asha, bai, pack unity.

[Asha Singh] The black LS hybrid sedan pulls to a quiet stop outside a certain loft, where a certain pack of certain Garou – including, it seems, the current Silver Fang Elder of Chicago – make their home. The vehicle bears New York license plates, and has been recently washed. There’s new-fallen snow on the streets again, winter’s return about a brief, suggestive thaw, but Thomas drives with care and precision, well used to the winters of the upstate New York snowbelt.

The passenger does not wait for the driver to open the door for her; instead, her door swings open before the car has come to a full stop, before the driver has killed the engine and cut the lights. She climbs out – still a slight thing by the standards of their race, half-grown, half-growing - alive with energy, studying the building before them with a certain critical eye.

“Now, Asha,” says Thomas, in his perfectly posh British accent, a certain note of aggrieved caution entering his tone as he circles the car and rounds on her, his weapon of choice – a velvet lint brush! – held firmly in hand.

“Now Asha - ” she throws back at him, in a perfect mimic of his accent. For all that, she thrusts out her arms dutifully and allows her butler – the only member of her entourage of Aunties and Uncles, et cetera, et cetera she has allowed to remain with her – to apply his lint brush to the sleeves and back of her coat with his usual efficient vigor. Then she changes gear, channeling one some old, always-shocked Aunty back home. “I am trying to figure what we are to be doing with you, you bad thing!”

“Try not to disgrace yourself, my dear. That’s all.”

She lifts her chin at the loft laid out before her, frowning, thoughtful, at the structure. “At least it’s not as bad at the Veridian Fulgour.”

“My dear, you say that everyplace we go.”

“It’s true about everyplace we go.”

“Take off your sunglasses, dear - ” and before she lay claim to them, Thomas confiscates them neatly from her dark, shining head.


Knock knock knock!

Five minutes later, the pair are standing on the front stoop of the loft. Thomas, a tall man with well-coiffed blonde hair just graying at the temples, bears the faintest hint of Silver Fang breeding – hardly enough to draw approval of Falcon had he been born true, but enough, perhaps, to serve the tribe in at least this capacity. He is dressed in a crisp black suit, under a crisp wool coat, and stands with a certain – well, crisp-ness, as if he had had his soul starched and pressed, just this morning.

He stands a head taller than his charge: she is 5’6” in her boot heels, dressed in fitted black velvet jeans, a tailored menswear-style shirt, open at the collar and cuffs, beneath a dark burgundy blazer. No winter coat – not for her, just a pair of black leather gloves, and knee-high black leather boots, flatheeled, in deference to the weather. Her hair is loose, and even though Thomas has confiscated her sunglasses before allowing her to approach the pack’s den, she stands there with her face lifted up, held as if she was wearing, watching, waiting.

[Katherine Bellamonte] There are a handful of facts known already about the current Elder of the Silver Fang tribe in the city of Chicago. One is that she packs with Shadow Lords -- mercy save us -- and not only this, but follows a totem of theirs as well as if she intended to flout centuries of tradition and mistrust at every turn.

Another is that she recently ejected her own flesh and blood from their tribe -- imagine it! -- a highly bred calf such as that left to wander the streets, abandoned and forlorn. Most visiting Silver Fangs of Katherine Bellamonte's tribe are knowledgeable of the fact that her family is descended from Royalty [but whose wasn't, I mean really] not merely of the Garou Nation -- but of the mortal world as well. They are told that the House of Bellamonte is strong still, its roots pure and seeped in the mixed glory of two Houses -- that of Wyrmfoe and that of Gleaming Eye.

There are stories of her father's death, of the bravery of a pack that went in to battle and was sabotaged, of graves that now line a Sept left behind in another city. There are whispers of betrayal by her Uncle, of upheaval within the family sphere. There is all sorts of factual and unproven things spoken about Truth's Meridian, now Honor's Compass and her sibling.

Perhaps Asha knows of some, perhaps she knows of nothing but that this is the woman of whom she is to come offer greetings to.

--

When the door is opened, it is by a stout Hispanic maid of average height, a pair of glasses perched on the end of her nose and her greying hair [once a glorious mane of perfect black] twisted back in a severe bun. She wears no apron, Lucille Teresa Ramírez de Arroyo, but she does boast a small pedigree of breeding of their tribe. She is wiping off her fingers on a cloth and the aroma of baking clings to her fingers.

She looks from Thomas, to the young woman behind him.

"You are come to see Mistress Bellamonte." It is not a question, but a statement seeking confirmation of them. Behind the Hispanic woman, a corridor can be glimpsed, the polished wood of which is covered by a crimson red carpet, running right down the length of it. The walls are soft washed white and there seems a light, airy quality to the interior that is entirely concealed by the paler frontage to the property.

[Iona McNevin] Iona had a long day at work. Heading home, she found Room 10 quiet since Connor had moved out to his new pack house. So she decided to go over to Kate's with Lukas.

For once, the Ragabash had been quiet while there. Taking advantage of the heated swiming pool to relax after a day of pounding metal. Most found her to be the ultimate tomboy, always in jeans, t-shirts and flannels. And always, always in those steel toed boots.

But today, she was actually quiet fond to look upon, her perfect muscular body seen in the black bikini, her blonde hair wet and sleeked back from swimming. Her tattoos easily seen. One her right inner forearm was a stag, and around the left forearm was a celtic tribal band that hid the ragabash glyph neatly in the center. She even had a navel peircing hardly any ever saw. A small charm of a claddaugh dangling there. When se wasn't looking like a boy, she actually was a vision.

Feeling alittle hungry, she climbs out of the pool, wrapping in a towel, and heads for the kitchen. Only then hearing someone was at the door.

[Asha Singh] "Hello, Aunty!" Asha sings out before the ever-dignified Thomas can stop her. Instead, he somehow manages to reach back blinds, claps a hand on the girl's shoulder rather firmly - and offers Lucille his most apologetic smile.

"Yes, ma'am," he replies, the title spoken as mum. "I have come to present my mistress to your own. And I trust you will forgive her familiarity, Aunty is a title of respect and honour, not used lightly by my mistress. I am given to understand that Mistress Bellemonte is expecting us. There was to have been a call made, though - in these days - one can never be sure."

[Asha Singh] ( - to reach back blind! no s.)

[Wyrmbreaker] Iona was not the only one enjoying the pool. For his part, Lukas is doing laps in Kate's enormous pool. The lane dividers have been unrolled across the right half of the pool. The Ahroun, previously only an adequate swimmer, powerful and tenacious but rather slow, is getting noticeably better. Faster.

He goes from one end to the other; tucks into a flip turn; strokes back across. He's been doing this for ... well. Since sometime before Iona came in.

The doorbell, however, rouses him from his rhythm. Lukas pops up at the far end of the pool, panting audibly, scrunches his face up to loosen his swim goggles, lets them snap back into place over his head. Then he reaches back and hauls himself out of the water with a great sluicing of water.

[Katherine Bellamonte] Lucille spoke in broken English, her accent was, and would remain, strong until the end of her days on this earth. It was both pride and a stubborn refusal to conform that kept it thus despite Katherine's oft-repeated offers to finance English lessons for the woman who had witnessed all the Bellamonte children grow from young infants into what they were today.

I get by, we get by, was the constant answer the Half Moon's offers received -- Katherine had stopped asking now.

"Yes, I get phone call earlier, you are expected. Come," Lucille gestured them in, and stood to one side to accept and hang coats, scarves, bags. "She wait for you in sitting area. Come." The maid's flat-soled shoes squeaked effeciently down the corridor. The Loft opened up at which point into one enormous, con-joining room that renovations had sliced down into a kitchen, indoor pool, bedroom and garage. The area that Thomas and Asha are led through to however, is the open living room; at the center of which; seated on a black leather sofa with her legs crossed and a pile of papers beside her -- was Katherine Bellamonte.

The Fostern Philodox raised her eyes when Lucille returned, two arrivals in tow and smiled, setting her pen down and rising to her feet to greet them. In cream slacks and a long, delicate silk blouse, Truth's Meridian looked the picture of American beauty; she was fresh faced and pretty, with pale blue eyes and the long nose and full lips that heralded her Ancestry.

"You must be my evening appointment," she says, her voice hinting at a french upbringing, at least in part. "I am Katherine Bellamonte, Truth's Meridian, Honor's Compass, Fostern Philodox."

[Iona McNevin] The slim athletic form of the Fianna passes by the sitting room, waist wrapped in a towel, and a black bikini top. Her eyes glanced to the two in tow behind Lucille. Having that maid around let Iona feel better about her own accented fucked up English.

The girl, well, had to be another Fang. She seemed to ebb Fanginess like Kate did. The man with her? Cute, and probably kin, Fang kin.

She waited til Lukas came in close and muttered. "Pøísahám, že s tolika kin Fang, nebudu tady uspìt." That was said with a somewhat chuckle.

[Asha Singh] "I think -" Asha whispers to Thomas, sotto voce as they are led through the corridor, into the Elder's salon, " - that you should go with my personal pleasure this time." Thomas gives her a supercilious little glare; once it would have cowed her, but now she sees - always - the glint something else, humor perhaps - behind the ever-proper kinsman's cold blue eyes.

--

In the open living room, Thomas leads the approach. He offers Katherine a deep bow, bending so long that his head sinks below waist level before he straightens, standing tall and sure once more. "Truth's Meridian, Honor's Compass-rhya, it is my deep and abiding personal honour - " Thomas seems to pronounce even the silent u of proper SOWPODS spelling. How he does it, only Gaia may know. " - to present to you Her Exalted Highness Arundhati Sunyana Elevarisi Asha Priyamvada Natajaran Singh of Karpathula, Bundi, Maharawat - "

As always, Thomas leaves off the Rochester.

" - scion of House Wyrmfoe, daughter of Alexander Harrison, Vision-of-the-Fall, scion of House Blood Red Crest, the great granddaughter of Sri Padmanabha Dasa Vanchi Pala Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma Dharma Raja Kulasekhara Natajaran Singh, Maharaja of Karpathula, Bundi, and Maharawat - svatantrya to the Nation -"

It does not end, though Thomas does take a breath here, a small one, before pushing onward. "descendant of the Maharajadhiraja Bahadur, Great Prince of Princes, Elder Philodox of the Silver Fangs, House Blood Red Crest."

The kinsman steps back, then, and Asha - a perfect contrast to Katherine's blonde beauty: black-haired, black-eyed, dark skinned and slender as a whip, limned with energy she can contain for the moment, only just. There's a wide smile on her full mouth, and a light in the girl's black eyes. She's practically a child, no more than seventeen, her body still growing into its promise - but the promise is there, in every line and every limb. She wears dark clothes, too - black and burgundy, the hint of her white shirt a crisp contrast against her dark skin. - steps forward, all feral grace.

"-rhya, I am Asha Priyamvada Singh," she says herself now, addressing Katherine directly. "kâlarâtri to the Nation, cliath ranked, born under the full moon." She pauses, glances sidelong, shoots a look directly at Iona, then back to Kate. "Hi!"

[Wyrmbreaker] Glass surrounds the vast pool, most of it frosted for privacy. Even so, Lukas can discern movements; people. He can hear, and he can smell, and like any werewolf,

he knows when strangers are in his den.

He sits on the edge of the pool for a moment, feet trailing into water. The swim goggles are tugged off altogether, tossed atop the nearby lawn table. Katherine clearly intended her pool room to be a place of leisure, somewhere where she could laze about on pool floats, soak in the jacuzzi, lounge on plastic chairs and sip margaritas. Lukas rarely does most of these things, but he sure as hell does swim.

The Ahroun gets to his feet, then. His body feels unexpectedly heavy after so long in the buoyancy of the pool. He gets a towel from the wardrobe, takes a quick cold shower beside the pool to rid his skin of chlorine, and then emerges into the sitting room.

In all this time, Thomas has been introducing his mistress. Lukas slides the glass door open just in time to hear ...Fangs, House Blood Red Crest.

Into the rather shellshocked silence that follows -- anyway, it seems shellshocked to Lukas -- the Shadow Lord interjects:

"Wow."

[Katherine Bellamonte] Lucille, once she has done her duty by Katherine, stands discreetly to one side and listens to Thomas introduce his Mistress with no reaction but for a tiny quirking of her wrinkled lips and the vague suggestion of amusement in her dark eyes. She looks from the bowed figure, to Katherine, and then for a minute she's scowling at the wet footprints the Fianna leaves on her newly waxed floor.

Then: Katherine is laughing, albeit briefly, and coming around the table to greet both her Cousins more directly. There is pleasure in her eyes, in the merry way they seem to dance, despite the raw power of her Rage, mingling with Asha's and then, in another beat, with her Alpha's. "I am delighted to make the acquaintence of you both, and most pleased to be able to welcome you to the Sept of Maelstrom, please, make yourself at home.

Lucille, would you be so good as to bring out some refreshments."

Without missing a beat, Katherine invites her pack-mates into the introductions. "Also allow me to introduce some of my pack-mates, the young woman who passed by is Iona McNevin, child of Stag's, Cliath Ragabash known as Banchee, and this," nodding to the startled Lord. "This is the Alpha of the Unbroken, Lukas Wyrmbreaker, son of Thunder, Fostern Ahroun."

[Wyrmbreaker] Then Asha's introducing herself, and it's on this that Wyrmbreaker steps away from the door to the pool room and pads, barefoot, wetfooted, across the hardwood floor. He has a towel around his neck, and he's wearing square-leg swimsuits. Both are dark; the latter black with water. The Shadow Lord himself is dark as well: swarthy-skinned, black-haired, powerfully built, with eyes as pale and flashing as lightning.

