to make small talk with Sam while the order's being processed. Smelled any good scents lately?
Samantha pants, a bit of a twinkle in her eye. Not much. You?
The order is rattled back to Dizzy, and upon confermation, she is advised to pull up to the next window to pay and receive her order.
Nails, disquieted for no reason he understands yet, breaks off the canine conversation.
Sophia turns to check on the dogs. Seeing the expression on Samantha's face, she rolls her eyes. "I don't think you're his type, girl. Sorry."
Dizzy pays the cashier and giggles at Sophia's comment, waiting for the food to be handed over.
Nails looks suddenly between Sophia and Samantha, comprehension dawning. At least there's no wet-long-thin food here.
Sophia pulls her wallet out of her backpack, still chuckling at the idea of Corey and Samantha, a couple. "Spaghetti?" she asks. "Like in that Disney movie? Well. We do have french fries..." Samantha leans a little harder, obstinate.
Dizzy recieves the food and starts to hand bags to her roommate to hold, "Check to make sure it's all in there."
Nails regards Samantha, and sniffs a few times. His nose mostly gets overloaded by the greasy McD's smell from the bags and pokes his muzzle forward to examine more closely.
Sophia goes through the bags, one by one, making sure everything is there. She looks at the drinks and smiles. "Yep. It's all here." She pulls a ten out of her wallet and slaps it on the dashboard. "We gonna eat on the way, or wait till we get there?"
Dizzy eyes the bill with suspicion. "What's that for?" She asks, as she drives back out into the street.
Nails lays back in the seat once the car starts moving again, not wanting to get thrown there later.
Sophia shrugs. "It's to help with the food. I get allowance in in a couple days, and I've still got some left. So. You don't have to pay for everything."
"Allowance?" Dizzy asks, keeping her eyes on the road, "Who do you get an allowance from?"
Regan Avenue, Downtown
Tenements, small businesses, and tiny restaurants line the street. Heavy metal bars encase the glass fronts of the stores. Battered cars, almost falling apart with rust, are parked haphazardly here and there along the sidewalks. People travel in groups, here, wary of the small gangs of young boys at street corners. Several blocks have the same dull repetitiveness, from Fifth Street all the way to Twelfth. Only the graffiti marks a difference between the blocks, the occasional rudeness sometimes broken up by light colors and strange designs.
Sophia looks at Dizzy, confused, "My... mom?"
Nails reminds himself, should have stayed two-leg. Must look at Weaver-paper-getting box.
Dizzy blinks, "Oh. from the postcard, I didn't know how much contact you still had with your parents."
Regan Avenue East, Downtown
Red brick buildings rise, some of them crumbling from disrepair and disuse, others patched together by repairs. Graffiti covers some of the walls near street level, some rude, most crude, but the occasional drawing is meant for a lighter-hearted reaction. The graffiti becomes a colorful, almost gaudy mural at the western end of the district, an announcement of the Regan Hope Project's presence. Trash litters the majority of the gutters, from Harbor Park in the east across to just before the Regan Hope Project's domain, where the trash is less prevalent and the buildings less run-down. Small shops with apartments in the floors above them span a block here and corners there: delis, second-hand clothes, textiles, small restaurants, a grocery store. Sandwiched between the buildings are weed-choked empty lots.
Sophia shrugs. "I don't talk to them much, but they still send the money. I'm too young to work, so. She doesn't want me to be a burden on the tribe. I don't get a whole /lot/ of money, granted. But it's enough to pay for McDonald's, y'know?"
Dizzy says, "Still, you should keep the money for clothes and necessities."
Nails listens to the conversation up front, and tries very much not to think about the fact he's currently a male canine and in a back seat with a female canine.
Sophia shrugs yet again. "These clothes are bound on now. I won't need any more for a while. And like I said, I get more in a couple days. Sure, I splurged and bought some new threads, but since I've been stuck in the house I haven't had much opportunity to spend my money, y'know? Also, not eating out every single day helps."
