New Get Kid

[hazlogs]

It is currently 16:29 Pacific Time on Sun Nov 3 2002.

Currently in Saint Claire, it's a sunny day. The temperature is 55 degrees
Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the
north at 7 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.05 and falling, and
the relative humidity is 38 percent. The dewpoint is 30 degrees Fahrenheit
(-1 degrees Celsius.)

Currently the moon is in the waning No Moon phase (10% full).

Harbor Park -- Fountain

"Fuck," Elisabeth swears, standing up and glareing at the offending
fountain. "Damnit." The woman begins to pace, waiting for Jamethon to
reapear and keeping an eye out for anyone might show up.

As Salem arrives, Elisabeth stands there beside the fountain alone.

Salem prowls grimly through the park, hands buried in the pockets of the
big black coat, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Elisabeth looks up as the dark and grim man arrives, lips turning down in
a frown.

The woman before you is tall, standing a height of 5'10. Elisabeth's age
seems to rest somewhere between her late teens and early twenties. Her
facial features are strong and somewhat rectangular, with slightly raised
cheekbones, small chin, and hawk-like nose. Beth's hair is straw-blond,
with streaks of darker brown hairs running through it. The woman's eyes
are a beautiful ice-blue, perfectly set in her pale face. Physically, the
kinswoman is impressive. Regular physical activity, having blessed her
with toned muscles and an athlete's grace. Her hands, if one bothers to
look at them, are covered in a series of small scars and the palms are
toughened by physical labor. On her right hand, a golden engagement ring
encircles one finger.

Currently, the woman is wearing a pair of blue jeans, a form fitting white
top, and a leather jacket. Her feet are clad in leather boots, the type
favored by bikers.

Salem's eyes are hidden behind dark lenses, but there's a tense alertness
about his body language that indicates that he's not unaware of the woman
over by the fountain. He actually pauses a bit, looking toward her, still
quite a distance away.

Jamethon pages: Suddenly a flash of a small bright red wolf, reared up on
its hind legs, and with the glyph for 'kinfetch' scrawled all over it
appears in the waters of the fountain. It seems to have its legs resting
on something or someone, who or whatever it is however, is in the umbra.

Elisabeth is annoyed about something, that much is evident in her stiff
posture. As Salem looks towrd her, the woman returns his gaze. Completely
unphased, as she turns away a minute later. Focusing on the fountain.

Salem stiffens, focussing on the woman or perhaps the fountain itself,
then starts toward them, moving at a long, brisk stride.

Elisabeth looks up again as Salem nears, continuing to frown. Tucking some
hair behind on ear, the woman inclines her head in a brief nod. "Evening."

As the Walker gets close, it becomes clearer that his interest was piqued
by the fountain rather than the woman standing next to it. He gives her a
sharp nod, barest courtesy, and circles around, eyeing the falling water,
lips clenched grimly around the filterless cigarette.

Suddenly, laying next to the fountain, James appears again hiden from
sight overhead by the lip of the fountain. "Fuck. A cub is abou..." He
suddenly notices Salem, "...about to have a first change. I need to get to
the wolf woods. Salem, care to join me?"

Salem steps back as the Get abruptly appears, showing a brief flash of
startled teeth. He recovers his composure a moment later, taking a quick
drag from the cigarette. "One of yours? Fine."

Elisabeth looks between the Walker and Jamethon, lips pressed in a thin
line.

Jamethon nods to Salem, "Thanks. Elisabeth... I know you're a champion
fighter, but I don't know what is out there... I can't hold you back, I
wouldn't be a Get if I did, but I'm going to ask that you not join us."

Salem grunts in acknowledgement and inhales another lungful of smoke. He
flicks excess ash onto the around as he waits for the Get Theurge to
settle things with the woman.

Elisabeth's jaw clenches and she crosses her arms, every inch of her body
screaming stubborn. "Where are you going? I can get you there, at the very
least. My bike is close by."

