Rina Catches Up

Logfile from GarouMU.

Currently the moon is in the waning Half Moon phase (47% full).
It is currently 01:55 Pacific Time on Sun Jul 8 2007.
Currently in Saint Claire, it is partially cloudy. The temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius). The wind is calm today. The barometric pressure reading is 30.12 and steady, and the relative humidity is 67 percent. The dewpoint is 48 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius.)

Farmhouse: Kitchen and Dining Room
Homey is the first word to come to mind when looking at the farmhouse's kitchen. Dark, wood-paneled wainscoting covers the walls to about waist height, dark beige wallpaper continuing to the ceiling. Twin refrigerators occupy the north wall, facing the large six-burner stove on the south. The kitchen counter runs the length of the eastern wall, broken only by the double-basin sink. Cabinets run above and below the counter and a twin-pane window is set in the wall above the sink. A small pantry is set into an alcove alongside the refrigerators, presumably holding the deep freezer as well as shelves of dry goods.
Some twelve feet above the floor, a large chandelier hangs from the ceiling, lighting the dining room and casting long shadows over the bar to the kitchen. A long table occupies the center of the dining room, three chairs setting along each side, and one on each end. On the west wall, a large window looks out on the trees alongside the western pasture. Set into the north wall is a large cabinet, its glass doors closed on shelves containing a full compliment of fine china and glassware as well as a few decorative nicknacks. On the east, a wide bar separates the dining room from the kitchen.
An opening in the southern wall allows passage to the front entryway of the house, while a sliding glass door in the kitchen opens to a clearing behind the house.
Contents:
Rina
Obvious exits:
Hallway/Living Room  Back Door  

It's very late at night for some, and for others the night seems like it's just getting started. For Yi, the latter is her case, but she comes into the kitchen of the farmhouse intent on thing: tea. The smell of it brewed up and in a mug of the strongest she could find now permeates the atmosphere immediately around the kitchen table, where the Gnawer sits and just enjoys the quiet moments while the cubs and other farmhouse inhabitants sleep upstairs.

The noise of the motobike is loud against the country night--Loud enough that someone wakes upstairs and rustles around briefly before going back to sleep. Light flashes across windows, and subsides. Moments later, a lone figure approaches the kitchen back door, helmet in hand.

Yi frowns. Motorbikes coming close to the farmhouse at this hour? And yet the sound of that engine is enough to spur on curiosity, and that induces physical actions of the Gnawer standing from her chair. Mug in hand, she starts towards the back kitchen door, but finds it soon to have a figure before it as well. Eye to eye with the long gone kin, for a moment, Yi stands there dumbfounded. Staring.

Rina rakes a hand back through her helmet-mussed hair, her head bowed. There are faint lines around her eyes that weren't there, the last time the two met. She looks up, and a moment's startlement crosses her face as she sees Yi illuminated inside; then she sets her hand to the door, and comes in.

Yi too, has changed perhaps for the older. Not that she'd know. The Gnawer is so surprised, she automatically steps aside to allow the kinswoman in without saying a word. And then the door closes, and that sound seems to snap her out. "Rina?" The way she says the woman's name, it's like she half expects her to disappear like some mirage. Somehow that mug is still held up.

One corner of the Kin's mouth tugs upward--a hint of a smile. "Hey," she says softly. "How y'been?"

Yi blinks twice, lips wet by a swipe of her tongue in a sudden surge of nervousness. "I... I'm fine." The Gnawer breaks eye contact, setting down her mug atop the counter by the door. There she lingers a few moments more before turning abruptly, and moving towards the woman to sweep her arms about her in a tight hug.

Slightly taken aback, Rina is still for a moment, before she hugs Yi back. When she draws away, she wears a slightly quizzical smile. "What, someone been spreadin' rumors I was dead or somethin'?" Her accent is strong enough to notice.

Yi squeezes a bit as if confirming the reality, and then as they separate she wears a much brighter grin. "No, no... but you were gone so long and I thought you might not have come back." She quickly gestures towards the kitchen table as well, wanting to herd her into hospitality, warmth and welcome. "Come, sit. You must stay. At least, for the moment. Where did you go? What did you do? How /have/ you been? ... Tea?"

