Clump. Clump. Clump. Heavy boots travel over the wood of the porch in a deliberate manner of announcement as Yi opens up the door. The look upon her face however, doesn't seem like she intended on going anywhere at all. But, some innate purpose sends her this afternoon to the familiar hangout of many a Garou.
Dena is puttering around in the kitchen, trying to find a glass. She drifts over to the opening between the two, to try and see who it is.
Tobin is sitting on the couch with a book in his lap, that he's apparently writing in. There's a small oddly shaped piece of wood on the coffee table that he's glaring at. Occassionally he pokes at it and makes a note in his book. He looks up as Yi comes in and stares blankly at someone he doesn't recognize.
Yi blinks a few times, returning the stare at Tobin equally blank, until her eyes drop towards the wood on the table then towards the kitchen. And for a moment, she looks indeed lost...at least for words. Her throat clears and she steps inside with a quiet nod of silent greeting.
Dena, who continues to fail to recognize Yi, asks, politely, "Can we help you?"
Tobin looks at little suspicious as Yi just comes right in, but lets Dena do the talking for now, glancing at the Fury briefly.
"Eh... no... I was, just. Wandering around. Seeing who was here," comes Yi's reply. It's not extremely confident, perhaps more on the shy side. She doesn't really know why she came either. "Are you both... living here?" That awkward feeling of embarrassment when one has stepped into a stranger's house uninvited just eminates.
Dena says, "Well, personally, I'm not actually living here full time, but I've taken over day to day upkeep of the place. You seem... Somewhat familiar with it?"
Tobin seems reluctant to say anything at all to the stranger, and continues to stare blankly at her, looking wary.
Yi nods in affirmative to the last query, looking about with a politely curious eye in seeing the differences of the farmhouse since she was last here. "I, like to visit sometimes. It's been awhile." She swallows dryly, and eyes Tobin - warily as well. "Are you both... mm... part of the... 'Grou-..p' here?" Poke the Veil. Poke it!
Dena says, "Yes," and leaves it at that. "Just visit? Nothing more?"
Tobin glances at Dena once again and finally says in a low voice, "I live here with my ... brother. We're, training together."
Yi shifts somewhat uncomfortably on her two feet, like she's under some underlying interrogation. Still, she meets Dena eye to eye for a moment in a fleeting glance. "I'm from the city. I came here, to look for a few friends of mine. Maybe you know them? Alicia, or Bernie?" An eyebrow arches, inquisitively.
Dena acknowledges, while regarding Yi evenly, "I know them, yes. You related to either of them?" Direct. Yes. Let's be direct.
Tobin once more lets Dena do the talking, since she seems to have things in hand.
Yi toes the floor slightly, and answers Dena with a nod. Direct is not her forte. "They're like family... in a way." She glances back towards the Fury and the cub on the couch.
Dena relaxes faintly. "Ah. Good. Glad to hear it. There's a lot of... newcomers, of late." Wryly, she adds, "Me included. Don't mean to try and drive you off or something."
Tobin lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and relaxes. To Yi he says, "I know Bernie. I made her dinner once."
Yi notes the relaxation and is the third to do so, once she thinks she recognizes them. "My name is Yi. If it means anything... my friends also call me Three-Blades. Born on the darkest of the moons." She gives the two 'strangers' a light habitual half-bow of respect.
"So would you be a Gaian or a Gnawer?" Dena asks this with no surprise whatsoever in her voice, and then adds, "Ardenas Kytheras Kostenas. Also known as Serendipity's Shadow or Guards the Desolate shore. My friends call me Dena. I'm just in from California -- been here a month or so. I'm Black Fury, ahroun, and Adren, and Elder of the tribe here. I believe I've heard you mentioned by Sepdet -- you had to go home to help your home Sept, yes?"
Tobin blinks at Dena's mention of a new title in her introduction, that of Fury Elder. He hesitates, and then introduces himself, standing and returning Yi's bow to him. "I'm Tobin, Silver Fang cub and Theurge."