"Hey. Lukáš." It's uncertain whether Asha pronounced her own name properly, or if she succumbed to anglicizations of the vowels and consonants. Regardless, Lukas pronounces his name as it is: with long vowels, aspirated sibilants.

He extends his hand, which is still beaded with poolwater, gripping Asha's forearm briefly; then shaking her kinsman's hand. His rank is in his posture, the levelness of his regard; in terms of demeanor, Lukas is perhaps surprisingly affable, and a little embarrassed at his outburst. "Sorry; no disrespect meant during your intro earlier."

Then Iona is muttering sidelong to him, and he's turning his head slightly to hear, and then frowning.

"Way T.M.I., Iona. When the hell did you learn Czech?"

[Bai Chou] Bai felt like Raphael. Not the painter. More in the case of Ninja Turtles. And not in the cool "I'm a ninja" aspect. Not even in the 'Turtle Power' aspect. No, Bai was feeling like Raph due to entirely different reason. As if doing a dress rehearsal of the movie...Bai was tumbling downwards to crash into the living room table that made up Katherine Bellamonte's home. It wasn't exactly the entrance once usually had...quite literally, the Uktena was crashing the party. The Theurge found himself evicted from the Umbra...pushed out by the horde of Falcon spirits who suddenly were not keen on the presence of the 'Rude One'.

He should have done his research on spirit hierarchy. He would have realized the PDA Pigeon spirits that annoyed the shit out of him were not even remotely part of Falcon's brood. Yes, they were birds. Yes, Falcon was King of Birds. Difference being...PDA Pigeons were Weaver esque and Falcon definitely didn't tow that line.

But right now, the only thought going through his mind as he sailed down was..

This is gonna...

He didn't even get to finish the sentence as gravity finished his thought for him as his body crunched through two layers of thick glass...but don't worry...the floor cushioned his fall. With underlying foundation and glass broken glass fragments to remind him what barriers he had gone through to get there. Bai was usually someone with very articulate words when he needed them. The man could speak over several different languages. And with that same eloquence, Bai groaned...

"....fuck."

[Iona McNevin] Iona smiled softly, and gave both the newcomers a nod. Her accent a deep Irish tone as she spoke. "Tráthnóna maith, tae ye both."

She then looked to Lukas and laughed. "Och, poor Lukáš. I guess I forget tae be tellin' ye. Viktor taught me when he was me mentor. I speak fluent English, Irish Gaelic, Welsh, Russian an' Czech." She shrugged. "I like tae learn. Wha' kin I say?"

[Iona McNevin] The sudden crash of glass made Iona jump up and her war hammer seemed to unravel from her tribal tattoo and into her hand to greet Bai Chou with.

[Asha Singh] "Oh, wait -!" Asha demands, lively, alert - terribly, terribly likely to give offense, except when the target is charmed, laughing as Katherine is, rising like a (tastefully clothed) nymph from the sea of her elegant couch. No: the metaphor is wrong. Rising - as Katherine does, the laughing charm rising bright over the deadly ocean of rage that clots and chokes the room. " - I'll have him do it again."

This, confidently to Lukas as the Shadow Lord grips her arm. "Lukáš - " Asha tongues the word, experimenting with the accents, tasting it fluidly before spitting it out again, as fine as you please. "Lukáš-rhya." The deference in her manner is natural, fluid - though perhaps not complete. She eyes Lukas openly for several long moments (It is entirely likely that she has never seen a Shadow Lord in his swim trunks before.) and then looks beyond him,

"Hello -yuf," to the soft-smiling Iona, doing that urrah thing, suffixes without attachments, titles without context before at last returning to Katherine. "I-am-very-pleased-to-meet-you," a singsong beginning, before Thomas kicks her, not discretely, "well, seriously. Thanks." Then: crash. And: "Is the guy who fell from the ceiling your pack, or should I go kill him?"

[Wyrmbreaker] The spirit life surrounding the Loft is unusual. A near-constant storm boils in the umbra, whipping wind and precipitation down against the shadowy reflection of Kate's abode. By winter, it's ice and snow; later in spring it'll be cool rain; and in summer, the drenching torrential downpour of a monsoon.

Darting amongst the lightning are falcon spirits, singly and in pairs, sometimes coalescing into a flock as true falcons never would. Clinging to the crevices and corners are small, metallic cockroaches, related perhaps to the weaver-spiders that are, day by day, spinning the Loft into reality in the penumbra.

Recently, now and again, a stag comes and goes.

--

Bai Chou would've seen all that, had he had time to observe. Instead, he finds himself rudely ejected from the Umbra, and crashing onto Kate's coffee table. Iona startles into battle-readiness. Asha volunteers to kill. Katherine -- is probably about to have a seizure.

Lukas: well, for an instant, almost before the Gauntlet began to rip, Lukas was suddenly and inexplicably tense. But by the time Bai crashes out of thin air, the Ahroun, Fostern, and faster to react now than most people can dream of ever being, has relaxed. After the dust settles he inspects the newcomer for a moment, then shakes his head.

"Neither. That's Bai Chou, called Godslayer, a Theurge of the Uktena and, apparently, an official partycrasher."

Because he wasn't crashing the party himself. In his swim trunks. Nosirree.

[Iona McNevin] Hearing Lukas, and seeing this was friend rather than foe, the war hammer seems to melt back into the band surrounding her left forearm. Iona throws her arms up in the air, and goes to the kitchen "Riamh mé ag dul a fháil atá leagtha!"

[Katherine Bellamonte] Truth's Meridian is almost crushed beneath Godslayer.

Had she not come around her coffee table to properly greet the new-come Silver Fangs, she would, most likely, be a bleeding, glass-covered mess on the floor between designer leather sofas. When the Uktena crashes through the glass he takes Katherine's papers with him, a few fluttering to join the Garou in the aftermath as Katherine goes quite pale, then quite red and all this in utter silence.

The invocation of her Rage is terrible -- it lashes at the air around her and for a moment it looks as if she is about to surge into her war-form and rip the interloper's head from his shoulders. The Half Moon's eyes whip around to find her maid's, and discover Lucille already returning with a broom, and a silver trash can, garbage bag in tow.

Right.
Back to the Destroyer.

"Explain yourself." She demands of Bai Chou, and from the cross of her arms over her chest, she is entirely unimpressed. "And do so well, for you just cost me a very expensive piece of furniture."

[Bai Chou] "...hookers are only $100."

He grunted in response to the retreating Gaelic speaker...wincing as slowly opened his eyes, collecting himself. His hand went to his side...he hissed at the feel of the glass...thankfully very few had actually gotten through the layers of clothing he had on. That still didn't put the wind back into his lungs fully or the pain his brain was telling him his back was suffering...even though he could hear it loud and clear. He didn't know why he responded to the Gaelic first.

He glanced up...at least he didn't have to worry about a Veil breach...just pride, furniture, and the current Philodox Elder ready to kick his ass up and down her loft if so needed.

"...turns out Falcon spirits don't particularly like the idea of being remotely associated to pigeons. Go figure."

[Asha Singh] Asha stands back, - out of the way - stands straight, stands as tall as she possibly can and cheats it another half-inch by rising - not onto her tip-toes - but on the balls of her booted feet. Her arms are crossed firmly over her lean torso. The fitted burgundy blazer that is apparently her idea of formalwear rivels the red flash of fury in her tribesmate's pale face.

The young thing, full-moon-born, offers all and sundry a smile that begins as he's-in-trouble-smug, but ends, instead, as a hungry slash, the full dark mouth, over the bright flash of (vicious, human) teeth.

[Wyrmbreaker] Relax, Kate. He would be amused when someone destroyed her thousand-dollar coffee table. I'm pretty sure it was an accident, not a slight to your honor. Attend to your guest before her butler starts trumpeting her thoughts to us.
to Iona McNevin, Katherine Bellamonte, Sinclair

[Wyrmbreaker] For his part, Lukas laughs. And, skirting shattered glass, he drops his towel on the sofa and sits atop that.

The heavy frame of the coffeetable is still intact. He puts his feet up. Then, sounding a good deal less irate than Katherine, "What did you want of pigeon-spirits, Godslayer?"

[Katherine Bellamonte] Lucille begins to carefully sweep up the smaller shards of glass, and murmurs something in an aside to Katherine that sounds like can have replaced, is just glass, tea is ready or something similar. The Half Moon, still privately fuming at the destruction of her coffee table, and the utter lack of propriety being displayed by all stiffly inclines her head toward Lucille and leans down to collect together some of the more dangerous pieces left on the floor.

"I must apologize," she says with some forced sense of calm, of amusement. "I do not usually greet my new come Cousins with a floor-show to compliment the tea. Shall we allow Lucille to finish up and retreat upstairs to the rumpus room? It is not quite as grand, but it is free of glass shards."

[Iona McNevin] There was a call out from the kitchen as Iona was going through cabinets. "Lukáš! Kde se Kate držet whisky?"

[Sinclair] Warcry was upstairs when Asha showed up, and didn't bother to come down. She was upstairs when Bai crashed into the coffee table, and didn't bother to come down. She heard their voices over their totemic link, tensing briefly at the surge of anger from Katherine, and then simply went back to what she was doing before: that is, kicking ass at

MarioKart.

Which she is enjoying thoroughly, thankyouverymuch, snickering gleefully whenever she rams someone off the rainbow road. She's chewing on Twizzlers, lounging about in a pair of cutoff sweatpants that curl hemlessly at her knees, ankle socks, and a red ribbed tank top. Her hair is up in a ponytail, twisted up like that right after her earlier swim. Well. 'Swim'. Training session, where she left Wyrmbreaker in the pool with instructions on practicing his form.

Legs akimbo, Sinclair lets out a holler, yelling downstairs: "I AM UNDEFEATABLE!"

At MarioKart.

[Bai Chou] Bai finally rose...hissing as he reaches back...and yanks out a sliver that had embedded it into his ass cheek, eyes squinting before tossing it on top of the others. His arms loosed the peacoat, shedding it so he could inspect the damage, the eyes then looking to Lukas.

"Pigeons, especially PDAs -network-. Which means when one thinks I owe them, the whole lot thinks I owe them. So you can imagine my chiminage becomes like a debit card that's over drafted and they're all charging miscellaneous overdraft fees so they can all get a piece of the action. I only owe 'un of 'em and well...frankly...I'm not about to get screwed by a rat of the sky, spirit version or not. So...figured I could talk to Falcon. But I pulled two rookie mistakes. Mismatching spirit broods and second, I forgot to bring a present to mottle their feathers. So..."

He gestures doing a TA DA before he reaches to his shoulder and removes another sliver he just discovered.

[Wyrmbreaker] "I'll join you guys in a bit," Lukas replies to Kate. "Going to grab a shower and put some clothes on." It's a wise decision. The Shadow Lord is woefully underdressed, and his swimwear, hydrodynamic as it may be in the pool, is growing both constrictive and clammy once out of it.

Also: "Ask her yourself!" Lukas shouts back at Iona.

His head turns a little as he shouts, but his eyes stay on Bai, who thereafter tells a rather sorry tale of pigeons and falcons. The edges of Lukas's mouth curl up in not very well-disguised amusement. When he's finished, the Ahroun shakes his head.

"Well, at least they didn't drop you from a couple thousand feet up. Still," the smile fades, and now he's serious. "This is my packmate's home, and therefore the territory of my pack. So respect the territory, and respect the spirits in it. After all, they might not even draw much of a distinction between one Garou and another. And I don't want falcon-spirits tearing at me any more than they already do."

[Asha Singh] "Seriously?" says Asha, the shining paragon of her family, the hope of her failing line. Her dark eyes flash from Bai on the floor, bloodied, groaning, as the efficient Lucille sweeps up all around him. "This is - like, seriously - the best greeting I have ever had in my whole entire life - !" - that comes out before Asha's mind has caught up with her loose tongue, and before Thomas can jab her with the little pen he produces from some inner pocket of his crisp black suit for just such purpose.

"Truth's Meridian, Honor's Compass-rhya," Thomas says, stepping forward, a hand on his mistress's shoulder, restraining. "I assure you, we will take no offense. You can hardly be held responsible for the behavior of - " a glance at Bai Chou, not as supercilious as one might imagine, that " - so many others. We are infinitely pleased with our reception in your home, and will speak only of your generous greeting, and your gracious manner. The - " he can hardly bear to say the word. It sounds so common. " - ah, rumpus room will be most acceptable, I am certain.

"Come now, let me give you a hand, Ma'am," the last bit to Lucille, as the elegant butler crouches to offer his assistance to Katherine's long-suffering maid.

Asha then shoots a glance from Bai to Katherine, and back again, wrinkling her noble little nose. "Pigeons?" - she stage whispers, horrified as only a child of falcon could be at consorting with such things. "God, gross."

[Iona McNevin] There was a grumble from the kitchen. "Kate? Where do ye keep tha whiskey? I'm thirsty."

[Katherine Bellamonte] Sinclair yells from up the stairs that she is undefeatable, Iona hollers about whiskey from the kitchen, Lukas needs to put some pants on and Bai is pulling shards of glass from his rear-side while Asha's butler attempts to smooth things over with a feast of compliments.

All in all, Katherine is about as horrified as she knows to be.

But, she's a Silver Fang, and she's been brought up properly -- therefore, she takes a little calming, centering moment and breathes in deeply, slowly, and then out again before she plasters her big, irresistible smile over her lips and resumes her role as Hostess. "The liquors are kept in the last cupboard on the right, Iona, beside the refrigerator." To Bai Chou. "I understand that dealings with Spirits are never simple, Monsieur so I forgive the abruptness of your arrival, and offer the hospitality of my home to you." Then to Asha, a mild agreement: "Plague carriers, all of them."