"Sure." It comes out pure Chicago: 'shua.' Setting her helmet down on the table, Rina pulls off her gloves, her head bowed, eyes lowered. "I didn't go much of anywhere. Not until a couple months ago, anyway. Just been... layin' low most of the time. Went to Chicaga f'ra bit. Rina lifts one shoulder a little, and looks over to the Gnawer. "That's all."

Yi goes still for a second or two, just gazing at the woman, and then again shakes off the daze to busy herself with prepping and pouring out a second mug of tea. "You went back to your home, Chicago," she comments as she fills up the cup with hot water to steep the tea in. Yi speaks after a few moments lag time, parsing the accent and words from it. When she brings the tea over, she has her own mug in hand and sits beside the woman. The Gnawer's eyes look a little fixated. "Did you see your family?"

Rina takes the mug and sits down, wrapping both hands around her drink and studying its surface. "Kind of. My--" Her lips press together a moment before she changes tracks. "I had some thing to do, people to talk to. Met up with some of my cousins."
She takes a strategic sip of her tea, eyes lowered.

Kind of. That response gets a quirked head tilt out of Yi, but then the ragabash doesn't pursue much further. She too, takes a sip of her tea. "I'm glad you are here again," she remarks quietly. "There were faces and names returning from long ago, it's like there is something in the air here drawing them all back."

That seemed to get Rina's attention; she looks up, eyebrows raised a little in question. "Yeah? Anyone I know? Or who I should avoid?"

Yi shakes her head a touch, sipping again at her tea. "Only Kaz, and Aubrey have come back. I'm not sure if you know of a Moon Otter? Shadow Lord, ragabash. He was at the moot, black as night and more wolf than Garou, almost." From the way she shifts in her seat, the Gnawer looks uncomfortably impressed. "Anyway, the important thing is /you/, are back." And for lack of a better sum up, the ragabash just shrugs and offers, "I missed you."

Rina's eyes turn sober, as she studies Yi for a moment; she nods, and a faint smile comes to soften the hard, sharp lines of her face. "Right back atcha," she says quietly. Glancing down again, she swirls her tea around in the mug. "I been... stayin' outta things, y'know? Because of Jenny and the kid... they don't--I don't want anything to put them at risk. So I been... real careful."

A smile flits over the Gnawer's face too, as she picks up some of her mood from where it dropped on moot thoughts. Then things sober a little. "I understand," she replies. "And these days, one can't be too careful. If you need anything you know, you just need to ask. I am out here on the bawn these days, but my tribemates would gladly help I think." There's a bit of a pause before she leans in, head tilting and eyes curious. "You... do know I am a fostern now?"

Rina's eyes light up, as she looks to the Gnawer with a broad smile. "No--congratulations." She nods, almost as if to herself. "That's great."

Yi can't help but smile broadly too, even scratching a finger on her cheek in a hint of embarrassment to announce such news. "I actually... well, I challenged Jamethon, and won. They call me Runs-the-Gauntlet, because I ran from one end of the bawn to the center of the caern, fighting the Garou I came across to first blood. It was... difficult, but here I am." Sitting back again, she lets out a short sigh of contentment.

Rina grins, looking across at her with a mixture of pride and admiration. "That's awesome."

"Awesome," Yi murmurs in repeat. It's not a word she uses often, that's for sure. But then her eye roves back to the kinswoman, and she smiles again. "But that was almost two years ago now, more or less. And more still has happened. You certainly have much to catch up on if you wish to find out more. Will you stay?"

The Kin glances down, bemused. "Huh. Maybe I knew, then." She shakes her head a little.

Yi bobs her head, apparently not offended by any lack of memory. She's still smiling. "Have you had a chance to see anyone else?" Then as a thought strikes her, she voices it. "Did you just decide to come to the farmhouse for some reason?"

Rina swallows, and one shoulder hitches up in a familiar way. "I just... was passin' it, on my way back into town, and I thought... y'know, I'll see who's around... maybe start getting back in touch." She smiles across at the Gnawer, a hint of worry in the expression.

"Well if no one else sees you, I am glad I did." Yi moves a hand to lightly touch hers, across the table. She tries to keep smiling, but there is a moment of faltering. Yi explains, "I do have to at least tell you, though... these are dangerous times. It was probably best that you stopped by, so that you go back home prepared."

A guarded look comes to the Kin's eyes. "Tell me."