Yi stiffens up at the mention of her home, and replies silently with a nod. "Yes. But, I have returned, as I promised her." She bows again, lower this time to the Fury elder and offers her full introduction. "Song Yi Ling, cliath newmoon of the Bone Gnawer tribe, daughter of Salmon's Leap." She does give an acknowledging nod to the Silver Fang cub as well. "Nice to meet you two." Yi takes a step further into the farmhouse, and glances around some more. "Speaking of Sepdet-rhya...have you seen her?"
Dena inclines her head in a nod, not missing the stiffening; the only thing she does about it is to lean against the doorjam, watching her thoughtfully. "Pleased to meet you, indeed. And glad you're back. Yes, she was around a few days ago -- spent a couple weeks being mysterious somewhere else, but now she's back and poking into everything in the apparently traditional Sepdet fashion."
Tobin sits back down, saying, "A pleasure to meet you, yes." Then at the question of Sepdet he says, "It's been a few days since I've seen her, but she is around."
"Oh. Good.. good..." Yi seems to mumble a quiet foreign phrase to herself, but the feeling of relief is there. "Then... I suppose you've known her for awhile? You seem to, anyway." Her eyes stray away from the Fury, taking minute interest in the odd piece of wood that Tobin was staring so enthusiastically at minutes before.
Dena shakes her head. "Only been here a month. But I've had several very... long and intricate conversations with her. And her reputation somewhat precedes her, as well. And," she admits, "She's... someone I think I can work well with."
Tobin, after staring off into space for a moment, picks up the piece of wood and produces a small pen-knife from one of his coat pockets. He consults something in his book and then glances up at Yi, eyeing her critically. "Excuse me, Song Yi Ling? Do you speak Mandarin?"
Yi's lip corner inclines upward slightly. "Sepdet-rhya is quite interesting... especially if she can get a Gnawer of the city to pack with Garou of the woods." She glances up at Tobin from the wood and nods. "I do speak it, yes."
Dena's own grin is somewhat quirked. "Yeah, that's part of why I want to work with her. Someone who can... inspire people that way..." She trails off, and shrugs.
Tobin grins, every so slightly. He nods and says, "Ah good. Do you happen to know the Kanji for 'Vessel'? Vessel like a jar or basket, as opposed to like a sea-going vessel."
"Kanji?" Yi's eyebrow rises back up. "Oh. Well, I don't know Japanese...but." She glances around for some paper and a writing utensil. "I've been away, I don't know where anything is anymore..." Her hunt takes her towards the bookshelves closer towards the kitchen, where she stops momentarily to dip her head at the Fury elder, then back around to the couch. "Do you have a pen?"
Dena produces one from her back pocket, and hands it over. Then she goes back to leaning.
Tobin starts to offer one of his own but stops as the Fury Elder is on the ball.
Yi accepts the pen and kneels on one knee beside the couch. Using her hand as the 'paper', she steadily inks in the appropriate character and holds it there for the cub to see. "I think you mean this one." Again, the barest smile creases her lips, and she offers the pen back towards the Fury. If she wants it back, she'll have to stop leaning and come get it.
Dena quirks that grin again, and does, in fact, stop leaning, to come and get it. "Thank you," she murmurs, and then adds, "I'd stick around to help welcome you back, but I have a patrol to run. If you'll pardon me..."
Tobin's grin returns, if somewhat against his will. He nods and proceeds to carve a tiny replica of the symbol into the wood with his pen-knife. It takes him but a moment and he's done. He waves the knife at Dena in farewell, "Have a good run, Dena-rhya."
Dena murmurs, "I damn well better hope so," and heads out.
Yi waves as well to the parting Fury, then takes up a cross-legged sitting position beside the couch. Her hand lowers, and she gazes sadly at the scars that just peek out over her wrist for a moment before masking the feeling over by taking up interest in the carving that the cub is undertaking. "My packmate, Leonard, also carves wood. What will it be, the carving?" She glances from cub to carving and back.
Tobin looks up from putting finishing touches on it, "Hmm? Oh, it's not going to be anything in particular, as far as shape goes. I'm hoping to prepare a vessel in which a spirit will agree to reside at some point in the future."
"Oh?" Yi eyes the character inscribed on the wood. "What sort of spirit were you hoping for?" A little bit of that curiosity comes back.