Katherine begins to lead the way upstairs.

"Come, I hear the dulcet sounds of another pack-mate from above, I shall make introductions."

[Bai Chou] Bai shook his coat a little, getting some of the smaller particles of glass out before he folded it over his arm, mentally reminding himself to give it a good look over later as he nodded to Lukas.

"...trust me...I'll be by to smooth feathers over later. Never know when I have to talk to them again."

He glanced to Katherine and gave an incline of his head.

"Spasiba, rhya."

[Asha Singh] The flash of bloodlust has passed from Asha's eyes and mien as quickly as it came. She watches Kate with avid interest as the Fostern composes herself, finds - ever - a way to put order to the whirl of disorder around her, and then follows the remaining action like the spectator at a tennis match - zing, zing, zing - following the little yellow ball whereever it flies, not discretely, as would be mete and proper, but physically, with her eyes and face and head and body, black hair (well-dressed tonight, brushed and curled and perfumed, all in Kate's honor) swinging with every movement.

Light footed and sure, Asha flashes in Kate's wake, waiting long enough that she has to run for a half-dozen steps, then tucking her hands behind her back, discretely, demurely, as the catches up to the Fostern. The image, always, is shattered when the raptor-thing calls back over her left shoulder, "C'mon Jeeves," - to long-suffering Thomas, confiding in Katherine as they climb the stairs, in a whisper-that-isn't. "I need him for the introduction. It sounds so dumb when I say Her-Excellent-Highness myself."

[Iona McNevin] Figures, it was to be the next cabinet she was going to check when she heard the answer. She opened it and her eyes just went wide, and the totemphome rang with sounds like Hallelujah! and heavenly angels. She looked over each bottle "Yum..yum..yum..yuck..eh, so so....oooo, Jackpot" She found a whiskey and gathered it up as well as a glass. Can't be rude here. Then she followed suite and joined everyone upstairs soon after.

[Wyrmbreaker] "Good." Lukas distractedly flicks a speck of glass back to the floor, then stands. "Come on. Let's get out of the way."

He gestures Bai toward the stairs, and up. For his own part, Lukas ducks into the downstairs bathroom. The water runs for a while.

[Iona McNevin] Iona nods to the others after checking Sinclair's score and grinning. "If'n ye dinnah mind, Kate-rhya, I am going tae lie down in tha guest room." After saying good night to the others, she bowed out quietly.

((Sorry, I have to get up early for an appt. I will see you all later))

[Sinclair] Sinclair has been in quite the mood lately. She hasn't been spending as much time in her room with Theron, but more and more time at the Loft, though when she sleeps here it's usually on the couch. She doesn't claim a room, doesn't seem to want or need one. It's a little like living with a teenager, and not one remotely like Gabriella: she stays up late, sleeps long -- and deep, so deep that Lucille could vacuum right beside her head and Sinclair wouldn't wake up -- and has been moody as fuckall.

At times she is distracted, distractable, daydreaming. At others she's delighted, wandering about with a constant smile to herself. And then there are the times when she's cranky. Not quite morose, but there's a darker, more sullen cast to her mind's wandering. It has yet to affect her dealings with her packmates overmuch, but they're almost all close enough -- or around her enough -- to at least notice. Then again:

this is Sinclair. 'Moody as fuckall' isn't exactly saying much.

In any case: tonight's a night when her mood is up, is bright, is waxing with her birth moon overhead. Her skin is surprisingly tanned for winter, a light golden brown. There's color in her cheeks, brightness in her eyes, and even her hair seems softer and shinier than usual. Sinclair is not difficult to look at, no matter how much metal and ink she adorns herself with, but when the gibbous moon waxes in the sky, she's all but luminous, herself.

And dangerous.

She's in a good mood right now, though, undefeatable on the Wii, gnawing on Twizzlers when she is not singing her own praises in as loud a voice as possible throughout the loft. Her arms are bared, but the back of her neck is to the couch's edge. There's an industrial piercing and a small titanium hoop in one ear, four small titanium hoops in the other. Some of the hoops have a tiny bead on them, differently colored. There's a thin, round metal bar pierced twice through the skin of her left bicep, above three tattooed spikes. Her right bicep has four names written in script. That's what's visible. That is what makes her look so much less like the girl next door.

She glances up as the others enter, trickling in, her eyes zeroing in on the slight figure that carries the weight of so much breeding, so much rage. Those eyes are a pale, ethereal blue, lacking the vivid intensity of Lukas and Kate's but matching them, to some degree, in general color.

Sinclair glances at Kate, looks back at Asha, picks up her bag of candy and holds it up and out. "Wa'some?" since she's still chewing.

[Katherine Bellamonte] Asha's confidence, given to Katherine as they ascend the staircase draws a delicious little giggle from the lips of the blond Fostern -- a sound better suited to a playful child, rather than this Monster in Woman skin -- she bows her head close to the Cliath and they are for a moment as thick as thieves, conspiring in the night.

"I understand completely, I begin to wonder if I should not have Lucille do the same for myself." A glance over her shoulder at her long-suffering maid's dour expression has Katherine's blue eyes dancing with wicked delight, and she is still smiling as they reach the second floor. The so called Rumpus area of the Loft was in actuality the Guest Quarters. Several doors were lined up along the walls, forming a sort of 'L' shape. In the middle of these, was a Billiards Table and directly before them an assortment of bean bags, lounge chairs and sofas were arranged around a TV set and games system -- complete at present with a Galliard Glass Walker.

In a corner were the items comprising Katherine's gym.

She nodded, as Iona pardoned herself to make use of one of the bedrooms, then: Sinclair and her bag of offerings. Katherine waits for the dutiful Thomas, before saying: Sinclair, Warcry, Cliath Galliard of the Glass Walkers, my pack-mate, Sinclair, this is Asha, she is a new arrival to my tribe in the city." Kate seems to know what's coming, but bites her tongue and allows it, anyway.

[Sinclair] Uhoh. One of Kate's tribe. Sinclair knows what's coming, too. She continues holding out the Twizzlers, but braces herself.

Which, considering who and what she is: only means that her attention focuses on Asha and the man with her, eyes intent, memory awakened.

[Bai Chou] Bai made his way upstairs...he hadn't shifted to heal the little bits of cuts and stabs of glass. A man had his dignity after all and Bai was scrambling to get most of his back after being booted from the Shadow. The pea coat folded over his arm, he almost reached to get his cigarettes but then remembered the whole -guest- thing. It was one thing to break a table by accident, it was another to give second hand smoke in another wolf's home.

He walks up behind them then his eyes lock on Sinclair. The blue orbs widen only a fraction...recognizing the one he got into a tussle with over a smart mouthed kin...he also remembered having a head butting contest between the two of them. It was hard to say who had the thicker skull.

[Asha Singh] "You totally should - " affirms Asha, quickening to Katherine's regard as the Fostern draws close. " - and you know what's even better? Get her, like, a big stick to rap against the floor. Like a sword-stick, but bigger." Thomas is following close, and she shoots him a frowning glance, waiting for him to supply the word she's missing. He does not rescue her, and so she crosses her eyes at him, in a flashpan fit of pique. " - well, I don't remember," Asha continues, giving Katherine her Most Bright Smile, the one she always gave to the Aunty in the kitchen when she wanted something sweet. " - exactly what it's called, but, you know, that stick-thing works really well."

They walk down the corridor, just before Katherine presents Asha to her packmate, Asha appends, considered. "Really gets their attention, I mean."

Then: everyone knows what's coming. Thomas bears it well. He stands straight, managing to straight his collars, bows to Sinclair this time - though not so deeply or formally as he did to Katherine. Really, it's more of a baby-bow, short and clipped as his perfect British accent.

"I have," he says. He takes a breath, does Thomas. He must has the lungs of a pearl-diver, that man. " - the deep and abiding personal honour of presenting to you, Her Most Exalted Highness Arundhati Sunyana Elevarisi Asha Priyamvada Natajaran Singh of Karpathula, Bundi, Maharawat."

"Scion of House Wyrmfoe, the beloved daughter of Vision-of-the-Fall, Adren Theurge of the Sept of Falling Waters.

"Scion of House Blood Red Crest, the true-born great grand-daughter of Sri Padmanabha Dasa Vanchi Pala Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma Dharma Raja Kulasekhara Natajaran Singh, Adren Ahroun of the Sept of the Broken Sky at the base of Annapurna, the late-lamented Maharaja of Karpathula, Bundi, and Maharawat."

By now, one might reasonably expect that the recitation was finished. But wait: there's more!

"Descendant of the Maharajadhiraja Bahadur, Great Prince of Princes, Elder Philodox of the Silver Fangs, House Blood Red Crest, Cliath-ranked, full-moon-born, named kâlarâtri to the Nation, which means, in your human tongue, both night of death and death of night."

The girl standing there cannot possible wear so many names. She is slight by the standards of her tribe and her moon - growing still - whipthin, dark as night - black hair, black eyes, dark skin shining with health and energy. Then, Asha says: "Hi, -yuf Can I have a Twizzler?" Pause, considered - a wrinkle of her nose. "I only like the red ones."

[Edward Bellamonte] And . . . another of Katherine's tribe. Look, there, they feel it - one of theirs, the Unbroken, coming closer. Not here, not yet, but in their shadow, perhaps - he is not far, their sneaky Ragabash brother. Assessments are made, and then it's out, a bit away again, to shimmer in through the bathroom mirror as he had not so long ago - a few months, perhaps - but this time, not to sneak up on his sister. This time, he washes his hands and face, then disappears to his room to change, to make himself presentable before appearing . . . where everyone else is.

It is, of course, Young Mister Bellamonte (or That Bellamonte Boy, depending on who's talking, what they're saying, and the price of tea in China). He dresses well, tonight, in slacks and a button down shirt, sans the tie - his hair brushed, but not particularly neat regardless. He could use a shave, but hasn't taken the time. That there are two unknowns here, he already knows.

"Hello," he says, adjusting his cuffs before checking his nails to make sure they're clean.

[Sinclair] Sinclair looks at the open bag of red Twizzlers in her hand and looks back up at Asha. She did pay attention to the introduction, but truth be told, her eyes glazed once Thomas started in on her ancestors. She'll remember who Asha is. She won't remember the rest, and that is because she stopped listening to the rest. Thomas would be so disappointed. Or maybe just chalk it up to the fact that this is a Walker, cut off from her ancestors, cut off from any trace of breeding the tribe once had, low-born and low-mannered.

She looks back at Asha and gives a slow nod. "Then I think you'll be okay." She shakes the bag at her. "You like video games?"

Bai gets a glance. It lingers a moment, and then moves on.

[Katherine Bellamonte] Over the totem-link, as Thomas introduces Asha for not the first time comes a thoughtful: Perhaps I should invest in a herald, myself.
to Edward Bellamonte, Sinclair, Wyrmbreaker

[Edward Bellamonte] Can we share, or shall I get my own? Your friend has the right idea, I agree.
to Katherine Bellamonte, Sinclair, Wyrmbreaker

[Wyrmbreaker] Rather firmly: NO.
to Edward Bellamonte, Katherine Bellamonte, Sinclair

[Asha Singh] "Hello," says Asha, taking two Twizzlers from the bag and offering one to Edward when he appears. The piece of candy flops over at the middle, nearly in two. Thomas most assuredly hopes that Edward heard his charge's introduction, as the well-mannered kinsman is still catching his breath. Then, a frown crests her brow. Asha takes a third Twizzler and offers it to Kate. Note: she does not bite into her prize until the two Fostern Silver Fangs have taken their own. That is unconscious, unconsidered.

Back to Sinclair, the creature's black eyes roam all over the pierced and inked Glass Walker, curiousity undisguised by native tact, papered over by a flash of spendthrift charm. "No," is what she says, first. Then, a twist of her shoulders, more broad than one might guess to look at her. "I mean," she amends, "I've never really played one."

[Wyrmbreaker] [shit. i totally forgot: lukas has been squeaking this whole time! voice of the jackal!]

After a while, Lukas jogs up the stairs to the rumpus room, all dechlorinated and clean and dressed-like. He's just in time to hear the tail end of the introduction -- again.

"Man," he complains, and with his voice as it is, this really does sound rather like whining, "I never get to hear the first part."

[Sinclair] The names on Sinclair's right arm are easy enough to read: Kenneth. Regina. Colfax. Arthur.

She breaks out into a grin at Asha's response and slaps her hand on the bean bag chair beside her. "Well sit your ass down, then, sugar, we have shit to do."
to Edward Bellamonte, Katherine Bellamonte, Wyrmbreaker

[Sinclair] The names on Sinclair's right arm are easy enough to read: Kenneth. Regina. Colfax. Arthur.

She breaks out into a grin at Asha's response and slaps her hand on the bean bag chair beside her. "Well sit your ass down, then, sugar, we have shit to do."

[Katherine Bellamonte] In comparison to Thomas' well planned and long winding list of Names and Ancestors and Importance™ comes Edward's introduction to the others of Hello. Oh dear, one can almost feel the sense of Katherine's momentary embarrassment resurfacing, and she scrambles, mentally to fix the error in tribal etiquette as only she can.

"Asha, Thomas, may I introduce my brother, Edward Christopher d'Albret Bellamonte, son of Christopher Adrien Grey Claws Bellamonte, Grand Son of Gerard 'Striker' Bellamonte, Heir to Bellamonte House, Fostern Ragabash of the House of Wyrmfoe and Gleaming Eye and pack-member also of the Unbroken."

Great Gaia, and she isn't even short of breath, she smiles at Thomas in particular as if to share this moment and accepts a Twizzler from Asha.

