Currently the moon is in the waning Half Moon phase (53% full).
Currently in Saint Claire, it is clear outside. The temperature is 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the north at 6 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 29.90 and rising, and the relative humidity is 60 percent. The dewpoint is 49 degrees Fahrenheit (9 degrees Celsius.)
It is currently 21:54 Pacific Time on Sun Sep 9 2001.
Lane(#300RJ)
Stretching a good quarter mile from the road, this gravel lane leads back to the Escrowe farm. Trees line the lane, leaves filling out on the limbs to fill the sky with fresh green clouds. In the distance, the farmhouse looms above the treetops, gleaming white as the snow from its yearly coat of paint. Silence prevails here, save for the rustling of the tall grasses in the fields when the wind blows.
The front entrance to the farmhouse is on the porch alongside the gravelled road which continues on around the eastern side of the house back to the barnyard. The opposite end of the lane turns back west to empty out onto Sunrise Road.
It's getting late, by the time the van gets out of the city, and obviously more rural territory. John drives with a faintly bored air. Just another 'admin' thing to do. He looks over his shoulder, at one point, to check on Dizzy, then goes back to watching the road. "Farmhouse is really a cubhouse for the more woodsy Garou. Kind of an information trading post, too. News between woods and city. Needless to say. I don't need to go there, often."
Francisco, watching the scenery go by--wow, -trees-, check that out--asks, "Not much information trade between them, then?"
Dizzy is fooling around with the palm pilot that Jeremy gave to her, poking at it idly with the stylus. "It's a good place to meet random garou, as well," she adds without looking up.
John shakes his head a little. "More like giving information. Sometimes find folks to do things. But it's amazing how many people out there are ignorant of the blights we have in the city, that have been around for years. It's a transient's place, like Diz' said."
Francisco nods, thoughtful, but doesn't have much to say to that.
Dizzy glances over at Francisco, then looks up at the road. She's getting a bit impatient, being more used to driving, than being a passenger.
John inclines his head a little. "Other things to do, when you're familiar with here... get to know the Tribe. Or at least, know /of/. It shouldn't be too hard to give you the rundown." The Ahroun, too, is peering out at the suddenly darkened country-side. Too few lights, out here. Hrm.
Francisco grins a little at John. "I was planning on it. A rundown's always welcome, though."
Dizzy focuses back on the electronic device in her hands. Much too boring being a passenger, really.
John grunts, softly, "Yeah, well." Faint lights from inside houses, start to show up, nearby. "You'll get it." he promises, grimly. "But we're here." The black van rolls over gravel with that typical crunching sound, right up to just outside the house. John doesn't waste any time - just hops out, and slams his door, before starting towards the porch. Not waiting for the others.
Francisco unbuckles himself and gets out, eyeing John bemusedly. Ahrouns. He starts towards the porch as well.
Dizzy drops the palm into her jacket pocket and removes herself from the van. Quickly and quietly she follows the two cliaths.
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.
John takes the steps up to the porch quickly, and moves to open the door, without knocking.
Francisco follows John, glancing behind himself to see where Dizzy is.
Jervis walks to open the door, but it just kind of does it on its own. "Oh, knocking's overrated anyway." he says, guiding the door open in a welcoming gesture. "John." he says, slightly grinning. "How are _you_, sir?"
Tobin is laying stretched out on the couch, engrossed in a large musty-looking tome perched on his chest. He's dressed in a simple black t-shirt and black sweat pants. He leans over and peers at all the people coming in.
Dizzy is right behind Francisco, hands in her pockets. The Walkers apparently seem to be coming in single file.
John gives the older Fanglet a short nod, and a hint of a smile. "Jervis. Good. He looks to Tobin for a moment, and moves further into the house, to let Francisco and Dizzy in. "The Fangs got you convinced you're royalty, yet?" His eyes run over the interior of the house. Exits and Entrances, as usual...
Tobin closes his book with a dull thump and small cloud of dust. Setting it aside he stands up and peers at John, obviously trying to remember who he is. He says nothing for the moment, though.
Francisco steps into the house with a quick, unconscious duck of his head under the doorframe. Straightening up, he looks about, and offers the two cubs a smile. "Hey."
Dizzy announces herself with a simple hand up in greeting. "Hi," she says, entering.
Jervis smirks, gently making "come in, come in" gestures. "Lamentably no. My name's still under fifteen syllables." He wastes no time, even seems a tad hurried, now. "I don't think you've ever met my tribemate Tobin" he says, gesturing to the other lanky Silver Fang in the room. "This is John, by the way." He stops and looks over Francisco. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure, Mr...?"
Francisco fills in, "Francisco Delgado. Skyscraper-Stands-His-Ground, half-moon Cliath of the Glass Walkers. It's a pleasure." He grins benevolently at Jervis. "Just got into town."