Tobin frowns at the wood and says, "To be honest, I hadn't decided. Perhaps a wood spirit, or something that would find the wood an appealing place to be."
Yi nods slightly, tilting her head also at the wood. "To my knowledge...the only spirits that like staying in one place are trees and rocks. And even the rocks get bored sometimes. So they roll down a mountain or something." Her hand gives a vague circular motion. "Maybe a fire spirit. Fire likes wood right?" She shrugs lightly. "I don't know my spirits very well I suppose."
Tobin shrugs and sets the wood down after looking it over one last time, "I would think the fire would consume it, but I haven't had much training yet, so I don't really know." He sighs deeply, "I wish there were someone around I could interrogate."
"Perhaps," Yi suggests with some discomfort towards the word interrogation, "You could ask Sepdet. There are a number of theurges around."
Tobin shakes his head slowly, "I don't think Brittany wants me taking lessons from anyone but Silver Fangs for the moment, and they're rarely around. It kind of limits my options."
Yi nods slowly, though a hint of mischievious thought glimmers through. "Well...what she doesn't know, won't hurt her. As the Americans say." It's the newmoon blood flowing in her, really.
Tobin snorts softly, "Yes, I've been practicing that one already. I don't know how I'd be able to hide the marks of someone else's teachings, though."
"The simple answer to that, is to be quiet about it," Yi replies softly. "But not to the point you seem stupid to them." She smiles in a half-grinning way.
Tobin grins, again just a little, and it fades quickly, "I'll take your advice under close consideration, thank you." He pauses, then asks hesitantly, "So...where is home for you?"
Yi's smile fades rather quickly at that question, as she averts her eyes even from the cub. "Home. Hong Kong." she stops there, cutting off any further elaboration. Her hand visibly clenches its grip against her leg.
Even the normally tactless Tobin catches onto how Yi feels regarding her home, and he doesn't ask further about it. He makes an attempt at non-chalance, "So, it's a nice day outside, shall we go sit on the porch?"
Yi inclines her head back upward, the same hand rising to push a few strands of hair out of her vision's way. The gesture reveals some of the scars on her forehead, appearing in somewhat crisscrossing line across the upper portion. "Sure," she replies tersely as she stands up. "And you? Your home is...?"
[And so they head out to the porch to hang out.]
Porch
A lathe-turned wooden railing runs the length of the porch save where the steps are, well-worn with use. To the right of the stairs, a wide swing is suspended from the overhang which shelters this area; to the left, a small table is the centerpiece for several chairs pulled around it, all of which face out to the front yard and the fields and trees beyond. The entire area holds an atmosphere of peace and comfort during these summer days, lending itself well to evening reading, small talk, or just watching the stars. Low shrubs snuggle up to the porch held back by the railing, their flowers filling the air with the sweet scent of greenery.
An aging screen door newly refurbished stands between the heavy inner door of the house and the outside air. Four steps lead down to the lane, a number of pots with small flower seedling carefully arranged alongside them.
(Non-Garou, please "+view curse")
Contents:
Tobin
Obvious exits:
Front Door Lane
Tobin walks out onto the porch, blinking in the sunlight. "Home? Home. Hmmm." He gets a far-off look to him as he goes on, "I don't even remember the name of it anymore, it's almost like I was never there. Some small town in northern Idaho."
Yi, not knowing much about the geography of the States, simply nods in reflective thought. "So, you came like Bernie then? Just wandering around?" She sits down on the porch steps, leaning up against the pole support and glancing over at the cub. Her eyes seem to echo his far away look with one of her own, until she blinks a few times and brings herself to the present.
Tobin shrugs, "I suppose so, I don't know how Bernie came here. I was going north, looking for wolves. I ran out of money and so stopped here to try to get a job." He shrugs again, "My kinfetch went off and the rest is, as they say, history." He leans against the railing and gazes out at the lane in the late afternoon sunlight.
Yi replies with an emphatic 'mm' and a nod, eyes also turned down the lane towards some unknown point off in the distance. "Found more than what you were looking for, didn't you?" She chuckles softly, shifting a little to get more comfortable against the post.