[Bai Chou] Bai glanced over as Lukas came up, his arms merely tucking under the pea coat, remaining quiet as titles are thrown back and forth. He thought hearing Fianna boasts were bad...they were nothing compared to having to sit through a well-established family line of Silver Fang.

He was glad they didn't start going into stories of a particular ancestor. He just gave Sinclair a nod...no threatening motions or the like...just a nod of greeting before returning to his silence.

[Edward Bellamonte] Edward smiles, amused, as his sister scrambles - some would call this uncharitable, and maybe it is, a bit. But mostly? It's because he would have gotten to it in a moment, and as his Kitty so often does, she took care of it for him. It's handy, really, having a sister like her. Especially when one is a brother like Edward.

"Merci," he says, quite polite, as he accepts the Twizzler from Asha, and gives her a smile. He is not the most attractive of young men, but there is a certain charm about him. It's in the slightly rounded cheeks, perhaps, in the face that still manages to look young despite the darkness in his eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. All of you, rather . . ." At the last, he glances Bai's way, an eyebrow raised, curious. He hasn't properly met this one before, either, though he's seen him - at moots and things, no doubt.

[Katherine Bellamonte] At some point, Lucille bustles onto the scene with a folded tray beneath one arm, juggling a tray of tea in the other. She unfolds the TV tray carefully, and plants an intricately woven doily atop it before settling the steaming teacup on it. Cups are turned over, and a small tray of sweet biscuits left beside it.

Then she sets about re-shaping the pillows with a brutal efficiency enough to impress the staunchest of observers.

--

Katherine notices the curious glances cast Godslayer's way, and says, without a trace of a smile: "Godslayer was so unfortunate as to be cast from the Umbra, he made quite an impression on the coffee table downstairs." The pale eyes regard him momentarily, a little furrow appearing in her brow. "I do hope you are not bleeding too badly."

[Wyrmbreaker] "Ed," Lukas looks faintly, pleasantly surprised. "Didn't know you were in." And he grabs a Twizzler.

[gonna try to speed posts up! getting late!]

[Asha Singh] It is extraordinarily rare to see a well-bred, well-trained, well-manicured, well-dressed Silver Fang butler break face. Still: Wyrmbreaker says: I never get to hear the first part, and poor Thomas sighs, deeply, thoroughly, as if someone had closed his lungs like a bellows.

Asha flashes a grin in response to Edward, then breaks out a patented curtsey - which is perfectly balanced, elegant, lovely, all the while twirls her Twizzler, then nips it between her teeth, shoots a guilty glance toward Thomas before at last - at last - flopping into the seat offered her Sinclair. She holds the controller, when offered, the way she would the hilt of a sword, for Gaia's sake. The flush of novelty is already starting to wear off. "There are so many buttons."

[Edward Bellamonte] "I do live here." Not, of course, that he spends much time here - he keeps himself busy, and occasionally presents useful information, as he gets it. And yes, that voice - even from his Alpha, from one of his oldest friends (or maybe especially), it induces an internal cringe. But Asha is curtseying and of course he bows, all etiquette classes and long ago balls.

"Some games require more of them than others. Do you like Tetris?"

Everyone knows - pack-wise - to never ever ever evereverever get into a game of Tetris with Edward. They will go on forever. Which, of course, explains the hint of mischief in his eyes as he asks.

[Bai Chou] "I'm fine but thank you for asking. Just a few nicks here and there. Gaia saw fit to give me plenty of blood, rhya."

Bai gave a slight grin, a hand reaching up to adjust the spectacles he wore...for those that had known him before...Bai had never needed glasses but he felt that it gave him a 'brain' look.

[Sinclair] "Fiddlesticks," Sinclair says to Asha, waving a hand. Her fingernails are a dark, metallic green. Starting to chip. She goes over a quick rundown of said buttons, pointing to them rather than saying 'A' or 'B' or the like, forcing Asha to search over the control to find 'A' and 'B'. She tells her what they do. And when to do those things.

"You'll pick it up quick," she says kindly, "promise. Mostly, just keep your eyes on the screen and glance down at the controls as little as possible. S'good for your hand-eye coordination. Or, really, if you HAVE good hand-eye coordination, you'll do fine."

She walks Asha through picking a character, telling her pros and cons of each one, before picking one of the easier tracks. She's a competitor. She's also not interested in playing solely to crush someone else. Not much fun if Asha throws the controller through the screen, anyway.

"Ready?" Sinclair and the screen both ask. "GO."

[Wyrmbreaker] "Yeah but," Lukas shrugs, "just don't see you around often, is all." A pause. Their eyes meet; Lukas's direct, steady. "I'm glad you're here. Really."

He means it. Then the moment's past, and he's saying, "Seriously, Tetris? She'll never play again." And then he's wading over the back of the sofa to drop down next to Sinclair and Asha. Ready? says Sinclair. Lukas is still looking for a controller. "Waitwaitwait--"

GO!

"Fuck!" Lukas scrambles for the third controller, managing to snap it into the steering wheel accessory just in time to watch their Karts zoom off the starting line. He gets his vehicle going. His little dude appears to be King Koopa.

[Katherine Bellamonte] Katherine eats her Twizzler thoughtfully, watching the game in progress before Lucille comes up beside her and forces a cup of tea into her Mistress' hands with a look that suggests she will argue the point with her if she refuses. Edward receives the second cup and then one is offered to Bai Chou and finally Thomas, with a small nod of approval.

Protocol followed.

While her pack-mates are racing, Katherine seems quite content to stand back and sip from her tea, relishing the fragrance and apparently -- for the moment at least -- happy.

[Asha Singh] "Uhm - " Do you like Tetris? Edward asks; Asha shoots him a dark-eyed look, not blank, from wary. Never trust a Ragabash. Right. " - not-really?" Then, Sinclair takes over, walks Asha through the whole process, and Asha - screws up her face, frowning at the screen. Over and over, Sinclair shows her the buttons. Asha switches hands twice before she picks a comfortable one, at last, and frowns at the screen, intense.

"Why do they all look like muppets without their fur?" she asks, as the game begins, a flare of her competitive spirit rising to the fore.

Meanwhile: Thomas commiserates with Katherine, walks over to the tea set. "May I pour you another, ma'am?" mum, he pronounces it, thoroughly proper. "Milk? Sugar?" He shoots a despairing glance at Asha. "I am sorry for her behavior. Disgraceful, really."

[Sinclair] "Shut the fuck up, she's awesome," Sinclair mouths off to Thomas, a Twizzler hanging out of her mouth like a tiny red cigar as Yoshi whips past Princess Peach. "They're classic fucking characters, kâlarâtri."

Fuck the rest of the names, apparently. "So there was this console that came out of Japan," she says, dropping banana peels behind her for King Koopa, "called Nintendo. And they had this game, see?"

Thus begins the Epic of Mario and his brother. Asha might be distracted by the constant storytelling going on beside her while the game goes on, round after round. But by the end of it, she's been caught up to date on all things Mario-related, including the rather unfortunate existence of Wario. She has heard about Sorry, but your Princess is in another castle. And they've gone through several more Twizzlers. Sinclair has, at least.

[Bai Chou] Bai watched the video game...remembering how often he had used such distractions while in school. He took the tea, sipping it and actually taking it like proper Earl Grey rather then a heathen. He then finally set the cup down once he was finished and bowed his head to Katherine.

"...I think I'll leave the festivities for the evening, rhya. Get back to me in Chinatown about the table...I owe you a favor...or three."

He didn't say money....money meant nothing to the Uktena ultimately and likely by his own fashion sense, the man didn't really carry such materials.

[Wyrmbreaker] "So Bai," Lukas's eyes are glued on the screen. "I've been meaning to ask. What's the story behind your name? Godslayer, I mean."

On the screen, Bowser smashes into poor little Toad. Poor little Toad goes flying with a squeak. Lukas makes a satisfied grunt, then barely manages to swerve by the banana peels. "Cheap," he accuses in Sinclair's direction.

[Edward Bellamonte] Ed takes his tea when it's given to him, and he stands with his sister - close, and with the family resemblance clear even if he is the plainer of the two. Thomas' apology gets a snort of amusement (and pleasure, perhaps, to not be the one being apologized for). "She's -" awesome, "- fine."

Then there's this Godslayer fellow saying his goodbyes, and Edward nods, until Lukas asks his question. Maybe the guy will stay for a bit, and there's nothing wrong with hearing such a thing. There is, though, a murmur for his sister. "I would speak to you later, of something of ours. Remind me?" Goodness knows, he's prone to forgetting things lately. Not everything, but some of them get left by the wayside when he's distracted by something else.

[Sinclair] "Dude, that's the game," she says benignly to Lukas, with a tone of sympathetic exasperation that may or may not be feigned. "You don't like the rules of the game, go play Tetris with Ed."

A sudden burst of laughter. "Hahaha, fuckers. I got a star."

[Bai Chou] Bai paused some, glancing to Wyrmbreaker and then his eyes shift to Katherine before he speaks.

"Uktena deed names are often private things...but I feel I do owe the host recompensation...though this will hardly be all of it."

Bai massaged his neck a little as he cleared his throat.

"...how do you think you kill a God, Wyrmbreaker?"

[Asha Singh] "Yes ma'am," Thomas replies to Sinclair, with perfect equanimity. It would be impossible to find fault in his words or in his tone; his address is wholly respectful of the Glass Walker. And yet. That's all it is: and yet. "Farewell, sir." The kinsman-butler begins to address Godslayer, quickly swallowing the sentiment when the Shadow Lord addresses the guy who fell through the roof from the umbra. Briefly, Thomas wishes that he was in a house with servant's quarters. He could live on the story of the evening for weeks, possibly months.

"Nevermind him," Asha replies to Sinclair, frowning, leaning physically forward, swerving and bobbing light a prizefighter in time with the game on the screen. " - he went to butler-school, so he's like, required by the terms of his graduation to do stuff like that. I like him, though. I made everyone else stay home. The Aunties and Nuncles are like, seven hundred percent worse. And my cousin Naima, if she were here, she'd like - "

Oh, Naima and her foibles will await another day. "What's the star do?!" The young Fang demands.

[Asha Singh] "That is kind of you," Thomas appends, to Edward, when the latter says, she's - fine. "More tea, sir?" He holds the pot just so. It really is a pleasure to see him pour. He outdoes any Jane Austen heroine, to be sure.

[Katherine Bellamonte] But Katherine is smiling a touch indulgently at Thomas, the private amusement on her lips withstanding even Sinclair's moment of cheek toward him. She has finished her first cup, and allows him to fix her a second with milk before she leans in a little to speak to him. "You have done very well, and should be quite proud." Flattery, she offers it freely, and seemingly sincerely, her hand on his arm but briefly in a pat pat there there we all suffer together gesture before she lets it drop so as not to scald the man with her Rage.

Then, Godslayer.
Then, Edward.

His sister's eyes turn to regard him, mild surprise raises her brows before she nods, and murmurs: "Later, yes."

[Sinclair] "Disbelief!" she chimes in, just to be a shit, but she really isn't sure if that's the story behind Bai's name. She's focused mostly on the game, though truth be told it doesn't take a lot of concentration for her. She goes back to MarioKart, cackling as Asha demands to know what the star does. She neverminds Thomas, and she doesn't mock Asha for the rookie move of trying to get the controls to do her bidding by way of physical moment.

The Unbroken, at least, know this much about Sinclair: when on her laptop or in front of the television playing a game, it's one of the only times she seems peaceful. Then, it's like a baby with a pacifier. She's still, more or less. She lounges, and she doesn't fidget. She doesn't look for anything else to do. There's a reason she's as good as she is at so, so many of these games across platforms: practice. She can spend hours and hours doing this, and often does.

"I will show you what the star does," Sinclair intones.

And does. Laughing.

[Wyrmbreaker] "You're about to find out," Lukas says between gritted teeth. He just got shockwaved off the road by a goddamn NPC. It was Princess Peach, at that. "And, uh," distracted by MarioKart, "write a myth where he dies?"

[Bai Chou] "...the Walker wins a prize."

He nodded towards Sinclair before he looks back to Lukas.

"To kill a god, you destroy any trace of it existing. There was a false totem....a false spirit that claimed to be a forgotten totem of my tribe. I had found the records of it....all that was left of it for it to be known to my People. And...I destroyed it. Burned it away...for like a lie, there was no substance to it. It was an illusion preying on foolish Uktena who dared fall for its trap. With nothing to hold it to this world, it became no more...just another illusion lost to the dreams and the Shadow."

[Edward Bellamonte] "Thank you," he says to Thomas, holding out his cup for more - there's a glance at the butler, then at his sister, before his attention returns to the trio playing the game.

[Edward Bellamonte] No, seriously, we need one. Can we have one? Where's this butler school? I like him way better than Lucille.
to Katherine Bellamonte, Sinclair, Wyrmbreaker

[Sinclair] Your loyalty both astounds and impresses me, Ed.
to Edward Bellamonte, Katherine Bellamonte, Wyrmbreaker

[Katherine Bellamonte] I'm going to tell her you said that, and watch: your shirts all magically develop singe marks in them.
to Edward Bellamonte, Sinclair, Wyrmbreaker

[Edward Bellamonte] I'm sure. Wry!Edward is wry, and . . . laughing, for once. It's a good feeling, even for those who don't know him as well. Fine, fine. We'll keep her.
to Katherine Bellamonte, Sinclair, Wyrmbreaker

[Asha Singh] "Thank you, ma'am. I will remember your hospitality, I assure you." That's not a promise a Silver Fang, even mere kin, of poor blood and few prospects, makes lightly.