The large Get stands from the ground, frown clenched tightly. "The Wolf
Woods... Salem... go with Elisabeth, I'm going to take the umbral route...
we'll get there about the same time. Now get going." With this he kneels
down again, staring into the water over the lip and disappearing into the
umbra.

Salem mutters something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like,
"Jawohl," and then turns toward Elisabeth, one eyebrow rising expectantly.
"After you?"

Elisabeth kicks the edge of the fountain. "During the dark moon. Suicidal
idiot," the woman fumes, then turns and starts to walk away. "Yea, follow
me. I'm parked right down the street." The blond woman leads Salem over to
her motorcycle, puts her helmet on and starts up the engine. "You'll have
to do without a helmet."

"No problem," Salem says curtly. He swings onto the bike behind her,
cigarette clenched grimly between his teeth.

[...]

Somewhere in the Woods

Jamethon pages to Salem and Elisabeth: You hear a high-pitched squeal
coming from the undeveloped section of the forest as you get near.

The sound of a motorcycle approaches and quickly gets louder, it isn't
slowing too much as it gets near the more rocky and dangerously footed
portions of the woods. The sudden noise causes the man with the gun to
swing around with it and a bumping of it against Kansas' left causes him
to pull the trigger, firing a shot through her thigh and causing him to
drop the gun in his clumsiness. The older man curses loudly and rushes
over to grab the gun. "You fuckin' idiot!" he yells at the youth who fell
backwards and is stumbling to get to his feet.

The bullet rips through Kansas' thigh, causing her to yelp with
unforgiving agony. The pain seems to spark something a little more than a
cry of distress. A whole avalanche coming down from a mountainside
wouldn't compare to the feeling that is ripping apart Kansas' insides.
Ingoring the gun beside her, Kansas' eyes fill up with fire as her whole
form seems to blur and contort as she shifts into crinos and reaches for
the closest thing and rip it to a bloody ragdoll.

Elisabeth drives insanely fast, dodging dangerously between traffic before
reaching the quieter back roads. When the gunshot echos though the woods,
Beth turns her bike toward the sound and send up a cloud of dust as the
motorcycle skids to a halt. The kinswoman and her passenger have a clear
view of exactly what it happening and the newly changed Garou.

Quickly and without warning the older man's head is laying on the ground
beside him, not even a look of surprise yet formed on his face when he
died. Still, the cub doesn't stop with the body, her first frenzy
swallowing her reason as she continues to rip the body limb from limb,
clawing through it mercilessly. The other kid, stands there now, shock
clearly registering on his face, but no movement or action coming from his
suddenly uncontrollably rigid body. As the Get kin and Salem arrive,
another giant figure runs through the woods from the west, towards the
small clearing in the forest.

Salem is off the bike before it comes to a complete stop, lunging off in a
blur of rage and speed. He hits the ground already transformed, a
black-furred Crinos charging directly toward the raging cub.

Elisabeth stays on her bike, watching from a distance. She isn't stupid
enough to get involved in this.

The young kid shreaks out as another giant wolf-beast arrives, tangling
with the first, and grabs at the rifle, raising it and aiming with shaky
unsure hands and blurred eyes. "Get off'a him you fucking dogs!" he yells
out and fires five shots. Two hitting Salem, one hitting Kansas, and two
firing wildly off aim. Another member of the party joins in and through
the trees leaps a gigantic wolf, clearly beyond anything possible in
nature, which slams into the kid with the gun, knocking him against a tree
where he slumps to the ground unconscious. The hispoed Get then turns,
ready to get into the fray between the new cub and Salem if it proves
difficult for the Walker.

Kansas slips into a state of berserk of a blur of sinister gray of her
pelt. The Get cub only sees red in her wrath as objects move around her.
She wildly sweeps her claws at the enemy.

The frenzying cub's claws score lines of blood on the Walker's now
bullet-riddled pelt, but the former Ahroun has already knocked the cub to
the ground and has her grappled there, snarling as he keeps her pinned.
Massive jaws close around Kansas' throat, cutting off her air.

