[Not long after Haz returned from the Great North.] Farmhouse: Downstairs Three rooms make up the first floor of the farmhouse, the living room which is the first as you come in, and the dining room and kitchen at the back of the house. (See +view and places) A door in the kitchen allows direct access to the barnyard behind the house, while the door in the living room lets out to the front porch. Carpeted stairs twist up the northwest corner of the room, leading to the second floor. Contents: Cassandra Kath Anne Kit Eligio Sacateca Stormcloud Derrick Scab-Survivor Quiet Dillan Nikolai Illuminated Text Blanket NOTE: Current Farmhouse Residents Obvious exits: Front Door Back Door STairs Cassandra stands up and strides over to Kath and her mother. "Kath wants to go to another Sept, rhya. I think she's makin' a mistake but damn all I can do about it." Hazmat thumps loudly down the stairs, stopping at the blackage of Furies at the bottom. Cristoph slides open the glass door in the kitchen, stepping in, and then closing the door behind him. Cristoph comes through the front door, bulky pack on his shoulders, carrying an unstrung bow and a quiver of war arrows as well. He stops and blinks at the crowd, surprised. Cassandra shrugs, her eyes da5rk on Kath's. "If she chooses to abandon her sisters, better now than when the chips are down." Kath raises her chin another fraction, now that the word is well and truly out. She says, "I'm going back to my grandmother, and the sept of the Clear Well." Scab-Survivor contorts and blurs as he is transformed. Kit is not strong enough to force her way past Anne. However, she doesn't back down and she does not seem inclined to give up her daughter. "Kath and I are going out to dinner. I don't know what else is going on here, and I would appreciate having some time alone with her. Now get the hell out of my face, okay?" Scab-Survivor shifts into Homid form. Anne says mildly, "She's my cub too, Kit. Relax, will you? Why, Kath?" Hazmat frowns, halfway down the stairs, nose wrinkling at the bodies blocking her way. She shoves her hands into the pockets of her trench and leans against one wall. Touch Deer shifts inside the kitchen, out of sight of anyone in the living room. Kit is not strong enough to force her way past Anne. However, she doesn't back down and she does not seem inclined to give up her daughter. "Kath and I are leaving. If you want to treat your cubs this way, that's fine. But I am _not_ having my daughter left in the place, alone, untutored, untrained and so scared of who she is that she calls me in tears. Now *move*!" Kath's head turns and her eyes blaze at Cassandra. She says bitingly, "I'm not." She turns her head back to Anne and says, still defiant, "Because it's someplace where I'm wanted. My bloodkin are there." Cassandra shrugs. "I think you are." She trembles as well, but in anger. "You were wanted, you were just too fuckin' blind to see it." Stormcloud raises his hackles as the tension in the other room builds. Cristoph's eyes shift back and forth, taking in the scene. Quiet whines comfortingly to the Talon. Still. Anne's voice cracks with hard command. "I have not left her untutored, nor is she _unwanted_. I've taught her, worked with her, and tried to help her _gently_ past her fear. I've tried not to push her into acceptance, not to force her, because that's going to make it worse for her, not better." The Adren's eyes ignore Kit, looking past at Kath. "What of that makes you think you're not _wanted_ here, Kath?" Hazmat stands on her tip-toes, trying to see past all the furious Furies. "Um, hey?" At Anne's voice, she shuts up and scratches her belly under the sweatshirt. Stormcloud lowers his head and glowers into the living room. No harm. Dillan raises a hand. "Ooo! Ooo! I know! I know!" Kit doesn't even react to the command in Anne's voice. Rank means nothing to her, and she turns, pulls Kath into her arms again and says "It's okay, sweetie. We'll leave soon. Grandmother Trisophne knows we're coming and she said that she'll send someone out to meet us. We'll call her from the airport." Cassandra turns a sharp gaze, on Dillan, her voice cracking. "Shut up." Dillan lists items off as if reading from a multiple-choice question. "A) Multiple beatings. B) You can never do anythign right. C) Everything's really fucked