Whispering Pines - Henderson's(#3289RAFJh)
This is a not-so-typical college student dwelling. It consists of one large main area, a smaller bedroom with its own little bathroom and a small kitchen. The main room is all too neat for a college student. There is the usual assortment of entertainment items: TV, Stereo, VCR, and a couple of video game systems. Beside that is also a small stand containing an electric guitar and small amp. The rest of the furniture is simple, a large chair and couch, both brown to match the carpet. A wide window at the far end of the room lets in large amounts of sunlight during the day. Along the opposite wall is a bookcase. Predicitably enough, the bookcase is filled with books, and on top of it there are several pictures of Tom and his family, though oddly enough, there are no pictures of him in the past five years, not even a high school graduation pictures.
Contents:
Alicia
Obvious exits:
Out

Knock, knock. Yi's come a-visiting, after calling ahead. It's Memorial Day. She's got nothing to do and the TV's chock-a-block with war stuff and heroes and such.

The smell of BBQ fills the hallway as you approach the door. Upon answering it, Alicia grins, wearing a party hat with red white and blue streamers hanging off the end. With a smile, she plops one onto your head and tugs you in by the hand.

"Gah?" is what Yi answers any greeting with first. Holy crap, that's a lotta red white and blue. Not enough for this rather unpatriotic foreigner and illegal immigrant. "Afternoon Alicia," she finally manages, a dip of her head signifying a respect for the threshold. "Happy... Memorial Day?"

Alicia smiles and nods her head. "Got a lotta food in the kitchen. You hungry?" She asks, winding her fingers with yours as she leads you through the apartment. "Happy day for you also. How're you doing?"

Yi half-shrugs, kind of bewildered at such happiness coming from the galliard. She really ought to be used to this by now. Really. But she's not. "Uhm, well, thank you. I thought I'd come visit. See how you were doing, with the baby, and..." she trails, sniffing lightly at the BBQ smell. "And... where's Tom?"

"Gym, he already ate and is working it off now." Alicia says, revealing the spread of food on the table. Chips, salads and ribs. There is a couple of six packs of soda. "I'm doing just fine. I'm glad you came over. I've missed you so much."

Wow, that's a quite nice spread. Yet, Yi only looks at the food for now. "Oh. Well, I, uhm, wanted to apologize for my behavior, back at the farmhouse that day." She looks straight on at the galliard. "I wasn't thinking rightly, when I said such things."

Alicia blinks her eyes for a moment, then pulls out a chair for you, motioning you to sit. ".. Its alright. Did you think I was overstepping our friendship by assuming that you and I were inseperable? I guess I have been kinda clingy."

Yi utters a quiet thanks amidst sitting, hoping you'll sit too. A crease of a worry line is starting to show on the Gnawer's somewhat stressed face. "I, ... no... I mean," Yi stutters, trying to translate the feelings swirled in her heart and her head. She finally closes her eyes and breathes out slowly, composing herself. "I guess I just don't know which way I'm going anymore. And at the same time, I didn't want to just follow along, behind you, like some lost puppy."

"I never saw it like that.. I guess its just that outta all the Garou here, save Dakota, you are my best friend and the closest I am with. You are a true sister to me.. I guess I kinda just feel better knowing that we're together, you know? I lost Nevada, and I don't want to lose you either. I guess.. maybe I am just trying to protect you, like a big sis."

Yi smiles faintly there, amused at the thought. "I should be the one being the big sister. I'm older, even if you are higher rank. Gaia... remember when you walked into that church, looking for Nevada?" Her smile gets softer, warmer, a bit more nostalgic. "Since you were a cub, I've known you. And it has only been... three years?"

"I remember all of that." Alicia says softly as she rubs the back of her neck, staring up at her. "You've done so much, why aren't you a Fostern by now?" She asks.

Yi shrugs again, this time a little more of a defeated look clouding her expression. "I guess, because I don't really know what being a Fostern is, yet."

"You need some confidence in yourself. Being a leader is getting up and getting things done that you /know/ needs to be done. Its about delegating authority and knowing yours an other's strengths to utilize them correctly." Alicia explains. "Its not about waiting for someone to tell you what to do, its actually doing it on your own and then boasting."

"Then that is my problem," Yi agrees quietly. "I feel it is my place to hang back and be the questioner, but not the leader. Maybe it is the simple fact that I am not meant to be a leader." She levels a glance at the galliard. "And you know I am not exactly one to boast about my abilities."