Once the Get of Fenris cub's head hits the ground, her senses begin to
clear. She shifts naturally back to himid, which there are sounds of sobs
heard from her coarse breath. Finding the pain back in her leg, she lets
out a louder whimper as tears begin to roll down her cheeks.

Fights-For-Hope steps forward to stand over Salem and the new cub in all
his hispo glory. ~This one... Hunter-Killer, will be a worthy Get of
Fenris. I can already tell.~ He shifts to the homid form, and places a
hand on Salem's shoulder to ease him off of her before her sense clear
enough to really /see/ him.

Salem releases the cub as soon as she shifts back, though for a moment he
continues to hulk over her in the war form, bristling and bleeding. At
least until Fights touches him. Then he backs off, towering on two legs
while the bullet wounds heal and close. The place on his shoulder where
her claws sliced into him continues to bleed, but the wound is relatively
minor.

Fights-For-Hope jerks his head towards the unconscious kid, signalling to
do something with him. He then kneels beside the whimpering cub, placing
his hands on her curled body. A few seconds pass with James chanting low
in his throat and a golden light with a red tint to it pours from the Get
Theurge's hands and passes over the Cub, seeping into her wounds like
water down a drain. A few more moments pass and the cub is undamaged, the
pain passing from her.

Now that everything seems to be under control, Elisabeth aproaches the
group. "What should we do with the bodies."

Salem turns a golden eye toward the remaining living witness, lying
insensible on the ground, and he bares his teeth in a grimace of distaste.
Stalking toward the youth, he shifts down to Glabro form, his expression
tight. There's a hint of tense regret in his voice as he bends down,
muttering under his breath in Serbian.

Kansas remains curled up despite that the pain has been lifted from her.
All is left is the fatigue that she now feels to it's fullest. Her
silver-blue eyes look up to Jamethon without saying a word from her lips.
She can hear those talking aroud her, but she does not rise to see whose
mouth the words come from.

Jamethon says nothing for now, just looking over the naked cub. "Take the
kid's jacket and pants. Don't get any... thing on them."

Not getting an asnwer, Beth shrugs and stands aside.

Salem glances up. The sunglasses are gone, and the look in his mismatched
eyes is cold. "Any blood, you mean?" he snaps. The huge near-man hands are
near the boy's neck, thick with hair over their backs, the nails dark and
pointed.

Kansas licks her lips and her eyes downcast to the ground. The Get of
Fenris cub shakes with the chill of the cold night.

Elisabeth just shakes her head and removes her jacket, walking over and
draping it over the naked cub.

Jamethon quickly looks up to Elisabeth now, suddenly smiling at her.
"Thank you," he mouths regarding the cub again with his eyes afterwards.
"Whats your name child?" he asks her, a gentleness despite his deep
rumbling voice.

Salem shakes his head. With brutal efficiency, the Glass Walker snaps the
unlucky youth's neck, then sets about stripping off the young man's jacket
and pants.

Kansas snugs the jacket around her shoulders. Her clear blue eyes stare up
at Jamethon for a long moment. "Kansas. Ericka." she says not much above a
whisper. After a few moments she looks at the man with puzzlement in her
eyes, "Who are you?"

Jamethon tenses a bit as the familiar sound of breaking neck clicks
through the air, but still regards the girl with a weak smile. "We are
like you." He sits strategicly hiding the girls view from the body she
just a moment ago, rendered limb from limb. "We are your family."

Elisabeth nods. "Don't worry. We'll explain everything to you. You'll come
to understand, given a little time."

The rather ghoulish task complete, Salem stalks toward the trio of Getly
types with the clothes under his right arm. He taps Elisabeth on the
shoulder before handing her the bundle and gives her a much belated
answer. "Bury them, I suggest. Deep in the woods. And scour the area of
evidence." Cold eyes shift down toward the confused girl.

Kansas eyes Jamethon, studying him throughly. "How?" she asks, just like a
little child would question everything in life that she/he does not
understand. Then as she looks to Elisabeth, her eyebrows furrow deeply. "I
want to go home," she says demandingly.