up. Or, D) all of the above! Er, shutting up. Right." Kath drops her eyes despite herself, instinct taking over. Her voice trembles. "You've tried, when you've had time. And maybe you were doing your best. But I /don't/ belong here. Every time I try to talk to anyone, they either beat me or yell at me, or send me away. And of the people nice to me, most of them are /men/." Kath's voice drips scorn, and trembles. Whether from anger or tears is unclear. Cassandra looks up at Anne, turning her gaze from the couch. "Let her go, I think, rhya. If she wants to leave, we cannot stop her, and if it is not now, it will be when we truly need her. It is not we who do not want her, it is she who does not want us. Mother knows why." Her voice lowers, and she turns her back on Kath. Anne's eyes narrow slightly. "You haven't," her voice gentles out of the harshness used to Kath's mother, "told me about being hit, or yelled at, or sent away." Quiet turns her head from Stormcloud and Nikolai. A warning growl rumbles in her chest at the Lord. Cristoph's eyes track to Dillan, hard. Stormcloud's chest rumbles. "Wow. I can sympathize. Oh, wait. No-one heard that. I shut up a while ago." Dillan sticks a fist in his mouth and slides back against the wall. Touch Deer turns to Quiet. "Keep Stormcloud calm....I do not want him to do anything unwise." Hazmat mumbles something underbreath and sits down on the stair, resigned to waiting before she can get past the stairwell. Quiet turns to Touch Deer. Keep /that one/ quiet. With that, she turns back to nuzzling the Talon cub. Kath shakes her head. She says, a little bitterly, "Why would it matter? You've watched Cristoph do worse." Stormcloud is too focused on the living room to pay anyone else much attention. Touch Deer moves quickly over to Dillan, looking furious. Cassandra mutters softly, "Kath, for the love of the Mother, grow a skin. Cris slaps me around alla time." Anne says, firmly, "No one but us are allowed to touch you, at all. Do you really think the same won't happen elsewhere?" Kit looks to Anne. "She is my daughter," she says calmly. "She the the child of the one woman I loved most in this world. Joan gave her life for this sept, and while it kills me to think that Kath could follow in those footsteps, I swear to you that if I thought it possible that this place had anything to offer to Kath, I would leave her here." Her voice grows angrier. "But it does not. So I take her to her homeland, where she will be treated with the dignity that I think all Garou deserve." Dillan mimes zipping his lips. He waves his hands, as if motioning that everything's calm. He gives a pair of thumbs up gestures at Touch Deer. Stormcloud takes another step towards the living room. Cristoph opens the door, apparently for Kath, and steps to one side, out of her way. He takes off his pack, bow, and quiver, and sets them in a corner. Touch Deer moves away from Dillan back over towards where Quiet and Stormcloud are. Anne is still blocking the three Furies from leaving the stairway, but she ignores Kit's comments once again to watch, and wait for, Kath's answer. Eligio Sacateca only watches the anger unfold in the small space at the foot of the stairs, reserving comment. Reserving, even, judgement for all that his dark eyes reveal. Kath shakes her head. "I dunno. Maybe they will. Maybe I'm wrong, and this whole life will be hell. But Mom grew up there, and being just among my kin has to be better than being trapped here." Kit straightens up and puts a hand on Anne's shoulder. Her voice is low and filled with quiet steel. "Look, bitch. Just because you're some ass-kicking Fury bitch does *not* give you the right to ignore me." Touch Deer contorts and blurs as he is transformed. Stormcloud's lips part. Touch Deer shifts into Lupus form. Hazmat perks up, watching the altercation with interest from her front-row seat. Her own emotions seem mixed, though, and it's not certain which side she favors or agrees with. Scab-Survivor begins whining towards Stormcloud in soft tones. Anne brings a hand up to wrap it around Kit's wrist. "Nor does your being her mother mean that I have to treat her like a child who can't speak for herself," she says, quietly. Still holding the wrist, she suddenly pivots out of the way, the wrist of her clasping hand showing old, encircling