Harbor Park Meadow(#194RJ)
One of the last bastions of green left in the city, occasionally mottled and withered grass and weeds covers the earth like a badly stained carpet. The vegetation seems marginally healthier the further it is from the river and much healthier towards the central area of the park around the fountain. Overpowering the scent of living vegetation are the exhaust fumes from a busy street to the west and an unpleasant stench from the Columbia River to the east. A rusted chain link fence delineates the territorial boundaries between the park and the encroaching city. Unchecked hedges and vines interweave through the fence, as if the park wanted to distance itself from the city--or the local community wanted to distance itself from the eerie park. Despite the foliage, the majority of the open meadow is easily seen. People in tall buildings or on boats have an excellent view of any goings-ons. In the center of the park, a small glade of six tall trees and a flower bed surrounds a lovely... plywood barricade.
The murky waters of the Columbia River flow swiftly along the east side of the park. Bracketing the park to the west is First Street and the city of St. Claire.
Dizzy parks the car. "Still," she says, "You should save your money."
Sophia says "Ok," but leaves the money on the dash anyway. She opens the door and goes about gathering her backpack and the McDonald's bags. Once this is accomplished, she leans the seat forward so the dogs can hop out.
Nails nudges Samantha out the door before clambering out himself. He does a full-body stretch, then shakes himself and starts investigating the nearest interesting-smelling item, which happens to be one of the vines near the gate.
Dizzy gets out of the car, grabbing the drinks first. She closes her door with her foot and walks around to the other side.
Samantha, too, investigates the nearest interesting-smelling item, which happens to be Nails. Sophia finds a reasonable place to sit down and just folds herself into a ball as she drops to the ground. "Soup's on! Come and get it!" she yells, mostly to the dogs.
Nails stops checking out the vines and trots over to Sophia, and possibly more importantly, the food.
Dizzy follows her roommate and sets down the drinks near here. Looking around first for a nice clean space to sit, Dizzy soon gives up and squats down instead.
Sophia reaches into one of the bags, picks out a french fry, and pops it into her mouth. This done, she starts passing out the food in the bags, unwrapping the BigMacs for the two canines and handing the cheeseburgers over to Dizzy. The fries are pulled out carefully to keep them from spilling, but Sophia just pours her order out on the ground in front of Samantha and Nails. "She calls herself Red, by the way, in case you didn't know," she tells Nails with a grin as she puts the fry container back in an empty bag.
Dizzy thanks her roommate and unwraps one of the cheeseburgers. "I am _so_ glad we're outside again."
Nails chows down on one of the Big Macs, but keeps his gaze mostly on Sophia. He's not sure if what she says is part of a grand joke at his expense, and his doubt clearly shows in his posture.
Samantha peers over at Nails, grabbing a french fry or ten and sitting down to munch on them. Yes. Red, because I am. This one I call Spot, because she is. And you? Why are you Nails?
Dizzy munches on her burger silently, listening to the canine conversation.
Nails sits and swallows a bite of burger, and attempts to figure out how to answer this. It is for some two-leg words that mean... he pauses, evidently working on an analogy. Words that mean to move straight for prey. Find the heart. Spot gave this one Hits-the-Nail-on-the-Head.
Sophia nods. "That's right. Because when he speaks, he finds the right way to describe difficult things. We need to think of a new one for Dizzy. Spins-In-Circles was never meant to stick to her."
"Spins-In-Circles is kind of funny, I think," Dizzy says, "It's cute."
Nails nips a few fries before Sam consumes them. Mother-Hen? he suggests jokingly, wagging his tail and grinning. Protects-others-from-themselves? Guards-clothes-sense? He makes no move to run if someone chooses to swat him.
Samantha whuffles, amused. Why not just call you Dizzy? A short name is good for barking across the house. She devours half of her BigMac in one bite, shaking it so that the rest will fall to the ground. Sophia looks slightly peeved when a piece of lettuce hits her shoulder, but she just whisks it off and says nothing, biting into her own burger with slightly less mess.
Dizzy giggles at Corey's suggestions, repeating, "Protects-others-from-themselves, heh, that's pretty funny. But Sam is right, it is a little long to be shouting across a distance."