There's the sound of a very loud engine rumbling down the street, followed by a screeeeeeeching brake. *DUM DUM DUM DUM* Is the sound of heaving thumping bass.
You paged the room with 'If you RP, they will come.'.
From afar, to the room, Alicia grins. "rule of three."
Luke steps outside, stretching and yawning with that disheveled look of someone who's just woken up from a nap.
Tobin nods at Yi, "More than I bargained for, yes indeed." He blinks as someone actually drives up the lane, and then again as someone comes out of the door behind him. People everywhere! His left eye twitches once or twice.
Yi glances back first, the sound of footsteps approaching from behind causing her to immediately stand up and turn towards it. The other screeching brake just causes some mild discomfort, but otherwise has little effect as she eyes the car booming down the road. Her lips purse thougtfully, and she gazes at the disheveled Fianna intently, trying to recognize him.
*THUD* The sound of a door being closed is heard from the lane. Soon, a figure approaches, swaying and swaggering as always in her typical tough girl gait.
Luke rubs his eyes, stifling yet another yawn, then finally manages a wave to the two of them. "Hey." He glances back and forth between the two of them, trying to decide if he's met them before. One of them is pretty familiar. The one just arriving, though, he clearly knows. "Alicia, afternoon!" he calls out to her.
Tobin backs slowly off to the side to let people socialize and introductions take place. He glances at Alicia coming up and though he recognizes her, stays quiet.
Yi continues her small scrutinizing of Luke's features, up to the point Alicia comes swaggering up to the porch. At the sight of her galliard friend she dips her head. "Long time no see." The hints of a genuine smile are there, in the eyes.
Alicia pauses for a moment as she glances to those on the porch, then blinks. "Blades!" Picking up her step, she throws her arms around the asian, literally picking her up and squeezes her into a huge hug.
Luke chuckles. "Well, I guess I won't have to be introducing anyone. Prolly a good thing, that."
Tobin leans back against the far railing and continues just watching. He grins just a little at obviously old friends being reunited, but again stays quiet.
Yi wasn't expecting such an enthusiastic welcome back, but there's not much she can do about it except bulge her eyes a little. She returns the hug as best she can, until she's put down on solid ground again. "It's good to see you too." Her body relaxes a bit more now that more familiar friends are here, noticing how Tobin backs up a bit. "And I think I remember you..." she turns to Luke. "The... one who helped Alicia chase my tail in the barn. Luke, yes?"
Alicia grins and socks Luke in the shoulder next. "Hey bro. Blades, check it. I rited and I'm a cliath now. My deed name is Guards the Flame. I'm also packing here with this dude."
Luke grins. "Yup. That'd be me."
Yi arches a brow upwards, this time looking at Luke in a more scrutinizing manner. The way a sister would analyze a guy to see if he was good enough for her fellow sis. When the Fianna meets a relatively safe approval she nods. Then, she gives Alicia a half smile though her eyes do light up at mention of her being cliath. "So that's why they let you drive Weaver cars loud enough to wake the dead now mm?"
Luke says "A car which you're gonna let your packmate borrow to get his license, right? I've been here since before I turned sixteen, so now I'm seventeen and I've still only got permit..."
Alicia grins at the two. "Hey, thats Tom's car. I only drive it when .. I want to." Giggling, she runs a hand back through her hair. "I'm engaged to him."
Luke fakes a pout. "Aww. Good thing I'm a runner, then. And it took you two long enough, by the way."
"Tom? The.. oh," Yi nods a little, reflexively shooting her gaze down to the particular engagement finger on the Coggie. "Congratulations, for both your Rite and the proposal." Then, in a light joke meant to find out more, she queries, "So I heard the recent sept news from my packmate. Now, to hear more. What else is new?" Her eyes flicker towards Tobin momentarily then back. "Besides more cubs and a complete change of leaders?"
"Hmmm.. The hospital is tainted, badly from what John says." Alicia says with a grin, wiggling her ringless finger. She's not wearing anything as of yet. "And well.. our pack is ganna be finding Owl to represent us. We're called the Pathfinders."
Yi nods slowly with a short sigh, mumbling to herself in her native language. "
Alicia names them off, counting on fingers. "Joey, Alpha, Junior, Luke, me, and Sebastian once he gets Chim outta th'way."