scars. "You won't be shackled here," she says to the girl, still quietly, still gentle. "You were never unwanted, but if Cassie's right and you don't want us, then go freely." Kit yanks the wrist easily out of Anne's grasp just a few moments after she begins to move and nods curtly. "Thank you," she says. Anne makes her way to a closet, which she opens to reach up and pull out a small, carved pegasus. This, she tosses underhand at Kath. "This was an apology to me from Remy for taunting and goading you. I'd like you to have it." Stormcloud quietly grumbles again. Scab-Survivor makes soft chuffles towards Quiet while still trying to calm down stormcloud as best he can. Cassandra stands still, her back turned to the Fury cub and her mother, quite pointedly. Stormcloud cocks one ear back at Scab-Survivor and stops advancing. But that is all. Scab-Survivor's tail and head have raised, clearly in dominance towards the Talon cub. Kath catches the object instinctively. She looks down at it, turning it over in her hands. "It's pretty, but he didn't give it to apologize to /me./" Anne shrugs one shoulder. "He apologized for what happened, when it wasn't any of his business to be trying to goad you." Kit looks down at her daughter. "Ready?" Kath says, even softer, "But he didn't apologize to me." With that, she nods at Kit and follows her out the door. She has her head bent, but tears are visible on her cheeks to those still watching. Kit leaves through the front door. You can hear the screen door swing shut again with a clatter. Kit has left. Cristoph gets out a notebook, and writes on the top sheet. He tears it off, folds it, and hands it to Kath on her way past. Kath leaves through the front door. You can hear the screen door swing shut again with a clatter. Kath has left. Scab-Survivor advances on Stormcloud, still looking like he is trying to dominate the cub. Cassandra does not move until the door has closed behind the two. When it does, though, the note of finality seems to set loose something within her. She whirls around, exploding, "All right, who was filling her head full of shit?" Anne turns her own gaze onto Eligio, cold and hard. "Why in Gaia's name were you just going to _fetch her down_ and let her go?" Hazmat exhales heavily and sidles past Anne and Cassie to enter the living room. She glances at the lupine forms there with some puzzlement. "I thought there wuzza rule 'gainst that." Stormcloud succumbs to Scab-survivors overtures. Cristoph collects his gear again, and starts up the stairs, taking care not to brush against anyone in passing until he gets to Cassandra. He puts a gentle hand on her arm. Scab-Survivor chuffs up to Hazmat, after the cub has become submissive, that this is a cub of the Red Talons who did not know the rule. Hazmat heads further into the kitchen, glancing at Stormcloud. "Oh, I 'member him..." Eligio Sacateca stands in the cold anger of Anne's gaze. "What makes you think I was going to let her leave?" he asks, simply. Cassandra rubs at a bruised shoulder, growling softly as she looks up at Cristoph and nods shortly. Anne snaps quietly, "I have no faith that you'd do anything but." Scab-Survivor contorts and blurs as he is transformed. Scab-Survivor shifts into Homid form. Quiet chuffs. He should be taught to shift, or taken to the sept, soon. But better shifted in here than outside, where any can see. Hazmat rubs the back of her neck. "Mebbe yuh should teach him tuh stand on two legs." Cristoph tilts his head towards the upstairs, inviting Cassandra to go there with him. Touch Deer leaves the kitchen. Touch Deer has departed. Cassandra glances at Hazmat, but bites her tongue and nods to Cristoph. "Anyone know where Diana is? I think we all need to get together an' having a long -fuckin'- talk." Eligio Sacateca shrugs. "But then I've no need to prove myself to you, have I?" Nikolai mounts the stairs, pausing briefly at the landing before continuing up to the second floor. Nikolai has left. Derrick moves into the living room. Nikolai comes down the stairs. Nikolai has arrived. Cristoph mounts the stairs, pausing briefly at the landing before continuing up to the second floor. Cristoph has left. Nikolai moves into the kitchen. Nikolai joins you. Cassandra mounts the stairs, pausing briefly at the landing before continuing up to