Then: the star! At first, Asha doesn't quite get what's going on. She frowns, still leaning forward over the controllers, flailing her arms sidelong now and then, mashing the buttons at a furious pace. At some point, thoughtlessly, she jumps to her feet. When she finally figures it out, the Ahroun gives out a long, low string of curses in some foreign tongue so exotic it is unlikely to be spoken by any in the room and so virulent that poor Thomas blanches visibly, his pale skin going ashen underneath, as if he had been covered with paste gone gray from age.

[Sinclair] Asha's response makes Sinclair bite back laughter. She presses her lips hard together, eyes wide, trying not to burst out in amusement. "Shit," she says quietly, a half-squeak, but she doesn't stop playing.

She wins. Again.

[Wyrmbreaker] And off the track he goes again. This time, Lukas lets Bowser sit on his rumbling little dirtmobile, turning to listen to Bai's story for his name. He asked, after all. He'll listen.

When the Uktena is finished, Lukas gives him a longer, considering look. "That's a noble story," he says, "and an honorable name to have earned. Thanks for telling me."

He gets up off the sofa, then, facing their surprise guest as he's departing. "Do you know how to get back to Chinatown from here?"

[Bai Chou] "Yeah...I know Chicago pretty decently. Not my first time in Lake View. Maybe my first time being ejected out of the Shadow like that...but definitely not my first time here. Thanks though."

Bai gave a nod to him and the others, before he starts to make his way out. Normally, he would exit back through the Gauntlet but somehow he had a feeling going out the front door would be for the best. He tried not to focus on how his ass screamed in protest after being violated by glass shards earlier. He had a feeling he would hate stairwells today.

[Katherine Bellamonte] Katherine nods at Godslayer as he finally prepares to leave: "Good night, Lucille will see you out." And, true to her word, the Hispanic maid is at the base of the stairs, waiting to lead the Uktena to the door. One thing that will be noted from the evening must be the efficiency of the Silver Fang's Kin servants.

it's almost enough to make one want one for themselves.

Thomas goes pale when Asha's passion for the game takes over her, and the Half Moon must work visibly -- nipping at her lower lip -- to prevent herself from laughing aloud. "The game is very involving," she confides in the pallid Butler, attempting to rouse his spirits once more.

[Asha Singh] "I draw my strength," Thomas says, " - from you ma'am, the backbone of the tribe."

The game is won; Asha stands, the controller in hands stiff still somehow elegant. It's the blood, underneath her skin. There's another little torrent, a waterfall of undifferentiated noise to those without the ear for it. Not surprisingly, Thomas replies in kind - rather sharply by his tone.

Asha flares a smoldering look over at her kinsman, raptor-quick - that - all bright black eyes and quick, hollow-bones. She breathes in, she breathes out, coal-black eyes banked but burning, then flashes a quick-flare look at Sinclair. "That was pretty good - " even her voice is hot, " - but I'll win, next time!" Unlikely, if her button-mashing skill tonight is any indication. By now, Thomas has his hand on her shoulder, and - settles under his touch, comes back to herself and looks up at him. There's a balance, there. He's necessary for her, somehow.

"My lady," Thomas says to Katherine. "My lord," he says to Edward. Then: to the rest, who do not deserve such high-toned titles, " - rhyas, all. We thank you for your hospitality, but I am afraid that Asha has a pressing family obligation to attend to, an important phone call that she cannot miss making. I hope you understand."

[Katherine Bellamonte] Katherine nods, a mild concession that she notes Thomas' words but does not necessarily acknowledge them as true or false -- merely that they have been spoken -- a custom learned when she was in finishing school. Then: movement, Thomas to Asha, Edward by her side and Truth's Meridian is smiling, and setting her tea down to properly farewell those of her blood.

"You are most welcome to call on me again, whenever you have a need of my assistance, or simply my friendship. It is always a celebration for me to greet new brothers and sisters in blood to Maelstrom." Handshakes, then, and kisses to cheeks from Katherine if permitted in the french way.

[Wyrmbreaker] Lukas's rather appalling voice joins the doubtless chorus of goodbyes that rise from the pack. He adds, "Drop by again. We should talk more."

Then he's picking up the Wiimote, stretching his leg out to nudge Kate with a toe. "Come on," he says. "In-house rematch."

[Sinclair] "Anything's possible," Sinclair says, unable to keep the grin off her face as Asha declares that she'll win. "I'll play drunk next time, maybe."

Bring it.

She flicks a salute to them both, still grinning, and twists around to look at Kate. "You're joining on us on the next round," she informs the Philodox, apparently meaning she and Lukas when she says 'us'.

[Sinclair] She and Lukas speak at the same time, but not the same words. Sinclair flicks a look at him, followed by a flashing smile, and throws a Twizzler at her Alpha.

[Wyrmbreaker] ...which he snaps out of the air, rather neatly, with his teeth. "Om nom," he says. The Twizzler dangling from his teeth as he picks .... Bowzer again. "You know, when I was a kid, I really wanted a Super Nintendo."

[Asha Singh] Asha submits prettily to the French kissing. (No! Not like that!) - the French cheek kissing, and the pair are off, down the stairs. Asha frowns up at Thomas, "What family appointment - " oh, she is an accomplished mimic, and knows his tone perfectly " - do I have?"

"My dear," says Thomas, who can be forgiven for sounding a big smug in this. " - you are going to call your mother."

Exeunt!

[Katherine Bellamonte] Lukas nudges her with his toe, and she frowns down a moment at the offending appendage, then she looks from Sinclair to Lukas as if to measure the strength of their resolve and sighs, as if resigned to being put through the trials of Hell, read: MarioKart.

"But I do not like this game," she complains without rancor, "I never win." Of course, to Katherine, that is the only factor worth considering.

[Asha Singh] (Thank you all! I will be dead tomorrow, but I had beaucoup fun. :) )

[Sinclair] "Did your folks not let you have one?" Sinclair asks Lukas, sounding curious. "Also, Kate: you never win because you never practice. Get your badonkadonk down here and pick up a fucking controller."

[Theron Locke] Theron had been keeping too himself over recent days. He wasn't sure that his challenge for Pack Alpha was particularly appreciated. Then there was the fiasco with Rosanna Kardos.

Using his own key, he enters the Loft and scouts around downstairs. Finding it vacant he follows faint sounds upstairs to the rumpus room where he finds his pack in a Mariokart Battle Royale. He shakes his head as he heads over to the couch and plonks himself down without much fuss and starts looking around for a spare controller.

"Evenin all.."

[Katherine Bellamonte] Katherine sits her badonkadonk down on the sofa amongst her pack-mates and accepts a controller into her hands. She does not quite go the same route as Asha and physically toss her weight around to make things operate, but she studies the buttons with an amusing amount of care before declaring herself prepared to race.

She peers up when Theron approaches, and waves a hand toward the tea tray. "There is fresh tea and biscuits if you wish them, Theron. You just missed a rather eventful evening."

[Wyrmbreaker] "My folks," Lukas says without any apparent shame, "couldn't afford one. Or well. It would have been an unjustifiable expense."

Theron shows up. He's promptly greeted by a Twizzler flying at him. "You missed Kate's latest tribeswoman, Theron. She had a herald, I shit you not."

[Katherine Bellamonte] "I want a herald," Katherine notes dreamily from the sofa.

[Sinclair] For someone who technically lives with him, Sinclair doesn't see much of Theron. She's usually only in their bedroom to sleep, and when she sleeps, it's like living with a corpse. He could jump on her bed and she wouldn't wake. Though, if she did, she'd most likely break his ankles. Good enough reason not to risk it.

The two Fosterns and the Walker are playing MarioKart quite happily, Sinclair sprawled in a bean bag chair and Kate on the sofa, Lukas... wherever. There's an open bag of Twizzlers near the Galliard.

"I get that," Sinclair says, when Lukas explains why he never got the Super Nintendo he wanted as a child. "Well. I would've let you come to my house and play with mine if I'd known you then."

[Wyrmbreaker] "Daw," Lukas says, mock-touched, "thank you, Sinclair."

He tilts his head back, snaps the rest of the Twizzler into his mouth like a shark snapping at some unfortunate prey-fish. Except, then: "But really. Thanks. I would've liked that."

And that's genuine.

"Where'd you grow up, anyway? What sort of parents name their baby girl Sinclair?"

[Theron Locke] The twizzler comes flying at him and not expecting it , the strip of the red sweet hitting him in the forehead. Dropping it an awaiting hand, Theron gives Lukas a stern look "You realise this means war?" before giving him a wink and pops the end of the Twizzler into his mouth and bites down.

Theron eventually helps himself to a cup of tea, black, no milk and one sugar and finds himself a coaster to sit it on.

"Oh that's a shame" and then a puzzled look "Herald?". He turns to Kate "is that like a cabana boy with a large fan.. tending to your every whim?"

[Katherine Bellamonte] "Why are there buttons in obscure locations," the Half Moon is demanding of her controller before she lets it go in favor of answering the Shadow Lord Theurge. "Not precisely, no. In the Courts some grand Garou are preceded by a butler, or personal servant whose job, among other things is to ensure all the proper titles and honors for a Silver Fang are known when one is introduced to another for the first time."

Katherine looks thoughtfully at the stairs.

"It is an old custom, but one that can be very useful, especially if you have many great ancestors."

[Wyrmbreaker] "How is it that you have an Xbox, a PS3 and a Wii and yet don't know how to play any of them?" Lukas is baffled.

At Theron's declaration of 'war', Lukas merely laughs. He's watching the game. He's playing the game. In a few days time, when that declaration becomes briefly genuine, he'll find it a great deal less amusing.

But that's later. This is now.

"A herald," he explains, "is a fellow that stands up and recites your names and titles, and then the names and titles of all the glorious ancestors you have." And, to Kate, "Or you could be sensible and introduce yourself as Katherine Truth's-Meridian, who won the rank of Fostern and the positions of Tribal and Auspice Elder on the back of your own hard work."

[Katherine Bellamonte] "Because," she returns with instantly, practically, as if he should know: "I don't buy them for my own amusement. I buy them for Edward, or for Gab--," a second of quiet, before she runs on, smoothly. "Or for others, like yourselves. I've never had a need to really learn."

She hits the buttons experimentally and watches her Kart move; then makes a sound of satisfaction.

[Wyrmbreaker] "That's the truth for a lot of things you do, Katherine," Lukas says. Something a little sober about that declaration. "You go out of your way to act for others. Even claiming title and rank ends up being a way to bring more responsibility on yourself. I think the last thing you really had that was even remotely for you was that kinsman, and ... look how well that turned out."

[Theron Locke] Theron makes a face at Katherine's explanation "Oh ... how ...boring. I think my option is much more fitting for you Kate, you could be like Queen Cleopatra. Reclined back as you are fed peeled grapes" there is a sparkle in his eyes, a mirth. Perhaps Kate would take the joke well, perhaps she wouldn't. But it seemed that Theron had his way of dealing with the apparent...stuffiness.. of the Silver Fang tribe.

He reaches over and sneaks another of Sinclair's Twizzler's , popping it into his mouth. "Maybe we should make time Kate.. I'm sure Sinclair could teach us. I still need to seek revenge for that beating she gave me in Soul Calibur. I just hardly see you guys anymore...perhaps that's my own fault though."

[Wyrmbreaker] [ALLSTOP!]

[Sinclair] "Wichita, Kansas," answers the Galliard, their truth-giver, story-teller, memory-keeper. There's a twang to her voice, the sort of accent most of them would call 'southern' when there's actually some distinct differences between a southern accent and the swinging midwestern drawl that takes over Sinclair's voice for a moment, usurping the Californian speed and bounce that it usually has.

"And," she goes on, glancing a Lukas so Kate and he have so much as a snowball's chance of beating her on the track while she's looking away, still talking like a born-and-raised Kansas girl, which sounds strange at first since they've never heard it but sounds more and more natural to her the longer she goes on: "my daddy's a professor of mechanical engineerin' at Dubya-Ess-Yoo and my mama illustrates children's books. That's the kinda parents name their babygirl --" that really is one word, "-- Heather Jane Sinclair, ya smartmouth."

A small smile, then. "I woulda liked it too," she says, only barely dragging her voice away from the way it sounded for years before she went to college. "Even if ya did always lose."

She twists again, grinning at Kate. "Also: you can't say shit like 'buttons in obscure locations' and expect me to just let that go."

But she does. She lets it go, like the game. Kate or Lukas win this round, while her little avatar goes squealing off the track, while Lukas questions her on how she can own all these consoles and not know how to play them. The mention of Gabriella, truncated as it is -- actually gets no sympathetic glance from Sinclair, this time. She puts her controller down then, nudging it away with her foot, and clambers up onto the sofa to plant a messy smooch on Kate's cheek. "Goin' to bed," she says. An actual bed, it seems, rather than the sofa or a pile of bean bag chairs.

She's on her feet as Lukas is telling Kate about what she does for others, her weight of responsibility, 'that kinsman'. She's staring to walk away but glances back, looking from Lord to Fang. She decides not to ask, not right now at least. She reaches up, stretching out her back as she heads to one of the empty bedrooms, taking her hair down and tousling her fingers through it. She's humming to herself, some unknown tune.

[Sinclair] [THANK YOU. *L* And Sinclair's out. Thank you guys for the RP!]

[Wyrmbreaker] "Heather," Lukas muses. "I would've never expected that. It fits Wichita. It doesn't really fit you anymore."

The race ends. Sinclair goes to bed, and as she passes Lukas reaches up to her -- half a sliding high-five, half a warrior's handshake. Then it's just Fangs and Lords, and Lukas puts the Wiimote down, sprawling in his beanbag chair.