Yi takes in a breath. "Black Spiral Dancers." She says the term carefully, trying to keep out the growl that edges in close. "Our Great Hunt rite failed this year. But they came and attacked the rite. And when one of us, Jacob, tracked them back where they came... he said their path was deliberate and chosen. It looked like they were after this place. After our cubs, and anyone else they found."

Rina turns a shade paler at the first words... and then covers her reactions in several swallows of tea. "The farm, or the Caern?" she asks softly.

"I think," Yi says softly as she observes the kinswoman carefully, "they are moving around outside the caern. The caern, not their target. Yet. Tribes with cubs were already told at moot, so we are on alert. But I think what was forgotten, was the Kin." Hence the ragabash's concern as she almost stares right at Rina. "If you are going back to the city, please be careful. And let the Walkers and Gnawers know where you might be. I could give you Tu's number. You remember the address for the new safehouse?" Yi pauses a moment, a minor flinching wince coming with the thought of safehouses, and the adjective she chose. "The one Natalie had built."

Rina nods. "Yeah," she murmurs. "Haven't been there since... last time I saw Grey."

Another short wince, though this one less wince and more flinch, and Yi nods again. "There are new cubs there, so I would be cautious as I don't know how well they are controlled. But if there is any place you need to be that would be safe, it would be there."

Rina drinks down another swallow. Her brow furrows. "Not sure whether I oughta stay outta touch with the tribes, or stay out of contact with Jenny..." She looks across to Yi sharply. "Think you guys need me?"

"A wise wolf once told me, 'One smart Kin is worth Five moons.' So," Yi says with a mild, tight smile this time, "I believe we can use every bit of help we can get."

Rina's expression tightens. "Aright. I'll maybe sneak home for a day or two and then gear up, head for the Safehouse. Who leads the Walkers these days?"

Yi's answer is quick. "Tu Spies-the-Wyrm. You will know him by his one arm." She looks a bit embarrassed to mention that, sipping again at her tea before standing up again from her chair. "I have not heard much from the other Walkers, but Kevin should be in watching the cubs there, if you find him. Tall, British." A pause. "He is gay, too."

"Yeah, I remember Tu. When did this guy Kevin show up?" She watches over the rim of her mug, drinking.

"He was a cub," Yi explains after some thought. "At the time, I heard he had a Get of Fenris ancestor in his head. Signe wanted to claim him, but yielded to the Glass Walkers who claimed him first."

Renate nods minutely. "Think I remember him. He was... real difficult? Had a hard time acceptin' it?"

Yi's face contorts with uncertainty then. "Maybe? Though I think he has come to accept what roles he is to play, so far." There's a sense of unspoken tension as Yi goes on about the other ragabash, but then she just shakes her head to shake it off. "I suppose you will be going back to the city tonight? Or, will you want to stay the night here and head back in the morning?"

Rina shakes her head minutely. "Nah. I can't sleep here." She gives a rueful smile. "Another hour on the road won't kill me, after the week I've had."

Yi nods understandingly, letting go of a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "And as much as I would have liked to join you, I cannot. The bawn does need guarding, so I should be going too. For me it will be another hour of running." She chuckles lightly in mock self-pity. Then she looks back to the kin, brows arching in hope. "You'll come back and visit?"

Rina nods, sliding out of her chair. "This the best place to get in touch? Or d'you still have your cell?"

"Here," Yi answers with a point towards the kitchen refridgerator door. A pad of post-its, a bunch of magnets. "Or if you must, you could walk out into the woods and try howling." The ragabash grins then, naturally meaning the latter in jest.

Rina consider it a moment, mock-thoughtful. "Hm... I think I'll give that a miss." She flashes a grin, and then gives Yi a quick hug. "My number's the same... do me a favor, call if anything happens? If you mention dancers, I'll know what kind you mean."

Yi readily returns the hug, holding on tight for a moment and then releasing. "I will," she states with a clear nod. "And I'll make sure to find someone at least, maybe Kaz, to see if you need anything too. Good night, Rina. It is so good to see you back."

"I'm glad you're here," Rina answers. "And I'll see you around, don't worry." A quick smile, and she goes to the sink to wash out her mug; then she's gathering up her helmet and gloves.

Yi likewise, sets her mug in the sink and holds off on the washing to instead see the kinswoman off. She even walks her out to her motorcycle before holding a hand up in a goodbye wave before returning to the farmhouse and completing a few necessary chores for the night.

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