Elisabeth takes the clothes, then offers them to Kansas. "Your old home
does not belong to you now. You will have a new home, with a new family.
Here, put these on. Its cold."

Jamethon eyes Elisabeth for a moment after she says this, and something
seems uncertain in his gaze. Looking back to the girl he adds, "Don't
worry for now. You are safe... nothing here will harm you."

Kansas sourly takes the clothes from Elisabeth and slips into them, not
remembering who used to be the owner of them. The young teenager looks to
the ground after she is dressed. "Why not?" she says softly. "What did I
do?"

Salem takes a step back from the three and lights up a cigarette. Having
made his suggestion about the bodies, he seems content to be silent again.

Jamethon shakes his head at this and quickly states. "You did nothing
wrong. You were born special, Kansas. Wonderfully special. You are a
blessing."

Elisabeth picks up her jacket and slips it back on. "He is right, kid.
Listen to him." Straightening up, the kinswoman starts picking up anything
that could be considered evidence. The weapon, shreds of clothing, and
shell casings. The more gruesome items are left alone for now. "Going to
help?" The kinswoman asks, looking pointedly at Salem.

Kansas inclines her head. Then she chuckles deeply with sarcasm, "Blessed?
Special?" She paused and then lightly shakes her head. "You're fucking
with me," she says, her tone bland and serious.

Salem looks dour about it, but apparantly, yes, he _is_ going to help, and
does so, filterless cigarette jutting at an upward angle from his mouth.
"I don't suppose you have any plastic trash bags or anything similar
stowed on that bike."

Elisabeth shakes her head. "Unfortunatally no." Straightening up, the
woman looks at the surrounding mess frowns. "I'll go and pick up some
things. Unless you plan to dig that hole for me, Salem?"

"I've done enough digging of holes in my lifetime," Salem answers the
kinswoman, dryly.

Jamethon "shushes" at the girl and jerks his head up looking between Salem
and Elisabeth. "Stop that, Beth. This is no time for such things." Looking
back to the young cub he shakes his head once more. "No fucking going on
here... would be against the litany." He says in a poor excuse for a joke
the girl does not yet understand. "No, you'll see. For now, trust us.
Could be alot worse, those hunters could have had their way with you.
Come'on. I'll take you to a warmer place." With this the Get scoops Kansas
up easily... too easily, like she was but a paperweight to him. He turns
towards Elisabeth's bike and places the cub on the rear portion of the
seat. "Just wait here, we'll be done in moment." He turns his head to
Beth, signaling her over to watch the cub as he steps back to help Salem
with the 'mess'.

Kansas sits on the motorbike quietly as she waits for the two older men to
come back. Despite that she would like to be home. Not anywhere in Saint
Claire to be exact, she still waits patiently.

Elisabeth does what she is 'told', wandering over to the bike and keeping
an eye on Kansas.

Jamethon offers his fiancee a warmer more asured smile as she steps over
to the bike and passes him on his way to Salem. He regards Salem for a
moment. "I hear you Walkers are masters of cleaning up shit like this?
What do we do?" he asks, almost in a testing manner of voice.

Salem eyes the two corpses -- one with snapped neck, the other messily
beheaded -- then turns a look toward Jamethon. "Some," he says. He exhales
smoke out through his nose and looks back at the bodies. "We'll need
something to wrap the messy one up in. The blood shouldn't be difficult to
hide. Middle of the fucking woods. Someone's going to have to obscure
tracks."

Kansas looks to Elisabeth as the two men are down clearing up the mess
that she had created. The cub gives a deep sigh, "Where are we going?" she
asks the other woman.

Somewhere safe," Elisabeth replies. "Don't worry, we'll look after you.
You're family."

Jamethon nods to this, and reaching under his jacket, rips his shirt right
off his body at one side, creating a large sheet. "This will have to do.
We'll bury what we can't clean up. The forest will tend to the remains."
He says quietly to Salem. Kneeling down and placing the sheet flat near
the body. Then with barehands grabing at the pieces of the body and
setting into the gruesome task of 'cleaning up'.