Nails finishes off his burger, and lays down. This will take some thinking. With that, he closes his eyes and seemingly begins to doze.
Sophia sets down her burger and reaches into the Bag O' Stuff. She pulls out a bright green tennis ball and tosses it lightly so that it glances off of Nails's head and rolls away. Samantha leaps up to follow it, jumping swiftly over Nails as she goes. Sophia then retrieves her burger and takes a big bite, smiling as Sam pounces on the ball.
Dizzy finishes her first burger, crumples it up and tosses it at her roommate's head, a grin on her face as she does so. She picks up the other cheeseburger and unwraps it, planning to eat it next.
Suddenly wide awake, Nails looks around hurriedly. Who what huh? What hit me? He looks up at the sky accusingly, as if it might be dropping tennis balls on his head. When the clouds fail to own up, he looks around once more and sees Sam pouncing a suspicious round object. He gets up and walks over to investigate.
Sophia scowls, not when the wrapper hits her head, but when it hits the ground. "Don't make a mess," she grunts, picking up the trash and putting it in one of the empty bags. Samantha retrieves the ball, drops it in front of Sophia, and goes about attacking the rest of her burger. You're too slow, cutey. Move faster.
Dizzy picks up her previously untouched drink and holds it out as if it were a deadly weapon. She teases, "Oh, Spot, whatch it. I'm unstable and I've got a deadly weapon. Actually, you need a better name than Spot. Teaches-others or Holds-the-world-on-her-shoulders."
Nails pads up to Sophia and noses her leg, jaws parted in silent laughter. Lights-the-fools'-way.
Sophia giggles and rolls her eyes at these suggestions, but the tint in her cheeks suggests she's flattered. "I kinda liked Disobedient-Fool, myself. But anyway." After being urged by Samantha, she picks up the ball and tosses it, farther this time so it will provide a good run. Samantha, naturally, takes off after it.
Dizzy smiles at the male cub, "That's a good one." She looks up to her roommate and takes a bite of her cheese burger. Shaking her head while she chews, she continues after swallowing, "Nah, what kind of image would people think of you with the deed name, Disobediant-Fool?"
Nails twists around and chases after the ball -- and thus, after Samantha. Mine mine mine mine MINE! An offhand observer would be hard-pressed to understand which one he means to claim. He's just a hair too slow again, goes tumbling when he forgets how to make a turn at speed, and comes back at a trot after righting himself.
Sophia giggles at the spectacle the dogs are making. As Samantha slows to make herself easier to catch, her giggle grows to a full belly-laugh, head rolled back and hand pressed against collarbone. When Samantha finally gives up and drops the ball, Sophia begins to laugh so hard she has to set the burger down or it will go flying.
Sophia's giggling must be contagious because her roommate starts in, setting her burger in her lap and covering her mouth so she doesn't spew little burgerbits.
Nails stops as he pulls alongside Samantha. Why stop here? He grabs the ball from where she dropped it and bounces around her in a circle, taunting her to take it away from him.
Samantha, naturally, is happy to oblige. She snatches the ball and runs back toward the girls, more than a hint of a prance in the way she moves. "Don't you think Lights-The-Fools'-Way is a tad pretensious, for a cub?" Sophia asks, liking the name but not wanting to sound conceited by using it.
Dizzy shakes her head, "Nah. You've been doing so hard to try and point the rest of us cubs in the right direction, reguardless of how we act."
It takes a moment for Nails to realize he no longer has the ball. He stands there blinking stupidly for two seconds, then tears off after Sam. Hey! How did you do that?
Samantha stops in front of Nails, her posture indicating that she wants him to try. Anytime he tries to move for the ball, of course, she moves slightly to one side or the other, trying to teach him to dodge. Sophia, over by Dizzy, just blushes and looks away. She decides, silently, to use the name next time she introduces herself, assuming she can find the courage.
Dizzy grins, watching Samantha tease the younger ragabash. She leans over and whispers something to her roommate.
Dizzy whispers, "Don't they make a cute couple?" to Sophia.