the second floor. Cassandra has left. Touch Deer moves towards a wall in the living room, where he stands and watches Cass with concerened eyes. Stormcloud lies done in front of the fridge, abashedly. Hazmat glances over her shoulder, frowning at the tension, uncomfortable with it. So she turns her attention to Quiet. "Yuh his teacher?" she asks, referring to Stormcloud. Anne says dryly, "I don't know. Perhaps Timothy and Brian have more faith in you than I do, Fostern." With a cold expression, she turns towards the stairs to follow up after her tribemates. Anne mounts the stairs, pausing briefly at the landing before continuing up to the second floor. Anne has left. Derrick says "Well. Pardon me." Derrick slides open the door in the kitchen, passing through into the back yard. Derrick has left. Quiet shakes her ruff. I am not, as I do not think he is of my tribe. I can teach him, if it is needed. He is an obedient youngling, and well-mannered. Eligio Sacateca shakes his head. "Perhaps," is all he says after the retreating form. Hazmat grins at the Child of Gaia. "Yah, he is." She peers down at the cub in question. "Yuh in front a' th' food, yuh know," she notes mildly. Stormcloud doesn't move, not understanding. Touch Deer says "He does not know any human speech, Hazmat." In the kitchen, Nikolai looks a bit better and moves off quietly over near the table. Hazmat nudges Stormcloud with a toe and utters a damned convincing bark. Move. She's amused, not angry, though. You say "Yah, gotta teach 'im tha', too." Derrick slides open the glass door in the kitchen, stepping in, and then closing the door behind him. Derrick has arrived. Stormcloud yelps and scuffles over to Nikolai, tail tightly between legs. In the kitchen, Nikolai holds out a hand to pet Stormcloud. Hazmat rolls her eyes slightly and sighs, opening the fridge. She rummages and pulls out a wrapped package of roast beef. Kicking the door shut, she kneels down and unwraps the meat, showing it to the lupus cub. Touch Deer scratches his belly-scars and moves towards the door. "I have to see Cinder and the pups. Quiet, you know where to find me if you need me." Dillan hops off the countertop. "I'm gonna assume if I talk now, I ain't gonna get decked in the head for it." "Feel free, though, to inform me if I got that wrong, though," the Shadow Lord cub adds. Touch Deer nods a good-bye to everyone and heads out. Eligio Sacateca picks Quiet out of the crowd and goes over to her for a moment. ~Quick question for you,~ says to her. Quiet chuffles an agreement. I think I should wait for Mark-of-Thorns. Her posture is worried. Touch Deer nods a good-bye to everyone and heads out. Touch Deer leaves through the front door. You can hear the screen door swing shut again with a clatter. Touch Deer has left. Quiet turns her head and looks at Eligio questioningly. Hazmat tilts her head, peering up at the Uktena. Eligio Sacateca says, ~I've been asked to teach at least one of the Guardians how to open the Caern; in case it is needed in defense of that place. As Ritemaster, will you agree to this?~ Quiet tilts her head. Which? In the kitchen, Nikolai speaks up from the table to those in the kitchen and says "Can I go outside? I don't feel too well." Stormcloud takes the offered meat from Hazmat. Hazmat grins at the lupus cub and sits on the floor, helping herself to more of the cold cuts. "Hey," Dillan speaks again, undeterred by the lack of response. "So, like, if it isn't a touchy subject or nothin', anyone care to fill me in on what happened? I'm sorta curious as to what set that all of an' what it was 'bout." Eligio Sacateca says, ~Thunder's Claws.~ Hazmat looks up, nose slightly wrinkled. Eligio Sacateca adds that ~Joseph already knows it. That would give each pack a way to tap the Caern's strength if needed.