Jamethon turns now towards Beth and Kansas. "I don't think that is a good
idea. If she loses it again, I don't care how good you are, you won't be
able to handle her. Wait just a little longer."

Kansas inclines her head and remains completely silent. The young girl
drowsily blinks her eyes but remains quite alertful.

Salem takes another drag or two on the filterless cigarette as James
cleans up the messy one. "Carry them deeper into the woods a few miles and
dig deep," he suggests. "Far enough and deep enough that they're not
likely to be found." Another inhale; he taps ash out onto his palm. "They
probably will be, eventually, of course." Mr. Optimist. "We can hope they
don't have family that'd be eager to look for them."

Jamethon looks between the head of the one man, and the younger kid.
"Salem... I think they /were/ family." He says as he cleans up the last of
the body and ties up the bundle. Turning to Salem again he thinks for a
second before speaking again. "I have this. Thanks. Can you help Beth get
the cub back to the farmhouse for me?"

Salem gives the Get a sour look. "Most families consist of more than two."
He nods, though, and walks toward the kinswoman and the confused new cub,
leaving James the task of body disposal.

Elisabeth watches Salem aproach, then turns to face the new cub. "Okay.
We're going to take you somewhere now. You;ll have to hold on, so you
don't fall off the bike. Okay?" The kinswoman looks over her shoulder at
Salem. "Can't ride with three people on this thing."

Salem eyes the motorcycle. "Thought as much. Tell me where you're going,
and I'll meet you."

Jamethon nods and thinks outloud to Salem, "Perhaps she saw others..."
After this musing he hefts the bundle up once more, getting a good grip on
it, then heads over to pick up the younger body and heads deep into the
woods. his form bluring into another shape once he is so deep as to only
appear a shadow.

Kansas watches as Salem approaches. The young girl as been remarkably
corruptive since she came out of her haze. Kansas looks off in the
distance, not seeming to be paying much attention.

Elisabeth nods, picking up her helmet and straping it into place. "The
farmhouse." Straddling the bike, Beth starts up the engine and makes
certain that the cub is holding on before taking off down the road.

Salem shifts down to wolf form and follows, a swift black shadow.

Kansas holds on to Elisabeth as they take off down the road in the
dirction of the farmhouse.

[...]

Farmhouse

Kansas takes Beth's offered help as she slips of of the bike. She offers a
murmured thank you in response. Her eyes travel to the building that must
be the farmhouse to which they had spoken of.

The Glass Walker arrives soon enough, stepping out of the woods and onto
the gravel lane in human form. The cigarette's gone. "Should take her into
the kitchen, make her something to eat," he says, stalking up to the pair.

Elisabeth nods, putting a hand on the girl's arm and leading her inside.
"He is right. Would you like something to eat?"

Kansas gives a glance to Salem before she decides that she doesn't have
much of a choice. "Uh, okay." she answers slowly to Elisabeth.

Salem follows the pair into the farmhouse, hands buried into the pockets
of his coat. "If I remember right, they tend to keep spare clothing up in
the attic, too." Then he turns an eye toward the kinswoman. "And I think
you have me at a disadvantage."

Elisabeth leads the cub over to the couch. "Here, have a seat. I'll get
you something from the kitchen."

Kansas takes a seat on the couch and folds her hands in her lap. She looks
around with bewildered silence before giving Salem a glance.

"That makes two of us," Beth replies, running a hand though her hair.
"Elisabeth Edwina Abendroth. Daughter of Jonathan Steel-Jaws, and
granddaughter of Amara Shreds-The-Wyrm. Get Kinfolk."

Salem grunts and shrugs out of the big black coat. The black t-shirt is
soaked with blood at his left shoulder, where the frenzying cub scored him
with her claws, but the wound doesn't seem to be particulary serious. Just
messy. He eyes it with a sour look, then gives Elisabeth a nod. "Jack
Salem. Philodox of the Glass Walkers."

"You can sit as well. I'll do what I can to bandage that up in a minute."
That statet, Beth disapears into the kitchen.