Luke says "Well, Owl's not definate, but it's a strong possibility. Assuming it'll take a couple of Gnawers. Rat...Owl...little bit of a conflict, there, after all."
Yi rubs at the back of her neck. "True. Who is Alpha? And.. Sebastian?" She furrows her brow and tries to remember if she's met them, and just forgotten them. Too many Garou at one sept, not enough contact.
Alicia smiles. "Joey is the Alpha." She says. "Sebastian is a new Uktena to the lands." Shifting her gaze to Luke, she shrugs. "Is Junior the Beta?"
Tobin suddenly makes an odd sound, something like "Nnnyyaarghh." and he hit his head a few times. Looking up he says, "If you'll excuse me, Rhya's, I have to go have an argument." That said, he walks back inside.
Luke shrugs. "We haven't really worked that out. I'm pretty much game to see what happens as we go. Why? You aiming for the spot?"
Alicia nods her head at Luke in response, crossing her arms.
"Oh... well he finally got his wish to be an Alpha," Yi answers Alicia first, before glancing after the strange cub. "An argument with who?" she queries to herself before glancing back to the two packmates. "What... is your pack going to do? A name like Pathfinders..."
Luke says "Pathfinders are the Army troops who go in to make sure the landing site is safe for the Airborne troopers to deploy. The ones who go in even before the rapid deployment units. Which works pretty well, and we're also going to be finding lost stuff, people and things both."
Layne can be heard before she's seen, boots crunching gravel as she wanders up the lane toward the farmhouse. "'Lo," the Fianna greets the gathered, hopping up onto the porch's bottom step.
Alicia nods her head in response and settles down next to Yi on the porch swing, grinning.
Luke then turns to Alicia. "Well, I won't promise you won't go unopposed for the spot, but like I said, we'll see." He turns to Layne as she speaks,and the warmth is clear in his voice as he greets her. "Well, if it isn't one of my favorite sparring partners come to see me!
Yi rounds out her mouth in a silent 'oh' and nods, glancing over at the other Fianna approaching. "Hello... Layne. Yes?" It's been awhile since she's seen either of the two Fianna, but if memory serves her right, it's the right names to the faces. "Sparring? As if we didn't have enough to fight these days." She chuckles softly, and then glances down at Alicia. The glint in her eye carries an electricity brought on by the moon. Sparring...does seem rather interesting at the moment.
Alicia glances back to Yi and grins a bit, catching her thoughts. "So, Jackie Chan, where the hell were you? I heard rumors you were over seas."
Layne balances on the balls of her feet on the step, thumbs tucked into the pockets of her jeans. She seems to have a lot of pent up...well, /something/. It's enough to keep her moving, springing in place. She grins widely at Luke, winking. "You seem so sure I'm here to see /you/." To Yi, she nods, but doesn't greet her by name. She's forgotten, apparently. "Never enough to fight," she chimes in, the grin steadfast on her lips.
Yi stiffens at the question, flickering her gaze away from the group to hide the near instant change of mood brought on by Alicia's question. "I... was back home. Had to, ah... well, it's not important." She turns back to them, but there's clearly some discomfort lingering in her shift of body posture. "Never enough to fight, but always overwhelming when there is..." A short clearance of her throat and she mentions offhand, "Jackie Chan is a far better fighter than I am, anyway."
Luke looks innocent. "Well, who _else_ would you be here to see?" Answering Yi next, he adds, "'Sides, big difference between a spar and a fight-fight. A spar's just for fun. Good workout, too, if it's fairly evenly matched."
Alicia grins at Yi and pokes her gently in the side. "You are dope, just as good as Chan."
Layne seems tongue-tied for a moment, there. "Well, y'know, /other folks/," she tosses back at Luke mock-defensively. "Man, but I could use a good spar. Been a while since I had a little friendly blood on my paws..."
Yi glances at Alicia, then turns back away with a waning smile. "But Jackie Chan would've been able to fight his way out of..." she stops abruptly with a short choke of emotion before jumping off the porch smoothly and taking off in a dead sprint away from the group.