~ In the kitchen, Nikolai sighs and gets up to walk into the living room. Quiet considers it, then dips her muzzle. It is well. Nikolai leaves the kitchen. Nikolai has departed. Stormcloud after finishing Hazmat's gift looks up questioningly to Nikolai. Hazmat drops the package of roast beef in front of Stormcloud and scratches at her throat. Stormcloud gets up to follow Nikolai, leaving the roast beef behind. Nikolai walks into the living room and heads towards the bathroom where he enters and closes the door. Quiet pushes Stormcloud gently. You cannot go outside in the lupus form. Stormcloud looks behind him to Quiet. No outside. Nikolai in. Quiet chuffs. Just keep it in mind. I'm going back to the man-shape. Stay calm. Quiet contorts and blurs as she is transformed. Eligio Sacateca nods and leaves Quiet to the cubs then. Quiet shifts into Homid form. Eligio Sacateca leaves through the front door. You can hear the screen door swing shut again with a clatter. Eligio Sacateca has left. Stormcloud leaves the kitchen. Stormcloud has departed. Stormcloud sits in front of the bathroom door, waiting for nikolai. Nikolai comes out of the bathroom shortly and sees Stormcloud then looks around. Stormcloud whines up at Nikolai. Hazmat watches Stormcloud and Nikolai, head tilted. Dillan wanders out into the living room. "Well. Good to see everyone's so talkative 'bout stuff." Nikolai holds out his hand to pet Stormcloud. Hazmat yawns and gets up, stretching. She looks at Dillan. "Wha' yuh wanna talk about, then?" Dillan perches himself on an arm of the couch. He shrugs. "Well, like, what the fuck just happened. All I know is some chick came in here and grabbed some other chick and they took off, and everyone was all pissed off 'bout it." Nikolai shrugs and says "I don't know. People don't tend to tell me much here." Hazmat raises her eyebrows. "Looked tuh *me* like it was a fight fuh th' cub 'tween her mom an' her elders. An' tha' th' cub wanted tuh go home where her mom's kin was." Derrick says "Kath. One of the Fury cubs. Her mom took her off to some other sept. I've got clue none why, though. The Furies seem to be less, uh, physically demonstrative than the Fangs 'n Lords are." Dillan says "Er. Okay. But was she here in the first place, then?" Hazmat shrugs. "I don' 'member seein' her much, but I ain't been back long." She flops into a chair and yawns. Derrick says "I dunno, Anne seemed to think so. And what Anne says, goes." Hazmat glances at Derrick. Dillan shrugs. "I ain't never seen her before. But, okay. Lemme get this straight. For some reason, girlie was here. And some other butch comes in and drags her off 'cause life wasn't a bed of roses. Shit. I oughtta wait for someone to come get me." Hazmat snorts. "Wuss." Dillan snorts. "I ain't phonin' no-one to get me, am I?" Derrick grins at Hazmat. "Anne is a very impressive person who knows what she's talking about, who whapped me once. I only carry grudges when I might get something out of carrying 'em, and I sure as hell won't in this case." Hazmat looks pointedly at him. "Yuh sure as hell *complain* a lot," she says to Dillan. "I ain't nevva heard no cub whine an' cry like you." Madeline comes down the stairs. Madeline has arrived. Derrick says "An' Dillan, I bet it was 'cause her folks are Kinfolk. Someone told me that if my folks had been in with a Sept, I'd've known more about stuff and wouldn't have had people dragging me off in the night." Nikolai smiles a bit when he sees Madeline and says "Hi, Madeline." Madeline says "Hey. What's up?" Derrick says "Hey, Maddy! How goes?" Madeline says "I'm feelin' better, now." Dillan smirks at Hazmat. "I'll bitch all I wanna." He shrugs at Derrick, calmer now. "Maybe. And y'know, you're startin' to sound like me sometimes. Stop that." Stormcloud follows Nikolai's gaze. Derrick spreads his hands. "Hey. You're a good example, maybe?" Nikolai looks to Madeline and says "Thats good. I haven't been feeling well myself." Have you met Stormcloud? Hazmat pushes up off her chair and shrugs at Dillan. "Yah, you bitch. Bitch an' complain an' whine all yuh want. Jus' don' get surprised 'cuz everyone thinks yuh such a joke, an' no one takes yuh seriously. I mean, yuh ever met that Strider, Blinks-at-Fire? Yuh could end up jus' like him. Cliath, bu' a joke. He ain't nevva gonna go anywhere or get anywhere." Madeline looks at the wolf. "Nope, not yet." Nikolai smiles and motions towards Stormclouds and says "Well this is him." Dillan shrugs. "Yeah, I saw him at the moot. So what if he's a joke? At least that's a step up from punching bag. Right, Boy Wonder?" Madeline says "Hi. I'm Madeline. Silver Fang Ahroun cub." Stormcloud cocks his head at Madeline. Hazmat rolls her eyes at Dillan. "Wuss," she says again, and leaves. Nikolai says "Um....he doesn't understand people talk. Just wolf talk stuff."