Kansas watches the interaction with silence, although, she can not
understand most of the titles being said. The expression on her face is
readable in confusion but if any turn to look towards her directly, she
wipes away any sign of being confused as she stares at the pair.

Salem remains standing, however, and as Beth heads off, he turns his
attention fully to the cub. "I didn't catch your name, either," he notes,
unsmilingly.

Elisabeth returns from the kitchen with a turkey sandwitch and a glass of
juice, which she hands to Kansas.

Kansas looks unsmilingly back to Salem. "Erika Christensen, but I'm called
Kansas," she answers him in monotone.

Salem folds his arms across his chest. "How much of what happened do you
remember, Kansas?"

Elisabeth shrugs and sets the food on the coffee table, before heading
upstairs.

Jamethon steps into the front door, not looking very cleanly, though
somehow his jacket is still pristine and untouched by filth. He grunts to
those assembled and starts up the stairs, "I'm going to go clean up. I'll
be back soon." Jamethon mounts the stairs, pausing briefly at the landing
before continuing up to the second floor. Jamethon has left.

Kansas seems to have to really think about it. "I remember storming out on
my father because he was being a jerk to go take a walk in the woods." she
answers Salem. "Then..." she pauses as her eyebrows furrow, "I can not
remember."

Salem glances up as the big Theurge arrives, nodding once, then turns back
to the cub. His lips thin, a frown tugging at the corners. "Your father.
Mmn. How long before he's likely to start looking for you?"

Elisabeth comes back downstairs, having just missed Jamethon. She is
carrying some medical supplies, along with a damp cloth. Methodically, the
kinswoman arranges these on the table. "Well," she asks, focusing her gaze
on Salem. "Are you going to sit down and let me see to that scratch, or am
I going to do this while you stand there?"

Salem glances at Elisabeth, then takes a seat at the edge of the couch,
pulling up the short sleeve as he does so to bare the freshly bloodied
shoulder.

"Probably soon," Kansas answers. "He likes me to be home before ten, and
he is not the man to upset."

Elisabeth sets about cleaning Salem's shoulder with practiced efficancy.
Wiping away the excess blood, cleaning away any dirt and finally laying
bandages over the wound.

"Lovely." Salem turns his head to watch Elisabeth work on the wound.
"There'll be a missing persons report, then, before long. I'll have our
people keep an eye out." He turns back to the cub. "How many others?
Mother, brothers?"

Kansas shakes her head. "Just my dad and I," she answers blandly. She
reaches and takes a sandwich half that was prepared by Elisabeth and gives
it a nibble.

Salem nods. "Address?" His manner is businesslike and crisp, quite
professional, if rather cold.

Kansas gives Salem a stern gaze, "The trailer park in Wolf Woods. It's the
trailer with a black pick-up truck with Kansas license plates sitting in
front of it."

Salem looks to be completely unruffled by the girl's look, though his eyes
narrow somewhat. "Noted." He glances over toward the stairs, the direction
that Jamethon disappeared to, then shakes his head and looks back at the
cub. "This is where you learn exactly what's happened to you and what fate
has dragged you into, but I imagine that Jamethon would prefer to give you
that particular lecture himself. So, for right now, you have some peace. I
suggest you take it and enjoy your sandwich."

Kansas takes her eyes off of Salem before she eyes her sandwich for a
moment before taking a bite from it slowly. She doesn't know what to
expect and so she sits in silence.

Elisabeth finishes up with Salem's should and takes a steps back,
inspecting her handywork with a critical eye. Finally, she give a brief
nod and starts cleaning everything up.

Salem gives the kinswoman a brief but sincere enough, "Thank you," and
rolls the t-shirt sleeve back down. The dark cloth itself isn't damaged,
just stained. Nothing serious.

Kansas licks the crumbs from off her fingertips before she gives a gentle
yawn. The young girl looks a little exhausted. She props her arm up on the
arm cushion of the couch while looking to Elisabeth and Salem.

"You're welcome," Beth replies, without looking up. Soon, the medical
suplies are all gathered in a bag and ready to go back upstaires.

