New Arrangements

[hazlogs]

It is currently 22:37 Pacific Time on Sun Dec 22 2002.

Currently in Saint Claire, it is raining lightly. The temperature is 42
degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). The wind is calm today. The
barometric pressure reading is N/A and steady, and the relative humidity
is 100 percent. The dewpoint is 42 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius.)

Currently the moon is in the waning Gibbous Moon phase (76% full).

Farmhouse: Hallway and Living Room

All doorways in the front part of the house lead to the front hallway, a
J-shaped area with the short tail starting at the stairs, the front door
hitting the bottom curve, the doorless opening to the living room halfway
up the long side, and the also doorless opening to the kitchen and dining
room at the very top. The hall has a simple wooden floor, and decorated
with a generic print of soft-colored flowers hanging on the wall to the
right of the front door, and a tall table sitting under the print which
serves as a place to toss keys. A closet under the stairs serves as a
place to hang coats or to toss shoes.

The doorless opening to the living room is halfway up the side of the
hall's J, and the word cozy might spring to mind when looking into is, as
it seems to radiate comforting vibrations. A long couch sits against the
south wall beneath a large bay window curtained only by sheers that
manages to obscure the view in but only filters the day's light. A variety
of out-of-date magazines are strewn atop a low coffee table; more neatly
presented are the plethora of books filling the small bookshelves which
line the eastern wall. Three chairs sit about the room, focused inward, to
allow group conversations. Large floor pillows are stacked in one corner
of the room, except one, which lies carelessly in the middle of the floor,
apparently left out the last time it was used.

An opening in the northern end of the hallway allows access to the kitchen
and dining room at the back of the house, while carpeted stairs twist up
at the other end of the hall, leading to the second floor. A door at the
base of the J lets out to the front porch.

Salem stalks into the farmhouse looking dour and not a little weary. The
door bangs shut behind him as he heads for the hall closet, shrugging out
of his coat as he does so.

Cat's on the floor next to the couch, the sketchbook and pencils on the
table, his head resting on folded arms as he leans against the furniture.
He sits up straight when Salem comes in, the expression on his own face
one of acute unhappiness. "The end of December and then we go home?" he
demands.

Salem's back is to the cub as he speaks; he closes the closet door rather
hard and turns around, eyeing the boy critically. "We go back to the city,
yes," he says with enforced calm. "In fact, I've been meaning to speak to
you about that." He moves into the living room, toward the couch.

Normally Salem's words would have made the boy nervous, but he encountered
something far more terrifying today. "Yessir," he mumbles, settling his
hands in his lap and waiting expectantly.

Salem drops onto the couch with a grunt and leans back. "You like Rina,
don't you?"

Cat looks up, head canted and more than a little confused. "Uh-huh, don't
you?"

One corner of the halfmoon's mouth quirks upward, but the little
half-smile doesn't touch his grim, shadowed eyes. "Of course. And I'm
rather worried about her. Which is why I need a favor from you."

Cat sits up a little bit straighter, chin up a little bit higher. Did
Salem really even need to ask Cat to do something for the kin? "I don't
mind, Salem-rhya, anything for Miz Rina." He frowns slightly, concerned.
"She's still sad a lot, isn't she."

Salem brushes back strands of hair that have escaped his ponytail and
nods. "She is. She needs someone to take care of her. To watch over her.
Someone she can watch over as well." He fixes the boy with a direct stare.
"I'd like to arrange for you to live with her. Would you do that, if she
agreed to the arrangement?"

The theurge catches his lower lip in his teeth, his gaze on Salem becoming
a little...unsettled. And unsettling, perhaps. "She'd be...a bit like my
mother?" he ventures.

Salem's mouth thins slightly, but he nods again. "Something like that."

A second's hesitation, and then Cat nods, smiling faintly. "Okay. If...if
she wants." A quick flash of hope, unavoidable. "Would this be soon, that
I'd go to Miz Rina's?"

Salem's expression turns wry. "Cat, you can move out there as soon as she
says yes. Even if it's before the end of the month. I imagine you're
getting quite tired of being out in the middle of nowhere."