Luke looks like he's about to reply to Layne, but his gaze follows after Yi as she bolts, startled. "Urm..." He looks at Alicia, "Go after her? Dunno if she'd want me butting in."
Layne looks after the escaping Yi, a brow jumping upward curiously, eyes sharp. "Ah."
"On it." The Galliard Gaian says as she leaps to her feet, hammering out a quick run from behind the Asian. Blades is definitly faster, but she is no slouch in this department either.
Luke turns back to Layne, "I was _about_ to ask if that was directed at me. Seems like the rest of your options have kinda slimmed, though."
Yi is fast indeed, but her stride isn't as long as the galliard's and eventually she slows herself enough to realize that her action was...rather strange. But at the top of her mind are the memories that flood back in a flash. She falls to her knees, gripping herself with effort to restrain her sobs.
"Directed at anyone in earshot, really. But yeah, seems I don't have much of a /choice/, now," she agrees with feigned exhasperation.
Upon reaching the Gnawer, Alicia sinks to her knees and throws her arms around her, pulling her against her body into a warm hug. "Yi, hon, whats wrong?" She asks, burying her face against the asian's cheek, letting out a soft breath. She seems to be heaving from the run, having been quite some time since she had to put on a burst of speed in this form.
Yi shrinks inward at the touch, however warm it is meant to be. She doesn't seem out of breath at all, but running on sobs is a hard thing to do and she breathes heavy with effort to calm down. What bit she does say is in a strangled whisper, "Please, don't touch me..."
Luke chuckles. "Well, I'm sure you'll manage to stay entertained _somehow_."
"Shhh... " Alicia coo's gently as she radiates with warmth, soon reaching out with her tribal gift, hoping to comfort her friend. She begins to glow a light blue from her fingertips, her hands slowly running up her arms and shoulders. "Calm down ok? Everything will be alright."
You paged Alicia with 'What gift would that be?'.
Alicia pages: Mothers Touch
"Always," Layne assures Luke. She scratches idly at a loose flake of paint on the weathered railing. "So, how's pack stuff coming along?"
Luke says "Slowly but surely. Have a few possible missions lined up, already."
Yi gradually does calm down, enough to the occassional sniffle and shaky body. "I... I'm sorry..." Apologies, but for what? Her closed eyes open to stare down at the dirt and grass, the droplets of tears still wet upon the ground. She glances up at Alicia momentarily, pain and shame filling her eyes again before she tears her gaze away.
"Hey.. Hey.. its ok alright? Its ok.." Alicia gently rocks the ragabash in her arms back and forth, softly humming. "Let it out if you have to, cry, I'm here for you." Leaning foreard just a bit, she traces her fingertips gently down Yi's cheek, finding the tears and brushing them away.
Layne grins at Luke's choice of words. 'Missions.' Shouldn't expect anything less, really. "That's...great. Care to tell me, or is that 'exclusive pack information?'" She asks, official-like. "I'll have to live vicariously through you, see... I've been busy in the city."
Luke laughs, then looks from side to side, pretending to make sure no one's watching. "Well, since my packmate's distracted, I guess I can tell you. First, we were gonna look for Sepdet, but she came back. Still, Joseph has someone he wants us to look for. And there's a bit of a problem spot in the Umbra not too far from here that Sebastian found, and we're gonna give it a look-see."
Yi shakes her head again, before making an attempt to stand. "I'm sorry... I... I just need to think." She takes Alicia's hands and unclamps them from herself, her eyes still averted. "I should go."
Layne turns away, facing out into the lane, now. She still teeters precariously on the bottom step, testing her balance. "Yeah. Striders seldom need 'finding,' I think. Sepdet would be far from lost, no matter where she'd wandered off to. It's a good thing, I've learned, about bein' able to take home with you..."
Luke shakes his head. "I guess, if you can call that home. I can't, not spending that much time away from the people I care about."
Alicia furrows her brows a bit as she stands, brushing down her clothing. With a sigh, she rolls her shoulders back. "Ok, but I know where ya live, I'll be checking on you soon."
Yi starts down the lane, pausing a few steps after to turn back and face the galliard. "I'll be fine... really." She then swallows hard and continues down the lane towards some unknown destination.