John nods to Tobin, for a moment - "We've met." - and starts towards the kitchen. He absently slips a hand into a coat pocket, and pulls out a long, silvery chain with a small globe of blue glass, or crystal, on the end.
Tobin nods at each Walker in turn, giving his usual blank stare to each of them. "Tobin, Silver Fang Theurge cub." After another moment of staring at John, recognition finally dawns and he says, "Good to see you again, John-rhya."
Dizzy stands there quietly, a bored look on her face, as introductions are given. Apparently one cannot go to the Farmhouse without a bunch of intoductions first.
Jervis nods, some of the bluster taken out of him, but far from all. "Jervis Michaels. Ragabash Cub to the Silver Fangs." he says, completing his introduction the new Walker. His grin creeps back up once he notices Dizzy. "Hi Dizzy." he says, taking a drag from his cigarette. "How are you today?"
Francisco nods to Tobin and Jervis, then furrows his well-pierced brow. "No cubnames yet?"
In the back of the house, There is a scratching noise at the sliding glass door, and a quiet yip.
Tobin blinks as Jervis addresses Dizzy, and thus he learns her name. "Oh, this is the girl you mentioned. I see what you mean about the hat." He nods to himself then looks at Francisco and shakes his head, "No Rhya, no cubnames yet. We...don't see our Elders very often."
John, close to the door, has his concentration broken slightly by the yip - the ball at the end of his chain appeared to actually be floating, a little. Or maybe it was a trick of the light... whatever, it suddenly jerks and hangs loose. He slips it inside his pocket, and starts towards the kitchen.
John goes through the aperture at the northern end of the front hallway to enter the back room of the house.
In the back of the house, Light of Fools scratches impatiently at the door, shifting from foot to foot to foot to foot. Let me in, someone.
"Dryer," Dizzy responds to Jervis with a hint of humor. Then, to Tobin, she asks, "My hat? What about my hat?" She looks over to Jervis, expecting some sort of explanation.
In the back of the house, John opens the door, and grunts to the cub, "Use your fucking hands, next time. That's what they're for." as he lets her in.
Tobin stares blankly at Dizzy, "It's very much a hat, and worthy of note as such." He nods again, as if this all makes perfect sense.
In the back of the house, Light of Fools walks in huffily. It gets cold in homid, and I don't like shifting out in the open.
Jervis snorts, slightly, taking a second or two too long to recover from her humor. "I was talking about hats with him, and--he'd look nice with a hat, you know? Something to match those chic sweatpants." He says, clearly sarcastic towards the end.
Francisco looks at the back of the house, sees John's let someone in, and sits down in a free chair, stretching his long legs ahead of him. He grins slightly at the cubs' chatter, content to listen for now.
In the back of the house, "Maybe you need to use your brain, then." John rumbles, closing the door and heading back into the front rooms. "That's what they have the barn for - shifting."
Tobin merely sticks his tongue out at Jervis when he thinks the other cub isn't looking.
Dizzy shrugs, "Well, I don't think a hat is going to improve that ensamble. No offense. And besides I don't think he's look good in this hat." She takes her hat off and holds it up as if to see what Tobin would look like in it. "Probably not even this style. What kind of hats do you like?"
In the back of the house, Light of Fools snorts at John and pads toward the voices in the front rooms, tail high and wagging.
Francisco is startled into chuckling at Tobin. He looks up to see who the wolfcub coming in is.
Tobin, still staring blankly at Dizzy, "I prefer long black hoods and cloaks."
John waves a hand towards the lupine cub. "Another of our cubs." he mutters perfunctorily, letting the girl introduce herself. The Ahroun looks about the house again, and his hand returns to that pocket, and the little ball and chain.
Jervis blinks at the wolf that comes padding in, confused for a second, then successful in his recollection. "Ah. Sophie." He ignores the other cubs for a moment, then seeks out John. He takes a drag, and his tone becomes a great deal more casual and genuine. "So. What, um, is the purpose of this visit? Business--or pleasure?"
"Ah," Dizzy says, nodding and replacing her hat on her head. "Yeah, _that_'ll definately go with what you're wearing." Her voice is full of sarcasm.
Light of Fools approaches Francisco cautiously, curiously. I am Light of Fools, Theurge cub of the Glasswalkers. The smoking cub told you my human name. She swivels her head to face Jervis and says: Neither. Both. Food and people.
Francisco leans forward slowly towards Lights so as not to startle her, offering her his big hand. "Hello, Light of Fools. I'm Francisco Delgado, Skyscraper-Stands-His-Ground, Cliath Philodox." He takes a breath and grins. "It's a lot to say, and I've been saying it a lot recently."