Cat gulps, glancing around quickly to make sure they're alone.
"It's...it's not that," he murmurs, voice low. He's even leaning forward a
bit. "The farm is nice. But there's...there's..." He takes a deep breath.
"Thisother cub comesaround a lot and shemakesmenervous."

Salem's eyes narrow slightly, mouth tugging into a frown. "There is? Which
one?"

The fair-haired cub blinks, thinking. "Silent-Stalker?" he attempts, then
nods. "And she has lots of metal bits in her ears and face."

Salem's frown deepens, his face holding no recognition at the name.
"Tribe? Auspice?"

"Ragabash," Cat says immediately, remembering that much. As for tribe...he
half-shrugs, looking very apologetic. "She's got freckles," he adds
helpfully.

Salem rubs at his bearded chin, scratching thoughtfully at the short black
bristles. "...Catherine?" He regards Cat with bemusement. "Why does she
make you nervous?"

The boy seems to be at a loss for words to explain, opening his mouth to
try and only closing it again a second later. After much anxiety, he can
only come up with, "She ruffled my hair." It would be amusing if he wasn't
obviously terrified.

Salem just looks at Cat for a moment, letting the silence stretch out a
bit, then echoes, "Ruffled your hair." He doesn't get it, and he's still
frowning.

"She's a -girl-," Cat states rather obviously, glancing to the side at his
sketchbook so he doesn't have to look at Salem. "I don't...they...girls
are -strange- and I don't like them," the cub finally declares.

"Rina's a girl," Salem points out, dryly.

"Miz Rina's...different," Cat retorts, looking vexed that Salem doesn't
understand the magnitude of his problem.

Salem just shakes his head slightly. "So, what else did she do besides
mess up your hair?"

Cat shrinks a little bit. "Um...helped me walk in the woods...and she
talked to me today." Hm, gee, now voiced, Catherine's actions sure didn't
seem so bad, but...-girls-. Eek.

"Heavens." Salem's tone is dry. "I'll speak to her elder and have her
beaten, shall I?"

Cat blinks in shock. "Oh don't!" he exclaims, immediately contrite. "Don't
do that, it's just...there are girls here, lots, and I'd rather be home or
with Miz Rina."

Salem rubs at his left temple. "I was joking, Cat," he says quietly. Then
he shakes his head again. "Nevermind. Let me know what Rina says. If I'm
not around when you leave, you can call my cell. You have my cell phone
number, yes?"

Cat blinks again, then looks down in sheepish agreement, only to look up
again. "Know what...you mean I have to ask her?" He frowns a bit,
uncertain. "And um, yessir, I remember the number."

Salem hesitates, frowning, then shakes his head. "I'll ask her. I'll give
her a call tomorrow, in fact. Oh, and speaking of strange girls, have you
met Daisy?"

There's a slow, dreading shake of the head, coupled with "...No..."

"Mm." Salem folds his arms across his chest. "She's a Glass Walker, like
us. Lupus, which is _quite_ rare for us, and Theurge... like you. She's
been gone for a while but is back... for now, anyway. She'll be able to
teach you about city spirits."

Oh, well, a spirit talker. Why didn't he say so. Cat's dreading look
quickly turns into pleased interest, and a little excitement. "Okay," he
replies agreeably. "I want to learn everything I can."

Salem pushes to his feet. "Good. I've already told her about you, so I
suspect that she'll be seeking you out soon."

Cat nods, watching Salem get up with a little wistfulness. "Bawn patrol
duty?" he asks softly, disappointed. "Will you visit Miz Rina and I, or am
I going because you're too busy to be visiting?"

Salem grimaces. "I just got off patrol duty. I'm going to go take a shower
and make myself something to eat. And, yes, I will be visiting you and
Rina as often as I can."

Suddenly beaming, Cat gets to his feet and trots off into the kitchen.
"I'll make sandwiches," he volunteers, washing his hands. What a good day
today turned out to be.

[Editor's note: Rina is, around this time, ICly in Chicago for the
holidays, with family.]