Jamethon steps foot on the stairs again, freshly cleaned and wearing a new
t-shirt under his jacket. Once down he steps over to the new cub and
grins. "So, have they explained much of anything yet?"

Salem looks up as Jamethon returns. "Was saving that honor for you, of
course," he says. "And, by the way, the girl lives, or rather lived, alone
with her father, at the trailer park. He's expecting her to be home by
ten. I suspect that there'll be a missing persons report, but I can have
our kinfolk keep an eye on it."

Again, the Glass Walker has that passionless, businesslike tone; his eyes
are flat and cold.

Kansas shakes her head lightly to Jamethon even though that Salem had
already answered for her. "Not really." she replies.

The kitchen door shuts, soon followed by the apperance of Alicia as she
makes her way into the living room, brushing off her jeans.

Jamethon nods and thinks for a moment. "How open is your mind, Erika?"

Elisabeth comes up beside Jamethon and lightly touches his arm. "I should
be going. I have to go to work in the morning."

Jamethon starts for a second, and then nods to Beth a certain familiarity
starting to settle in. Turning his head, Jamethon kisses her, whispering
thanks for her help afterwards. "Then go. I'll be at the fountain tomorrow
night if you need to find me."

Kansas shrugs her shoulders to Jamethon. "I don't know -- have never
thought about it." says the thirteen year old. "Why?"

Kaz slips in the back door, in the kitchen, and grabs a Coke before
heading for the living room. She leans against the doorway, watching the
group.

Elisabeth pats the large Get's arm, then turns and heads out of the
farmhouse.

Salem shifts his weight, settling back against the couch cushions and
stretching his legs out. He looks up, noting the arrival of Alicia and Kaz
with a nod that's somewhat less dour.

Jamethon is left with a warm lingering grin as Beth leaves and upon noting
Kaz and Alicia, waves them into the room. "Kansas. What would you say if I
were to tell you that each and every single person in this room, including
yourself, was part of one family... a family unlike one you have ever been
a part of before?"

Kaz raises her Coke in a salute to Salem. As she looks over to Kansas,
Jamethon's speech explains everything, and she grins into her Coke as she
slouches slightly.

Kansas looks around the room before she turns back to Jamethon. "I do not
know," the cub says quite softly, "I have never been in that situation
before."

Jamethon looks to the others himself, then nods and looks back to the new
cub. "Well, you are now. We are the Garou. Think hard for a moment...
think of the sleepless nights, your dreams. Think of what you became back
when that hunter shot you. Think of Salem, and myself. I do not have to
tell you what 'Garou' means for you to understand it, do I? Think hard..."

Kansas concentrates as she seems to look past the room for a few moments
before she looks to Jamethon and shakes her head slowly. The expression on
her face looks confused but at the same time she is slowly begining to
understand. "Then we are not like other humans?" she asks him.

Kaz mutters, "Gettin' there..."

Salem leans forward and pushes to his feet; the 'So You're A Garou'
lecture doesn't seem to hold his interest much. He moves over toward the
Gnawer in the doorway and speaks quietly. "Don't know how up you are on
current events, citywise, but if you're planning to stay for any length of
time, someone should give you a sit-rep on a group called Neo-Night."

The metis seems somewhat more interested in the 'So You're A Garou Now'
spiel, but breaks off her attention to look at Salem. "I, um. Kind of
decided to stick last night. But no, I ain't heard nothin' at all. Gimme
an update?"

Salem rubs at his beard. "Someone's been distributing free pills at raves.
_Just_ at raves, apparantly, and ones they've organized. Little red pills,
with 'UL' stamped on them." His mouth tightens. "The pills have been
analyzed and determined to be some kind of ectascy-plus, the plus being a
blood component. Current theory points to vampires, but there's nothing
concrete on that yet."

Jamethon nods, then soon shakes his head. "It is more complicated then
that. Garou hold the blood of humans in their veins yes, and more. But
enough of this circular talk. I'll get to the point of it all. Kansas, you
are a... Werewolf. A defender of the Earth, Gaia. You are a Garou."