"Don't encourage her," he adds to Theron, regarding Cleopatra and grapes. "And as for you, Kate, before you get delusions of grandeur, remember Cleopatra ended up dead of a snakebite."

[Theron Locke] Theron was looking at where Sinclair had left the room, a thoroughly perplexed look upon his face. In the space of a few minutes he had learnt more about his packmate than he had in the last several months of them running together.

"I can't help it... it amuses me" he chuckles softly "That she did.....but I can assure as much of a snake as I am... my fangs are going nowhere near Kate" he then makes a face as if trying to rid a bad taste from his mouth "Ergh... it would be like kissing your sister."

[Wyrmbreaker] "Well," Lukas replies mildly, "one would hope you're not a snake when your own packmates are involved."

Earlier, Kate's maid had set out a tea platter for the guests. Lukas only now seems to notice it, and immediately sits up to partake. There are cucumber sandwiches; biscuits; pastries. Everything one might expect from formal tea at four, except of course it's now closer to four in the morning.

"Are you crashing here tonight, or heading back to the BroHo?"

[Theron Locke] Theron shrugs a little "Maybe you should think of yourself as a snake charmer then?" and then he puts down his cup and looks at Lukas "Seriously though... despite my obvious character flaws... and .. well my particular weakness for members of the fairer sex. I do believe I always have the packs best interests at heart. "

He ponders the last question a moment "Not sure, might be a chance to get a good nights sleep back at the Broho. Though I kinda want to hang out here and spend time with the pack. I'm just sorry I wasn't able to get here earlier."

[Wyrmbreaker] Lukas pauses in the middle of wolfing down a cucumber sandwich, frowning. "Theron, everyone has flaws and weaknesses. Recognizing them is the first step to overcoming them. And if I didn't believe you'd have the pack's best interests at heart, I would've never accepted you as a packmate.

"At any rate, I might crash here tonight. For a while this house was full of Fangs, but it seems most of them have since found their own homes."

[Theron Locke] Theron tilts his head as he listens to Lukas and then nods "That is good to know. Perhaps you could tell all of us that a little more frequently."

"Okay, don't let me keep you in you want to turn in. I might stay up and think on a few things. If I see the sun start to come up I might just find a spare bed here."

And then on the last comment, Theron's lips turn into a thin line.... and internal voice in his mind... yeah or found their way into a body bag.

"A question about this place then Lukas... why don't you, Sinclair and I stay here permanently. Make it a proper packhouse... it seems crazy to have us split. I'm sure the Sentinels can look over the Brotherhood. Or is it simply that you just want to be close too the caern?"

[Wyrmbreaker] Lukas is starting to get up when Theron asks what he does. This gives the Ahroun pause; makes him sit back again.

"I like being close to the Caern," he says. "I like being in contact with wolves not of our pack, and I like that they can find me there without encroaching on the territory of my pack. And above all else, I like having a place that's mine. A place that my packmate isn't paying for."

A shrug, then, and a wry smile. "If you and Sinclair want to move in, I'm sure Kate would be thrilled. And I'll try to stay here more often if it makes you feel more like a pack."

[Theron Locke] Theron listens and nods , thoughtful "So you pay your way at the Brotherhood? I just don't see the difference between that and living here, if you don't"

"Hmm... I guess I can understand those reasons. If your also successful in your challenge for Ahroun Elder.. people will want to approach you more readily too."

He then shrugs "I wouldn't want to speak for Sinclair." a small smile "she'd have my head on a stick before I could open my mouth. Although if Kate does upgrade the pool, then I'm sure it will be impossible to keep Sinclair away. I'm just not sure....I can see the benefits of both options, but also the option of having my own private place as well. I doubt Kate would be thrilled with my bringing a guest back here."

"Maybe all that's needed is more nights like tonight. Spend time together... eat together and share in each other's lives so can better understand each other. We have new packmates now... we have old packmates that have returned. " A sigh and a small shrug of frustration.

[Wyrmbreaker] "I do." Pay his own way at the Brotherhood, that is. "And it does make a difference. To me, anyway."

Lukas does get up now, grabbing a napkin from the tea tray and wiping his fingers. As Theron continues, finishing with a sigh, the Ahroun's eyebrow quirks.

"We have lots of nights like tonight, Theron." Lukas speaks bluntly. "You miss them because you're out chasing your latest girlfriend. I hope for your sake you either find a mate you can live with or realize you don't need one. Soon.

"Goodnight, Theron. Kate."

[Katherine Bellamonte] Katherine stirs, she had been dosing.

"Goodnight, Lukas. Is that the hour?" She yawns, and stretches herself right off the sofa. "I believe I may retire myself, Theron, you are welcome to a bedroom. Iona is in that one, Sinclair in there, but there are another two to pick from."

Lukas takes another, she smiles, tired.

"Make that one."

[Theron Locke] Theron blinks a few times at his Alpha's comment "Or perhaps Lukas, you purely do not know enough about me to know the reasons behind why I do the things I do. Whether that is chasing my latest 'girlfriend' or not. It is fine for you to suggest that I do not need one...when you have one waiting for you at home."

A look to Kate briefly "Maybe I am so aware of my past indiscretion and what it cost this pack. That I now feel that I have to declare my intentions if I so much as look at a girl. If it wasn't for my night with Genevre....I doubt the pack would give two hoots, who I take to my bed as long as it did not dishonor the pack."

"If your telling me that I can sleep with whoever I wish as long as I am discrete then tell me that."

[Katherine Bellamonte] Katherine goes preternaturally still.

"Genevre de Provence is dead, Theron. I gave two hoots when you slept with her without permission, I give more so now when you speak her name to me. She took her own life and penned me a note before she did it, that had her blood stained to it.

Sleep with who you will, but do not speak to me of indiscretions."

[Wyrmbreaker] Lukas turns sharply at that. "What the fuck, Theron. Did you just imply that you want a mate because I have one? Do you have any idea what it means to have a mate?

"Let me tell you something. I have a mate. I did not seek her out. I did not find her by bedding and 'loving' seven other women before her. I found her purely by chance, purely by happenstance, and I. Love her.

"I have only loved one woman in all my life, and that is Dani&+269;ka. She is mine. I am hers. If she were somehow lost to me, I would never take another mate. Never!" The word is a snarl, sharp, cracking on the ruin of his voice. "I'd certainly never dream of moving onto the next woman a week later.

"You, on the other hand. It's not just Genevre, Theron. It's Anežka, Genevre, and Lonna." He doesn't even know about Rosanna yet. "It's three girls in about as many months, and each one of them the love of your life, each of them your perfect mate, until she ... wasn't. And then you just move right on, and you know what that tells me, Theron? It tells me you never really loved any of them. Because if you did, you would know it. You would not give it up so easily.

"This isn't me telling you to be discreet. This is me telling you: accept that you are not in love. Have your fun if you have to, but don't let it rule you. Find a mate if you have to, but don't convince yourself you're in love when you're not. Don't chase love as if you could not live without it. That's not how it works, Theron."

[Theron Locke] Theron turns to Kate

"Yes she is dead.... a bright vibrant life has been ended. Do you think I don't care about that ? Do you think I cast her to the side after one night because that is all I wanted from her.....You are mistaken."

"Truth's Meridian-rhya , I offered you Contrition for my actions against you. I meant it then and I mean it now."

He then turns towards his Alpha "No Lukas you are putting words in my mouth that are not there. I am saying that I am searching for a mate for reasons that are personal to me. I'm asking you not to deny my seeking out what I think I need in my life."

"When you have been lucky enough to find what you need. You may not operate the same way I do Lukas... but I am not you ,,, and you are not me. You cannot expect me to be a mini-Lukas."

"Anezka....do you even really know what went on between us. It does not matter that I loved her when she flat out told me that the feeling was not shared. You cannot force someone to love you back, it does not work like that. So I chose to walk away.....I do not see that as giving up easily."

He shakes his head as Genevre is mentioned "Genevre and I were never to be.....could you really see a Cliath Shadow Lord taking on the entire Silver Fang tribe. If Kate did not order us to stop seeing each other. I am sure I wouldn't be standing here before you know."

"As for Lonna.....perhaps in that case you are right that I did not love her. It is something else altogether."

It is all Theron can do to say "Perhaps you are right in that regard....that I let it rule me. Perhaps I ...."

And then in the end it is Lukas' last comment that stings him the most, that causes the great gaping hole in his chest to tremble. Anger flashing in his eyes as it's all he can do to swallow it down to bury deep down inside him. The way he had learnt to do , so so many years before.

Theron runs his long fingers through his hair as he lets out a sigh "Perhaps tonight is not a night that I should stay here." and he begins to stand.

[Katherine Bellamonte] Katherine's eyes shift between Lukas and Theron as each speaks, then return more fixedly to Theron. "Nobody is suggesting you are not welcome here but yourself, Oncoming Storm. It is late, we are all tired, I suggest we all, yourself included, get some rest.

You are welcome under my roof." That seems important, to the Silver Fang, it seems important that she say it, and hold his gaze while she does, before she glances at the Ahroun, and makes her way down the stairs.

[Wyrmbreaker] Ultimately, it's the hurt beneath the anger that causes Lukas to turn his face away and grimace.

There's a long silence. Then he turns back.

"Forgive my harsh words, brother," he says, quiet. "It's just that I hate watching you chase after something that looks futile self-deceptive to me." A hand reaches up, rubs at the back of his own neck, drops. "I'm going to catch some sleep. We'll talk again when heads have cooled."

[Wyrmbreaker] [night!]

[Theron Locke]
Theron simply nods at both of them, sitting back down "Perhaps you are right, we will speak again soon"......as future would have it that soon would be Oncoming Storm's challenge for Alpha. Perhaps there would be good intentions, or maybe it would be purely out spite. But it seemed current circumstances would result in a reckoning. Whether it would be between Lukas and Theron who knew.....perhaps the reckoning would be inside Theron himself.

Turning to Kate "I will take you up on your offer then... but I think Wario severly needs his ass kicked. So I might just hang out here for awhile longer before turning in." as he reaches for the controller once more. "Night Kate, Lukas"

basic meet'n'greet.

[Gabriella Bellamonte] Monotony was hard.

After having her business kicked in by those Silver Fangs that blew into town not so long ago, Gabbie had been all but chained to her bedroom at the Loft with only her sister and mother for company, when they were around. She loved her mother and had missed her dearly, loved Katherine and the time that she was around rather than out doing her duties as a Garou, but... Well, since somewhere around the start of puberty she never could shake the feeling that she was treated more like a prized pet than anything else. Sometimes a small child at best, when things were 'serious' and she had to be spoken to directly, face-to-face. Gabriella, you have a duty to your family. This is the way things are. You wouldn't want to upset anyone, would you? No? Good. Now go play with your violin and paints.

Soon as Katherine's grip on her leash had loosened, she'd come back to the Brotherhood. She was walking up the stairs now with a tote bag slung over her shoulder, containing bathroom essentials and some clean clothes. She intended to spend the night here again, the first time she'd do so in well over a week. Her hair was brushed back into a loose ponytail that let pieces hang free about her face, and she was dressed rather casually in a pair of ankle-height black boots, dark wash jeans, and a form-hugging soft beige sweater. As has been the case for a little while now, she seemed like she was tired or dragging, not completely present or invested in reality. Just here following steps and routine without a whole lot of care.

[Lukas] (go ahead man, open scene)

[Bai Chou] Another figure was currently loafing on the couch inside the Brotherhood of the main room. The Uktena, being as socially recluse as ever, had been slipping into the upper confines of the establishment through the Umbra when others hadn't been around to sleep on the couch or abandoned rooms he could find. Still prideful in ways, Bai hadn't directly asked anyone about living quarters but had gotten the gist of what the place was sorta for...a halfway home sorta gig for the Garou and kin of the city.

But he knew some wouldn't overly like him that much...so he had just kept to himself. But he was tired...he wasn't being cautious. In truth, he was being down right lazy as he was still flopped on the couch...half snoozing.

[Lukas] When Bai wakes up, he's no longer alone on the couch. Lukas has taken up residence on the other length of the sectional, his head propped on the arm, a book in his hands.

The cover reads The Godfather, of all things. And there's a glass of red wine on the end table over his head. When Gabriella comes up the stairs, he turns a page, but doesn't look away from the book. Must be an engrossing read.

[Bai Chou] Bai made a slight face at the book when he fully gained consciousness. It was a bit late to ninja vanish now and honestly, he was Chinese descent, not Japanese. Ninjas were for the Sony whores. He shifted to sit up, sliding his glasses off to rub at his eyes and gave a tired yawn...he didn't want to know why one of the springs felt sorta loose. He just knew his back didn't overly enjoy it.

[Sinclair] It's cold outside, frigid to anyone used to warmer temperatures. Sinclair is one of those. She does not go outside without several layers on these days, unless she has to or she's trying to prove something, or punish herself. She has not gone outside at all today. She's only just now waking, just now showering, just now walking out of her room again after getting dressed and going towards the common room.

Her hair is still wet, darkened by water, twisted into two knots at the nape of her neck, the ends fanning out. She has thick black eye makeup on, turning the soft blue of her irises into something colder and clearer, making her entire appearance more harsh than tender. She's wearing a black tank top with a faded skull and crossbones on the front, arms bared so that the thin bar pierced through the skin of her left bicep is visible, as are the tattoos on both arms, including the latest name on the list on her right. The symbol on the back of her neck is similarly bared, her hair tucked back enough that every ring and colored bead glinting on her ears can be seen.

She's wearing red pajama pants with penguins on them. Her feet are bare. Her toenails are blue.