Nails bounces left and right a few times, judging Sam's reactions on each leap. Finally he fakes a bounce to the left and lunges forward, snapping his jaws around the ball as he runs away with Sam in pursuit. The game continues with the roles reversed, and while Nails has picked up a few moves, Samantha is more clearly in her element at take-away.
Sophia nods at Dizzy, pleased. "And more importantly, she can give him some hints about being sneaky. I talked to Kaz, by the way. She's going to try to come by, bring people for you guys to meet while I'm away. She's real busy, but she's happy to do what she can."
Dizzy nods, "That's cool. I think she was on the list of numbers John gave me. I'll give her a call some time."
Roles reverse again. Samantha has started to act giggly. I got it, cutey, whatcha gonna do? Nails appears to have an answer for that as he simply bowls her over this time and makes a grab for the ball. Unfortunately he trips over someone's paws (very probably his own) and collapses next to Red with a short yelp of surprise.
Sophia giggles at the two at play and looks around. "Hey, um... I don't really know if it's good for us to be here after dark. Maybe we should head home, or somewhere safer? What do you think, Dizzy?"
Dizzy tosses the rest of her burger into one of the bags, "That's a good idea. The nasties come out at night, right?" She picks up her soda and stands. She looks over to the two canines, "You two coming or would you rather like some time alone?"
Nails picks his head up and perks his ears at Dizzy. He gets to his feet, grabs the ball and gallops over to the other ragabash, and briefly considers wiping a slimy side along her leg before determining that's not a good idea and giving the ball back to Sophia.
Sophia takes the ball, paying no attention to the slime, and drops it in her backpack. She starts gathering up trash, even going so far as to pick up every scrap left by the dogs, and throws it all away. Samantha follows happily, satisfied from a good day's play. Why would we need to be alone? Dogs have no secrets.
Dizzy chuckles as she helps clean up. She flashes Sophia a grin as Samantha wonders about the need to be alone.
Nails explains to Samantha as they walk back to the gate. Two-legs think hindquarters ugly.
Sophia shrugs. "Modesty is totally foreign to them." She looks sternly at Corey and shakes her finger. "But... young ones shouldn't mate. You wait till... you're grown up." She struggles to find a way to communicate the ban on cub nookie without saying anything dangerous. Samantha whuffles at the cub's explanation, and indicates that she approves of his hindquarters.
Dizzy finds much humor in this whole exchange as indicated by the enormous grin on her face. She quickens to lead the group, so they can't see her extremely amused expression, and so that she can maybe not listen to more. One more humorous comment and she just might burst.
Nails stops and looks up at Sophia, plainly surprised. MATE? He suddenly turns very skittish and leaps sideways, away from Samantha. Whatever else he has to say is in blustered shock. I... Red... us? Mate? Gaaaaaah.
Sophia giggles as she walks toward the car. "What did you think she was after? She's a dog. Dogs don't date. Well... I guess they could, if they really wanted, but... who would pay?"
Dizzy unlocks her car and gets in as quickly as possible. Must... resist... urge to... laugh.
VW Beetle(#2391aet$)
You are sitting inside a bright yellow Volkswagen New Beetle. The interior is grey perforated leather and fairly clean. There are a bunch of CDs sitting in a tray inbetween the front seats below the center console with three front beverage holders. There is one rear beverage holder, color coordinated front seatback magazine/storage pockets, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and power windows that can all be operated and locked from the driver's seat.
Sophia opens the door for the dogs.
From the outside, Nails for his part finds this extremely disturbing. He enters the car without anything else said, and tries to avoid looking at Samantha.
Dizzy starts the car, "Come on, guys. It's getting late."
Sophia shuts the door after Samantha and Nails, buckling her seat belt. Samantha, for her part, haughtily ignores Nails. Too short anyway. Sniff.
Nails finds himself unable to express the questions he wants to ask, so keeps silent and stares out the window.
Dizzy pulls away and starts the drive back home.