"Business, for us." John murmurs faintly, dangling the chain again, and looking somewhere off into space. "Always business... Andrea." At the last word, he starts whispering something faintly, under his breath. The little blue, glass ball starts to lift, gently. It wobbles for a moment, and falls, and the Ahroun's concentration seems to fly away to match. "We won't bother looking for the Alpha tonight." He directs a look to Jervis. "If Guardians pass through, or the Alpha herself, let them know there's a new Glass Walker looking to join the sept. He offers the teaching of Rites as chiminage, and needs to meet with the Alpha sometime soon."
Tobin finally loses his blank stare and eyes Dizzy suspiciously. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" he asks in a matching tone.
Jervis nods, and then turns briefly to Tobin and Dizzy. "How about a nice yarmulke? It'd work, right?" he smirks.
Dizzy snickers. "Well, as long as you're sticking around here, you shouldn't have to worry about what you wear. Can you guys leave or are you stuck around here?"
Light of Fools sniffs the back of Francisco's hand and raises her right paw. A playful light flickers in her eyes. Wanna sniff mine? Or shake hands?
Jervis glances at Francisco. "But, ah, no. No cub names yet for me. There are some that call Tobin 'Pinches', but--" he shrugs, exhaling and leaving it at that.
Tobin snorts at Jervis, "But that might make me holier than thou, and we couldn't have that." What this? Wit? Odd. To Dizzy he responds more seriously, "We can move around the bawn, but that's it."
Francisco grins at the wolfcub. "Smelling you back wouldn't help me much in this form, and there's probably no shifting in the house. It's good that you're spending time as a wolf, by the way. It's something our tribe does far too little, in my opinion." He looks up at Jervis, and nods. "Not much Elder presence around? How long have you two been Changed?... 'Pinches'?" A glance askance at Tobin.
Tobin blinks in surprise at Jervis, but only scowls and ducks his head, saying nothing.
John finds himself a wall to lean against - by the doorway to the kitchen - and folds his arms, after dropping the chain back into his pocket. "No cubname? How do they refer to you in lupus? 'Hey you'?" He doesn't look too impressed. A thoughtful look passes over his face, though.
"That sucks," Dizzy says to Tobin. "Though, at least you guys have, like, people around here all the time. Around the safehouse, hardly anyone stops by. A Gnawer every now and again if we're lucky." She bobs her head to the side, "Of course, now we've got free roam again, which is nice."
Jervis nods. "Not much Elder presence, no. We've both been here for about two, going on three months." He further nods to John. "That's about the extent of it, yeah. I mean, I'd _love_ to have one, don't get me wrong, but nobody's been around to--name us."
Light of Fools grins at Francisco. Good to meet you, Sky.... Sky-scratcher-rhya. We always need more teachers, with so many cubs in the tribe. She turns to face Jervis. I think Stinky Smoke would be good for you, or maybe Lungs of Filthy Vile Coughing Hacking Smoke.
John smiles slightly at Sophia's judgement. "Simple. Breathes Poison, maybe." he murmurs faintly.
Francisco chuckles at Lights. "Skyscraper. I'll teach you how to say it properly." He laughs outright at her name for Jervis.
A wry grin crosses Dizzy's face when she hears Sophia's name for Jervis. "That's sort of long, don't you think, Spot. Lungs-of-Filthy-Vile-Coughing-Hacking-Smoke?"
Tobin sniggers quietly at people naming his tribemate, despite still trying to scowl at the floor.
Jervis shrugs, taking this...very well, grin unwavering. "I like John's modification a bit better. Breathes Poison. Hm. Has a nice sinister sound to it, but I dunno. People might think I wasn't a _good_ person. What do you think, Tobin?"
Tobin starts at being addressed and looks up at Jervis. Glancing around the room he actually pauses to think about it and nods, saying, "Sounds good to me. It should serve as a good /warning/."
Light of Fools sits on her haunches, facing Jervis. The wink she flashes at him betrays her humanity, despite her present form.
Francisco smiles wryly at Tobin. "And how about you, little crescent-moon? You've not been doing much except staring into space. Stares-at-Nothing?"
"Silver Fang can't have a name that encourages disrespect." John grunts, still smiling faintly. "They have to earn that in person, through their actions."
Jervis moves towards the door, and looks about the room. "Well, nice seeing you all again, and good luck finding Andrea-rhya. I kind of have some regiments to complete. Self-imposed, of course." he adds that last bit with a degree of bitterness.
"That applies to us all, John," Francisco says mildly. He nods farewell to Jervis as the Silver Fang leaves.
Light of Fools thumps her tail on the ground as a farewell to Jervis. Indicating Tobin, she says: I call that one Cub With Long Past, but I don't think it's a good name. Just something to call him till he gets a real one.