"Hey," she says when she comes into the common room from the hall, walking to the pool table. Her feet don't make a sound. Only the hems of her pants do, scuffing on the carpet.

[Lukas] "Mmh." It's a noncommittal, distracted sound. Lukas gets to the end of the chapter and closes the paperback, reaching over his head to set it down. "What was that?"

He sits up, swinging his feet to the floor. And, noticing Bai has now sat up, Lukas grins crookedly. "Morning, Princess." It's good-natured.

[Bai Chou] Bai just made a face, meanwhile going to reach into his pocket for his cigarettes. His eyes pause on Sinclair though...staring at her before he went back to sliding out the cancer stick. Sinclair and him already had history from their attempt at a dance the other night. He then went to slide out a box of matches...striking it for a moment.

"What time is it? Afternoon...night?"

[Sinclair] "What was what?" Sinclair asks, taking a rack and cue off the wall and setting them on the table. She starts taking balls out of the side, dropping them into the triangle on the felt. She knows Bai is staring at her, though she's hardly the most perceptive person in the building. Or on the block.

[Lukas] "What you just said." Lukas frowns at Sinclair, confused now. And then, shaking his head at Bai, "It's about 11pm. Long night last night?"

[Bai Chou] "Yes...was going through my old territory. Chinatown hasn't changed much as far as I can tell."

Bai lit his cigarette, blowing out the match once the flame has lit the cherry. He eyed Lukas for a moment before he looked back to Sinclair...the blue eyes passing over what she was doing...body language...stance before he looked back to the novel reader.

"The name is Bai Chou. I am known as Godslayer amongst the people, Uktena Theurge."

[Lukas] The three Garou present right now have in common the color of their eyes, and little else. "There were some odd things going on earlier this year in Chinatown. Things seemed to have settled down, though." He reaches across to Bai Chou, offering his hand. "Lukas Wyrmbreaker, Shadow Lord Ahroun. This is my packmate," a nod to Sinclair.

[Sinclair] She frowns back, looking equally confused. "I said 'hey'. It's considered a greeting in some cultures. Also, it is food for horses." The last ball drops into the rack. She scrolls it over the felt a bit, positions it, and removes the plastic guard, hanging it back up.

The Galliard looks... well. She doesn't look tired. She doesn't seem worn out. She looks like a college student hanging out in the commons on an all-nighter, ready to study but taking a break instead to play a game of pool and shoot the shit for awhile. Everything that makes her seem distant is in the fact that she is not threatening anyone. Even her mouthing off is free of malice, even disrespect.

She leans over to break, but glances past her shoulder at the two of them. "We've met."

[Bai Chou] "Yeah...we have."

He glanced at Sinclair but he didn't bring it up. It was their business, not Lukas'. He turned back to Lukas after letting go of his hand.

"Its been awhile since I've met a Lord. Two years almost...maybe longer."

[Lukas] The corner of Lukas's mouth quirks up. "We're not that rare, much to the grief of some." Curious, "Where have you been?"

Lukas gets up while he speaks, keeping his eyes on Bai Chou to avoid the impression of simply turning away. He goes over to the pool tables, though, picking up a cue without bothering to ask if he could join the game. It's assumed. They're packmates.

[Bai Chou] "I'm originally from the Chinatown back in Cali. Came here a couple of years ago. Things happened...went back home for awhile. Decided to come back."

He glanced over as Lukas went to join the pool game, Bai more then happy to just laze on the couch and smoke himself.

[Sinclair] Lukas's assumptions of what packhood is and entails have seemed different, at times, from Sinclair's. He treated her as a packmate when she was not, when she was still bound and leading a pack under another totem, and she did not behave in kind. Not until the Storm Chasers disbanded. Not until the night she came to him and asked for advice before kneeling on the ground and learning how to create a Storm Feather.

It's entirely possible that in Sinclair's world, their pack bond does not make him wordlessly welcome at any activity she engages in. It's also possible that, since the night they underwent the rite, her thoughts have changed on the subject and he's right, it's assumed, he doesn't need to bother to ask or even explain what about her Hey confused him.

She looks at him. Her brows tug together. She leans over the table and breaks.

[Lukas] "Los Angeles or San Francisco's Chinatown?" Lukas chalks up a cue while he waits. When Sinclair breaks he glances at the table, taking note of the balls that sink. To the Galliard, "Looks like you're solids."

[Bai Chou] (Ugh...ignore my mention of Chinatown)

"We were actually in Seattle...there's a small sort of Chinatown there..but its not vast or huge. Not really could be regarded like the one here in Chicago."

[Sinclair] "Looks like," Sinclair intones absently, leaning over to take another shot. She has nothing to say about Seattle, or Chinatowns, and -- perhaps understandably -- she does not seem particularly interested in striking up or joining in the conversation with Bai Chou. Then again, only Bai Chou may know. Sinclair hasn't paid attention to whether or not a rumor has gone around lately about their scuffle in the hallway.

She's good at pool. Not incredible, not amazing, but she has a natural ability and a certain skill with the stick, and since she doesn't seem distracted by talking just yet, she has the focus to pull off a few sinks in a row without much pause.

[Lukas] "Never been to Seattle," Lukas replies, and smiles. "Hear it rains a lot. What were you doing there, if you don't mind me asking?"

[Bai Chou] "Visiting Buddha."

Bai smirked a little, blowing smoke into the air now.

"I lost my mate and my kids here in Chicago. Causes a person to want to take a moment and re-evaluate things. My moment was almost two years."

[Lukas] Lukas laughs under his breath. Bai only smirks. Lukas's mirth dies when he goes on. The Shadow Lord's eyes lower to the felt surface of the pool table a moment, then rise back to Bai's.

"I'm sorry for your mate and cubs."

Sinclair finally misses a shot, and Lukas steps up to line it up. It turns out he's a casual player, not particularly competitive. He was probably pretty decent back in the Boston days, the clubhopping days, the barroom days, the Bellamonte days. He slacked off in between. He's getting better again with a pool table literally twenty feet from his bedroom door. He goes two shots before he misses one, and steps back again.

"Why do you play up to the stereotypes?" There's no indication he's trying to insult Bai. It's curiosity again. "Looking out for Chinatown. Making cracks about Buddha. It's almost like you encourage the labels."

[Sinclair] "Because what people think of you can be just as much of a tool as your claws," Sinclair says lowly, stepping forward and leaning over the table. She's been quiet, though that only bears mentioning because anyone who met her a few months ago would comment immediately on her mouth, on her loudness, on her brashness. She is still brash. She is still harsh. Her eyes stay on the table as Lukas is playing, but flick to Bai when he mentions taking a moment.

Two years' worth of moment.

She doesn't chime in, though. Doesn't apologize for his loss. She only speaks up when Lukas talks about stereotypes, questions the Uktena. On that topic, she has something to say. "Or maybe he thinks it's funny."

[Bai Chou] "Because, as she says, it amuses me...we codify things by stereotypes. Its part of psychology. Just like you assumed when I said I lost my family here that they're dead with your tone when I in truth mean that my mate cheated on me and I gave my children to my tribe to raise."

He inhaled the smoke again.

"It could be said it runs deeper then that...that me embracing stereotypes is some repressed way of dealing with having one foot in my culture and one foot out since I'm hapa. But in the long run, not any of that really matters as I'm Uktena first, human born next, and hapa last."

"Besides...interesting shit happens in Chinatown and I've yet to meet a pack in Chicago that's ever tried to claim the territory besides a lone wolf like myself...which is kinda sad."

[Lukas] Lukas frowns as Bai Chou gets upfront about what happened to his mate and children. There doesn't seem to be anything to say about that: one of those truths so awful there's really no getting around it or softening it.

Not that Lukas is ever one to soften the truth, anyway.

His eyes flick to Sinclair as she speaks. "Spoken like a Shadow Lord," he says; there's amusement there. Then, to Bai, "My pack isn't really one for claiming territories anyway." Maybe he's moving back to safer grounds. Maybe it's just courtesy, to stop prying into the past. "We prefer to stay closer to the Caern anyway.

"Garou aren't really meant to be alone, though. Tell me what you're looking for in a pack and I'll see if I can point you in the direction of one that might suit you."

[Sinclair] The Galliard smirks, with some amusement. She doesn't react with annoyance at being compared to a tribe not her own. She misses her next shot and goes to sit on the edge of the other table, legs dangling down, feet swinging. The butt of her cue is set against the ground, held like a staff, her shoulders rounding. There is now, as there always is, something animalistic about her that ignores the trappings of human appearance, human culture, human norms. Even wearing the skin she was born in, it would be easy enough to forget that Sinclair does not have the mind of a beast.

That she is, in fact, a person and not simply a predator. Still, all the same, the way she looks at Bai seems to be searching for weakness, for a place to strike. She doesn't look at Lukas like that. With Lukas, she acts like a wolf who knows that baring her teeth to him is less wise than baring her throat.

She glances at him when he mentions packs, then back to Bai Chou. "There's an Uktena-led pack that follows Black Unicorn," she says, "but I think you'd fit in with them about as well as I would."

[Bai Chou] "Mmm....I'd be just fine with ones that could deal with me. That use their brains. When I was here, I avoided most of the packs that were allied to war. I'll fight but on my own terms and not some dictated idea of glory and honor. My way of fighting involves knowing my enemy...and avoiding suicidal confrontations if I can help it. Not to say I'm a coward...I've come close to losing limbs for this city."

He just glanced to Sinclair and gave a nod.

"...I might honestly have a better chance trying to form a pack."

[Tiberius Havel] (( open scene?))
to Bai Chou, Chloe, Lukas, Sinclair

[Lukas] (yep, open!)

[Tiberius Havel] *Sounds of feet on the stairs herald the arrival of someone new. Not stomping but they are garou. They'd hear someone coming.*

[Lukas] "There's the Bogeymen." There's a faint -- very faint hint of dislike in Lukas's tone. "A pair of Ragabashes of my tribe that follow Fox. They're about as honorable as you might expect, but they definitely do fight a more subtle war."

When Tiberius enters the common room, he'll find Lukas taking a shot at one of the pool tables. Sinclair, holding another pool cue, is sitting on the edge of the other. Bai is smoking on the sectional couch.

"The Swarm's Uktena-led too. They follow a totem of war, but they strike me as the tactically minded sort as well. But if neither suits you, there are plenty of packless Garou waiting to be formed up."

[Chloe] "No-jus- will you- but-"

She huffed a large breath, and found herself being shoved halfway up the stairs by one of the poor workers at the brotherhood. Whatever part of the argument there was happened to be lost to the ages. The redhead huffed.

"Fine!"

Chloe tromped up the stairs, grumbling something about not being allowed to pay or showers or something to that effect.

"Fine, then maybe I won't pay to do my laundry here? Maybe I'll set the washer for a double rinse cycle, too," it's as mopey as she could get about being allowed to do her laundry for free.

There were people. Green eyes widened and she shut up.

[Sinclair] [don't wait on me]

[Tiberius Havel] *As Tiberius reaches the top step he leaned into the room and looked around. As if looking for someone in specific. Not finding the person, he stepped on into the room.

Tiberus did not have the intensity of the others in the room. He's a tallish Asian man in his mid to late 20s. Tonight he's in jeans, and an unbuttoned black shirt, over a dark gray teeshirt. A dark green jacket hung to mid thigh. Dark hair and dark eyes rounded out his look. Though the garou present knew him to be of a moderately decent blood line. Yeah, the blood stood out.

Yearing voices behind him on the stairs he looked behind himself and moved out of Chloe's way.*

[Tiberius Havel] (Hearing, not yearing voices))

[Bai Chou] Bai just gave a nod.

"We'll see what happens. Either case though...I'm likely going to focus on Chinatown...too much a part of my history now to just ignore it."

He blew some smoke out again, glancing at what was left of the hand-rolled cigarette...then the eyes turned to the new faces. He eyed the other Asian but his eyes also eyed the ginger as she came in...she looked like a likely Fianna. That made him grimace.

[Lukas] "Fair enough," Lukas says, and turns toward the stairwell as two newcomers rise into sight. "Hey, Chloe," he says, greeting the one he recognizes. "Laundry day?"

The pool balls crack! off each other sharply, then thud off the bumpers. Nothing sinks. Lukas steps back.

[Chloe] She came up the stairs, and Chloe was... well... dirty. Her hair was red, bright red, and surprisingly clean, but the rest of her wasn't. It's hard to tell with her kind whether or not she has freckles or dirt spots. She adjusts her backpack over her shoulder.

"Yep."

Chloe said it with a defeated sigh.

"Coltranes won't let me pay for it, too... jerks... Ain't gonna waste water, though, so if any of you guys are brave and have something to throw in, speak now or forever hold your peace."

[Tiberius Havel] *Tiberius looked around and offered those there, a friendly smile. Didn't show teeth. Some garou saw that as a threat or a challenge. Moving further into the room he glanced to the table and nodded to each in turn. Glancing back he noticed Chloe's state of cleanlyness, or lack there of. It just made him smile a bit more. * Evening everyone.

[Lukas] "I've got laundry," Lukas replies, mock-serious, goodnatured with the waning moon, "but whether or not I'm throwing in with yours depends on what yours have on them." Pause. "And whether they're dark colors or lights."

His clear eyes flick to the quiet, tall stranger, almost certainly kin for his lack of rage. "Hey," he replies. "Got a name?"

[Bai Chou] Bai went back to smoking, watching the pool game that the two were having but idly letting his gaze rest on the new faces. For as wordy as he had been, he's gone equally quiet again. He finally rubs the cancer stick out in an ash tray now that it was down to almost nothing.