Regan Avenue, Downtown
Tenements, small businesses, and tiny restaurants line the street. Heavy metal bars encase the glass fronts of the stores. Battered cars, almost falling apart with rust, are parked haphazardly here and there along the sidewalks. People travel in groups, here, wary of the small gangs of young boys at street corners. Several blocks have the same dull repetitiveness, from Fifth Street all the way to Twelfth. Only the graffiti marks a difference between the blocks, the occasional rudeness sometimes broken up by light colors and strange designs.
Dizzy parks the car in front of the safehouse, turns off the car and unbuckles her seatbelt. "We should do this again," she comments, "Do you have a date when you're going to be running off into the woods, Sophie?"
Sophia opens the passenger door and grabs her backpack, waiting for Nails and Sam to get out before shutting the door. "Not yet. There's a couple things I need to get sorted out before I go." She walks up to the old tenement building and unlocks the door, using her body as a doorstop till the others get through.
Walker Safe House(#2832RAJ)
This small tenement building is a work that any interior decorator would be proud of. The building is somehow filled with light and space, despite the fact that the room is far from large. Mirrored surfaces and lush green potted plants are much in evidence - jarring only slightly with the video cameras that perch unobtrusively in various locations. A small sign on the wall lists the number of apartments upstairs as eight, though there are no names next to the apartment numbers. A very thick door leads downstairs, with no visible method of being opened - except a keypad next to it. A monitor is perched above the entrance, showing images from the hidden camera that watches the outside of the building.
The lobby branches off into what appears to be a small recreation room; for use only by residents and their guests. Much like the rest of the building, mirrors are prominent. There is a pool table set up in one half of the room, along with a small fridge for storing drinks and a cabinet for snackables. The remainder is dominated by a large home theater system, with an incredibly expensive-looking couch in front of it. The couch nearly screams out, 'Don't spill anything'. For those who might, there are also two matching side-chairs, and a bean-bag on the floor - far too close to the television to be good for anyone's eyes.
"Oh, what's that?" Dizzy asks, bowing her head a tad in thanks as she passes her roommate. "If you don't mind me prying." She clicks the button on her keyring in her pocket, causing the car to making a beeping noise.
Nails makes sure the door's been closed before he shifts slowly back to homid, bearing a thoughtful frown on his face. He now gives Samantha a long, appraising look. But he says nothing.
Sophia shuts the door securely and shrugs. "A few things. I need to get the lines of communication open between Hops and the rest of the tribe, for starters. I can't have him getting shot while I'm gone. Second, I want to get a piece. And... let's see. I need to find someone to take care of Samantha, and... that's all I can think of."
"Well, I can take care of Samantha. I'll still be in the appartment while you're gone," Dizzy explains.
Corey seems to be in a trance. He's still looking at Samantha puzzledly. He only murmuringly chips into the conversation, "Yeah, don't want to leave her near me or anything..."
Sophia tilts her head at Corey. "There's nothing wrong with it, y'know. She /is/ kin. And you're half wolf. It's just... cubs aren't allowed." She nods to Dizzy, saying "I was considering that. Or maybe Bernie. It'd be good for her to spend some time around her tribe, y'know?"
Dizzy nods, "Yeah." She looks down at Samantha, "Would you rather stay with me, or Bernie, Sam?"
Corey takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly. After three repetitions, he's thinking a little more clearly. "But isn't it like -- oh, damn, what's the word, saw it all the time with sickos on the internet. Starts with a 'b', I think..." He shakes his head and walks back to the rec room to search the fridge for something to drink.
Samantha watches Corey as he walks into the other room. I want to stay here. With Dizzy and Nails. "No, Corey. It isn't beastiality. Is it if a lupus Garou mates with a human? I mean, not /in/ lupus, of course. But y'know. Anyway, it's, like... not her season. So don't even worry about it," Sophia says.
Dizzy starts to wander towards the stairs, "I'm going upstairs, if anyone needs me."
Corey hesitates, glancing over the counter. He doesn't have an answer to that, but this is still one aspect of the situation he had completely failed to take into consideration.
Sophia moves into the rec room, plopping down in the almighty beanbag. "You're half wolf, I'm telling you."