Tobin stares blankly at Francisco and then smiles very faintly, very briefly, "I suppose that might do." He watches Jervis go, a look of annoyance mingled with something approaching affection, but it's gone quickly.
"Good night," Dizzy offers to Jervis as he leaves. She next addresses the lupus-form garou, "Isn't that what all cub names are, really. Just something to call a person until they get a deed name?"
John nods slowly. "You need to be called something by what people see when they look at you, until you have the right to ask people to call you what has been seen /in/ you." He clears his throat, gently. "For some of us, that's one and the same, and doesn't need to change. We'll see."
Light of Fools lowers her head sheepishly and peers up at John, an aura of 'Oops' surrounding her.
Without moving a muscle, save his eyelid, John looks to Sophia and winks.
Dizzy feels a bit like John's comment was directed exactly towards her, but she says nothing, deciding to inspect the farmhouse ceiling instead.
Francisco doesn't exactly watch the interaction between Cliath and cub, but is smiling at it nonetheless. He asks Tobin, "Why Long Past?"
Tobin's brow furrows as he formulates a response. Finally he says one word, "Ancestors." He taps his head significantly.
Francisco is not quite as enlightened as Tobin seems to expect by this, but 'ah's and nods after a moment. "I don't have much exposure to that, but I've heard of it, of course. And you being Silver Fang..."
Dizzy looks between Francisco and Tobin, a look of not understanding upon her face.
John winces vaguely at the mention of the Fangs prediliction for derangement, but just keeps his arms folded. "Alright. Generally, anyone can crash here or in the barn, if they feel like roughing it. I, personally, am going to hit civilization, sometime soon. If people have things to learn here, they can stay. You all know how to get back. Frankie, I might leave you the keys to the van if you want to cool your heels, here, and run the way, myself."
Light of Fools looks up at John and tilts her head. I don't want to be in the woods any more. Can I come home now? It's time for the second plan. But what is the second plan?
Tobin nods slowly at Francisco but notices Dizzy's look and explains further, "I'm sure you're familiar with the concept of reincarnation? Well, sometimes people can remember things from their past lives. Some of us can apparently do this with greater clarity than normal, and that varies from person to person." He's almost lecturing now, hands clasped behind his back and everything. And odd sight, what with him barefoot and in sweatpants.
Francisco stretches his long self and unfolds out of his chair. "I'll head back, but don't let that stop you from running if you want." He grins down at Lights. "And I suppose this one will come with. Dizzy, are you coming?"
John's jaw tightens a little as he looks to Sophia, consideringly. "The second plan is..." He pauses, frowning a little. "I teach you myself." He straightens up a little and cracks his knuckles, one by one, in rapid succession. "Need a fuller moon." he grunts, reaching into a coat pocket and tossing keys up and then deftly plucking them out of the air. "Be a while. In the meantime, I'll do the pimping for you. We'll get you Rited within a month, maybe. Hopefully."
Run the way? If John's going to run back then that means that Dizzy will have to do. She looks severly dissapointed, but lughtens back up when Francisco bids for going back. She nods to him in agreement. Hearing her cubmate speak also seems to help Dizzy's mood. She sort of missed the brat around the safehouse. Hell, she really missed her. As Tobin explains himself to her, Dizzy snaps back to attention. "You can remember a past life?"
Light of Fools grins mischievously at John and wags her tail.
Tobin nods at Dizzy, "I can remember /many/ past lives, so many it's hard to get anything useful out of them. And one them has taken on a life of his own. The entirety of his life's memories, or my memories from that life, are intact and in me. It's almost like a spiritual form of MPD, sometimes." He looks /really/ annoyed about it.
Francisco gives Tobin a surprised look. Now -that- is odd. Well, Silver Fangs, what can you expect, really.
"Establish dominance." John grunts, pulling away from the wall and starting for the front door - the keys to the van twirl over one finger. "Hard, at your age, but do it. That's your body, not his. He had his run. You're a person, too. That's entirely disrespectful, to make you take a backseat while you learn and grow."
"Like, Multiple Personality Disorder? That is pretty odd." Dizzy turns to look at John. Time to go. "Maybe I'll see you later," she says to Tobin.
Tobin stares at John, "Easier said than done, especially when he doesn't have a problem being disrespectful, but I am working on it."
Light of Fools waves her tail at Tobin and moves toward John and the door.
Francisco nods at Tobin as he starts for the door as well. "Take care of yourself, Long Past. It's a gift--an odd one, but a gift nonetheless." He flashes the cub a grin.
Tobin waves at everyone as they leave, saying evenly, "Nice to have met you Rhya, Dizzy." He nods at each as they go by.