"Why not? You have amazing abilities and what not. Sides', you are a New Moon, you don't tend to be leaders in battle or anything. Hanging back is what you do and you do a damn good job of it." Alicia explains. "Not that you are a coward, but you know when to strike. Yer sneaky."

Yi smirks a bit there. "Maybe. But what could I do?" The Gnawer glances at the food again, but she's lookin beyond it. "I don't believe I have done anything that could be said to be of Fostern-worthy renown."

"Not /lately/, but you were heavily involved in the Caern take over. Remember when you tore that things's head off in the toilet? You have done lots of sneak jobs, you've saved lives in the past." Alicia explains. "C'mon, you know you've done a lot. Don't let your self confidence drag you down."

Yi furrows her brow, remembering that toilet incident. The beginning of the end of those days, it seems. "That's it though. All these 'jobs'. All of it in the past. But what about the future, Alicia? What is it to be of the second rank? What does it mean? What is it for? It is these things I think about so much. I even fear the responsibility. I know it sounds cowardly, but I think I don't want to think about the future. Me as a fostern. What if... what if the Gnawers turned to me of all people, to be their Elder?" She shakes her head. "I am nothing like Mama Kaz was."

"Good, you don't need to be like momma Kaz to be your own Garou." The Child of Gaia says. "Stop thinking like that and think the other way. Think of what you want to see get done, then start dishing out orders." She says in explanation. "Believe in yourself, Yi. The past is the past and your renown will never leave you.

Yi restrains herself from working up into yet another fit of self-esteem related frustration. The carved scar on her shoulder throbs in memory. "Well... what do you suggest? I am packless, goal-less, and very lacking in confidence in myself, no?" The sardonic smile plastered on the newmoon's face is rather bitter, but not blackened with pure darkness. "That I step up and find a pack to join, and strike out somewhere to gain the rest of the glory I need to challenge?"

Alicia nods her head and grins. "You find a pack that believes in you, and trusts you to watch their back." She says, hinting. "A pack that will make sure you get to where you need to be at."

Yi eyes the galliard with the sort of knowing distrust shared amongst close friends. "Jamethon would say his pack meets such needs and requirements."

Alicia looks innocent and grins slightly. "James is a good Garou, but his pack will probably end up getting ya killed if you want to trust his Fenrir desire to rip shit up." She says with a chuckle. "Glory isn't all that a ragabash needs to be a Fostern."

"He is wiser than most would give him credit for," Yi replies. "I admit I have reservation about his pack, simply because... well, I am a Bone Gnawer, and he is a Get along with Erika, and Wilbur is a Silver Fang." She pauses. "Then again, I packed with a Strider metis for an alpha, a Wendigo and Uktena for packmates, and a fish for a totem spirit."

"You also packed with the elite Glass Walker's for a short period of time under Roach." Alicia points out to the Gnawer with a cheeky grin on her face.

Yi smirks there, except that part is quickly diffused when she remembers who the alpha was, and that whole ordeal. "I wonder if Salem will still hold his grudge against me." Then she shrugs. "I have talked to Jamethon about Scourge. But, I suppose I have yet to speak to Megan-rhya about your pack with Resonance."

Alicia grins slightly. "Salem is.. out an about somewhere else." She admits with a shrug of her shoulders. "Not sure when he'll be back, but.. don't worry 'bout it. Be professional, you did your job."

"At the expense of many Garou's renown, and one friend's mind," Yi says softly, none too proudly. "And now this whole problem about finding a new place for the Gnawers to stay. Olga has her hands full, I'm sure."

Alicia nods her head. "So she'll need your expertise. Y'know the city in an out, I'm sure you can find a good Gnawer hang out spot and lead them there, or offer up ideas."

Yi nods at that, the gesture slow and thoughtful. Then she glances over at the galliard. "Could you, perhaps, arrange a sort of meeting? I think, I would rather talk to your pack members to see what they think about this coward of a Gnawer in their pack." She smiles lightly, eyeing the silly hat.

Alicia smirks and leans over to hug you. "You are no coward, you are the untouchable Three-Blades who seems to come out unharmed nearly everytime we go into battle against war banes and nexus crawlers."

Yi laughs at that, finally. "All that good luck has already been used up, I'm afraid. Especially in that last fight with the spiders in the Zoo Shadow." Battlescars came out of that fight, amongst other mental scars. "But if you could... a brief meeting with your packmates?"

Alicia nods her head. "I can do that." She says with a cheeky grin on her face. "I'll do that asap."