Kaz blinks. "Joy. So it's drugs /with/ blood, or drugs that encourage
blood production, or what?"

"Blood _in_ the pills," Salem confirms, grimly. "There's a
higher-concentrated version being distributed now, too, and reports of...
bad after-effects. Violence, greater strength, that sort of thing."

"Oh," is Kansas' response to Jamethon. "Is that what you... we are here
for? The purpose to defend?" she asks with a rise of her brow.

Jamethon peers at the cub, a look of wariness about his face. "Well. Yes.
And either you are humoring me and don't believe a damn word I just said.
Or you are the most accepting cub I've ever met."

The metis loses her slouch. "That don't sound good at all. I mean, I don'
trust mojo like that. Who you got workin' on this?"

Kansas laughs. Then as quickly as she started laughing, she shuts-up. "You
think so?" she asks the Theurge. "You are talking like Elvis is still
alive. Where's the evidence?"

Salem folds his arms again, leaning with his uninjured shoulder against
the doorframe. "Myself. Rhiannon. One of your kinfolk, new in town, named
Dexter. Alicia was, but she's Guardian this month. Scuro, Yi, and Renee
all have done some legwork." His mouth thins, voice lowering to a murmur,
pitched for the Gnawer's ears alone. "Nicodemus Dalton's been doing some
work on it, too. You know him? The goth-cop."

Kaz echoes, "Dexter," as if she's unfamiliar with the name, and then nods.
"Would it help if I was to take over Guardianin' from Alicia?" At his
question, she shakes her head. "Ain't never met him," she murmurs, just as
quietly.

Jamethon grins to Kansas and quips, "I thought you would never ask. Come
on. I'll show you." With this he leads her out to the barn.

"City needs you," the Walker states, firmly. He looks up, briefly, as the
Get depart, then turns back to Kaz. "Short, thin little man. Glasses,
wears a crucifix. Middle twenties." His frown deepens, his expression
pensive. "He's not tainted or anything, by the way... but he bears
watching. In regards to the Neo-Night thing, he's likely an ally, but he's
not Garou and he's not kin that anyone knows. ...And he seems to have the
ability to sense the use of Gifts. Gaia's Truth, anyway, which does _not_
work in his presence."

Kaz just nods, at Salem's comment. "Speakin' of, I figured I should take a
shift on Sepdet's lil' wheel of Guardians -- but I oughta do it when you
ain't. Anyways. He ain't Garou -- is he leech, or do you not do that
Gift?"

Salem shifts his weight. "Don't take December, then. And I don't, but in
any case, I've seen him about during the day plenty of times. And he's
been in town quite a while. _Sally_ introduced me to him originally, back
when I'd first dropped into town." His mouth twitches; it's not quite a
smile and it's terribly humorless in any case. "Whatever he is, he's
subtle."

Kaz says, "He ain't /Ratkin/, at least. There's about 20 billion other
things he could be, but..." She shrugs. "S'long as he's on our side, at
least with this, I don' got no problems. Although," she allows, "I'm
/curious/. Anyways. Don' got any progress on who's distributin', huh?"

"Not yet," Salem admits, with a grimacing. He straightens up. "That is,
more or less, a summary of what we have so far. Little enough, of course,
but... I've been preoccupied lately." Like he's personally responsible for
the whole thing. He stalks back further into the living room, heading for
the coat he discarded across one of the chairs. "I'm also thinking of
bringing Cat over to the farmhouse for a while," he adds, with his back to
her.

Kaz nods. "'Kay. I'll see if I can do much on it." Then she regards him.
"Good," she says, faintly baffled. "Kid needs to know people."

Salem nods. "He does." He shrugs into the big black coat, then pauses a
moment before looking back. "Anyway. If you run into anything, you have my
number." He reaches into the coat, removing a black cigarette case and
flicking it open.

Kaz nods, still looking at him, slightly baffled. "Sure do. I'll see you
'round."

Salem nods, setting one of the handrolled smokes between his lips and then
making the case vanish back into his coat. "Indeed." And then he's heading
out the front door.