[Tiberius Havel] *Tiberius jumped a little at the "hey". Not like a huge jump or anything. Turning he raised his brows and then nodded, moving to offer Lukas his hand. His movements were graceful, perhaps good genetics or the like.* Tiberius Havel. Nice to meet ya.

[Sinclair] With a slide of her flannel-covered ass off the polished wood side of the table, Sinclair hops to the floor and walks to the table she and Lukas are playing on, surveying the balls left and cocking her head to the side. She glances over at both Tiberius and Chloe as they enter, pale eyes intent on each of them in turn. She's wearing a shirt that bares both arms, her hair pulled to either side.

There's ink on the back of her neck. There are four names tattooed on her right bicep, three downward-pointing spikes on her left. There is a thin, short bar of titanium pierced twice through the skin of her left bicep, above the spikes. The symbol on the back of her neck, visible when she turns to lean over the pool table, is a quartered circle: the planetary sign for Earth.

Kenneth
Regina
Colfax

and

Arthur

flex as she takes her shot.

"Already did mine," she tells Chloe. "And the Coltranes have a thing about hospitality. It's because they're Fianna, I think. Find another way to repay them, if your heart's set on it. If you just force cash on them they might just be insulted."

[Lukas] "Lukas Wyrmbreaker," Lukas says. And then he points at the various entities around the room, "Bai Godslayer. Chloe Whispers to Nothing. Sinclair Warcry. Kinfolk, are you?"

[Kate] Truth's Meridian takes the stairs one at a time, her arms laden with a heavy gift basket. It is covered in a plastic cover, with a heavy red ribbon affixed to one corner. Beneath the cover, a mouth-watering array of food stuffs can be glimpsed; from crackers to cheese to champagne to varieties of fruit and chocolate.

"I come bearing the cast-offs of a courting real estate agent," The blond creature greets the assembled in the common room with, setting her heavy burden down on an unused pool table, Katherine Bellamonte tousled her fingers back through the heavy mane of hair that fell over her shoulders and smiled at her pack-mates. "Là," she presents, nodding toward the collective she does not yet know.

"This is what is to buy the Bellamonte Manor, chocolates and sweet-meats."

[Tiberius Havel] *Following the introductions, Tiberius gave them each a nod in turn* Nice to meet all of you.

*Then to Lukas' question he nodded* Yeah. Got it in one. Been in town a month or two.

*Kate arrives and his brows raise as she carries in the basket, grinning aa little. He has no idea what a Bellamonte Manor is, maybe a house or land holding of some kind but he's amused*

[Chloe] ""Well, it's denim... it's light wash denim... or, well, it used to- anyway. It's technically a load of darks, it's not gonna get bleached. It's got Chinatown on it, and a bit of Bronze. And barbecue sauce."

Her attention moves to Sinclair. Green eyes attentive at first, then thoughtful. She nods.

"Think I got something..."

Quietly pleased with whatever thought came. Katherine is up the stairs and she turns. For now, she is quiet. The redhead smiles smokething polite, then she blinks.

"Wow."

It's the only thing she can get out

[Rory] She's in a hurry. She'd found the message left declaring it laundry day, and of the three outfits she has... two are dirty, and one could probably use a scrub already. She isn't pleased they're doing it at the brotherhood, due to what happened last time, but it's what they have, what they need, and Chloe said it was ok.

Chloe's word is law.

So, hoping she gets there in time, she sneaks through the backdoor, and up the stairs... following the scent of food carried by Kate - her belly grumbling LOUDLY to protest it's empty state. But she stops when she's close to Chloe, and judges herself and her dirty clothing to be in time.

Rory is a curious creature - though her breeding sings the scents of warriors and kings, her skin itself holds no scent at all. There's nothing that marks her clothing, her presence with a scent that is distinctly her own. But that's neither here nor there - Chloe is here, and that's enough. [What Fianna in her right mind would follow a gnawer? Willingly?]

She nudges her alpha with an elbow, lightly. "Made it."

[Bai Chou] Bai glanced...it was starting to get crowded. He briefly gave a wave of his forefinger and middle finger before his hands reached to slide out a small pocket mirror out, gaze going to it...

...one moment an Uktena there...

...next moment a vacant couch for people to sit on.

[Sinclair] Dex + Melee
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 4, 5, 8, 8, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)
to Sinclair

[Lukas] "Whose?"

Whose kin, he means. Then Kate appears and, as she passes him on the way to the unused pool table, he reaches out and deftly plucks a pear from the basket.

"And Katherine Truth's Meridian, and Rory Tongue-Twister," he adds to the end of the introductions. Straight white teeth, the incisors a touch too long, bite into the piece of fruit. Mouth full, he adds to Katherine, "Real estate agent? Who's buying or selling, and what?"

[Tiberius Havel] *Tiberius had noticed the increase in people too, so he backed out of the way. One thing you generally didn't want to do in a social situation is crowd a true born. Leaning aginst the wall he slipped his hands into his jacket pockets and watched the interplay of the garou present.

The entrances of such beautiful women. Nodding to them when Lukas intros them* Tiberius Havel. A pleasure.

*Glancing back to the Lord his brows rose* Unicorns', sir.

*A bit of a start when Bai dissapeared, you never really got used to that, then looked back to Lukas to gauge a reaction*

[Sinclair] The sound coming from the pool table is a series of clacks and thuds as balls are sunk one after the other. The game has been casual, and remains so, even as Bai vanishes without more than a fingerwiggle of goodbye. She knows Kate is coming a few seconds before she recognizes the scent of the woman's breeding past all the unwashed Garou tromping around and the presence of a purely bred kinsman in the air. It's not like sensing Joey. It's not like sensing Dietrich. It's nothing at all like Lukas, either.

She looks over and gives an upward jerk of her head to Kate. The Alpha is doing introductions. She did not jump up to do so, though presumably that's her job as a Galliard. One of her jobs.

As a courtesy, she speaks up to let her playmate know: "Eight ball, side pocket." And then a thump. And a heavy clack as it drops into a mesh of leather to join its brothers. "Hey, Katherine," she adds.

[Chloe] She shot a look at the Fianna beside her and she grinned. Chloe, who was small and slender and redheaded like her packmate (but with a lot less breeding), bumped her with her hip.

"Don't get too comfy, Rory, we're doin' security fer the Coltranes after the dryer goes off."

Attention back on Tiberius.

"Great to meet you, sir."

[Lukas] "You'll want to meet with Evan Judgement-of-Sterling-Silver, then," Lukas says to Tiberius. He has no idea he's speaking of a dead man. "He's the elder of your tribe."

Sinclair sinks the 8-ball with a thump. Lukas glances at the table in time to see it go in. Then he holds his cue up. "Anyone else want a turn?"

[Rory] She nods, accepting that. Chloe will note there's something a little different about her packmate, like there's a secret she can't wait to share, despite the fact that her lips remain sealed here, in front of everyone. They're quite a pair, Chloe and Rory. Fragile looking and cute, yet decidedly dangerous under it all.

She glances around the room, and almost shrinks behind Chloe, shyly. her shoulder remains behind Chloe's, maintaining contact, and a sense of the steady calm that Chloe exudes. Introductions made, she nods to Tiberious, and glances at that basket again. Something smells delicious, and her belly rumbles. Loud.

[Kate] Lukas steals a pear from the basket as she passes and the Silver Fang tsks before she sits her burden down and carefully peels back a corner of the plastic with a loud crinkling. She was a tall creature, the Half Moon and in possession of a great deal of elegance in her movements, in the manner she spoke, and in the cast of her pale eyes toward the new Kinsman being introduced.

"Charmed," her voice was surprisingly youthful, and airy. Though her smile was a touch too sharp to be devoid of that element of unease most Garou cast. "I'm sure. Please," with a wave of her hand, she gestured toward the basket. "Help yourself to something, I will never eat all of that." Sinclair says hey, and Kate's head cants to one side, a private smile geared toward her newest pack-mate before she tosses the Glass Walker an apple.

"With regards of Chicago's premiere estate agents," Reading off the card attached, the woman sniffed and sat on the edge of the unused pool table, turning to address Lukas' question. "Every few months we are overcome with offers to sell the family manor in the city. This, I suspect, is the first wave."

[Tiberius Havel] Thank you. I'll keep an eye out for him. Evan. *Nodding, putting the name to memory. Evan Judgment -of-Sterling-Silver". Got it.

He watched how the others interacted. Dark eyes watching their movements. Becoming very much aware of the destructive power in the room. These 5 people could rip appart a battle tank if they put their minds to it. That sort of thing humbles a guy.*

[Chloe] She looked back at Rory, brows raised and jaw set and she waited.

She didn't wait for too long, though, because she was grinning from ear to ear soon enough and she started off to the laundry room. You know, if it weren't that one of them was a mule and the other was a mutt, the two could have been sisters.

[Lukas] "You're not going to, are you?" Crunch. Another bite of pear, sweet and crisp. "Sell Bellamonte Manor, I mean?"

[Rory] She didn't wait too long, and leads them to the laundry room, and Rory follows her, knowing there is just a bit of privacy there, where she can share her secret with her packmate, her alpha, her closest friend. She doesn't even make her wait long enough to steal some fruit from that basket, instead dutifully following to the laundry room.

Once there, she starts to unpack her backpack to find her clothing to add to the pile. The pants and shirt she wears is clean, and nothing Chloe's seen before. And therein lies the secret...

That she whispers, just in case.

[Sinclair] "They'll have to play the loser," Sinclair says to Lukas, hanging up her own cue. "I'm about to head to the caern."

She catches the apple as easily as though she's in the backyard tossing a softball back and forth with her dad. It's cool against her palm, and she peers at it thoughtfully before taking a bite, sinking her teeth past the thin skin and into the crisp flesh with a crunch.

She walks away from the pool table, the roll of her hips with each step leading to a strangely heavy but silent footfall, simultaneously lazy and composed. She goes to Kate's basket and digs out a handful of foil-wrapped chocolates, swallowing her bite of apple. "We should talk, soon," she says lowly, presumably not just to the Fang but to the Lord as well.

The Walker has not been herself all night. They don't know her well yet, but they know enough to see that. Something is weighing on her, and the only reason it's evident is that she has never seemed so burdened before. She heads out of the common room, apple in one hand and chocolates in the other, to go get her shoes on. And maybe something other than pajama pants with penguins on them.

[Tiberius Havel] *Ti watched 3 of the ladies exit and raised his brows. Looking to Lukas he grinned just a bit. Gotta love the innate powwer of their kind.

Glancing to the table he shruged* I'll play, if no one else wants to.

*Shrugging out of his jacket, he reached behind him and pulled out the pistol and holster. Slipping it into the jackets inner pocket, he lays them over a chair or something and goes to pick a stick*

[Lukas] Lukas nods as Sinclair passes him again on the way out. "Yeah," he says. "We should."

Then she's gone, and he's laying his pool cue across the now-bare pool table. "I'm gonna go get my load of laundry, Chloe. Be right back. Kate -- hold that thought."

[Chloe] She is throwing her clothes in. Whatrever is in her backpack, whatever can come off her body. Layer upon layer upon layer-

Chloe Rowan Abernathy knew how to layer her clothing. She had on a lot more clothing than she had let on, until she was down to a pair of white shorts (yes, they were surprising white, ridiculously white. Shouldn't-belong-to-a-Bone-Gnawer-White) and a tank top with a built in bra.

"I'll wait to start, rhya!"

Rory leaned in, and the Bone Gnawer dropped a pair of jeans on the floor instead of the washing machine.

She stops, she turns and looks at Rory, and she blinks.

"No way."

a beat. Eyes wide, and half a blush on her cheeks.

[Kate] Katherine palms a plum in her hands, smoothing her thumb delicately over the fruit's surface before she lifts it to her lips and sharp white teeth easily tear through the lush flesh into the soft pulp beneath. The fruit was ripe, and sweet and somehow Katherine managed to eat portions of it without dribbling juice down her chin.

"Sell the Manor?" The Philodox's tone is edging on incredulous, she shakes her head in the negative. "Never, --" Sinclair leaves them then, and the Half Moon follows the Glass Walker with keen eyes, her brow vaguely furrowed. There was something there to be had, she felt sure, but it was a passing thought, idle and half-formed and she let it drift to be replaced with another sweet morsel of fruit.

"As you wish," she replies quietly, her eyes turning from Lukas, jogging to fetch his dirty laundry to the boy taking up the abandoned pool cue. The Silver Fang's lips quirk, and she slips daintily to her feet, finishing her fruit. "I shall be your opposer, Monsieur."

[Sinclair] [Thanks for the RP, everybody! I gotta cut out and head to sleep soon or I'd stick around.]

[Rory] Rory doesn't layer as well as Chloe, not yet. In fact, all she has to add to the pile is two pair of jeans - dark wash - two t-shirts and a sweater. Then she peels off the NYU t-shirt she's wearing, the long sleeved thermal underneath it and her jeans, leaving her in a tank top and panties - both of which are clean. For someone as shy as Rory is, she has not a single speck of modesty when it comes to her body, or the fact that she's all but naked in the laundry room now.

Chloe drops the jeans and her eyes are wide as she takes in the impact of the secret, as Rory blushes, deep red painting her cheeks as she nodded, and ducks her head to hide behind those fire-red curls. No way, her friend and alpha says. "Way!" is the quick reply.

[Tiberius Havel] *Tiberius smiled to Kate and bowed his head* I'll consider it an honor.

*After choosing a cue he moved to the table and started racking up the balls* Would you care to break, Kate, ma'am?

*His motions denoted an economy of efficientness. A flow and ebb of someone that worked out regularly, but wasn't obsessive about it. After a few moments he set the triangle and lifted it away to hang on the wall. Motioning to the table*