"The Garou world _runs_ on spontaneous moots."

[hazlogs]

It is currently 13:12 Pacific Time on Mon May 19 2003.

Currently in Saint Claire, it is partly sunny. The temperature is 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from variable directions at 7 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 29.83 and falling, and the relative humidity is 63 percent. The dewpoint is 43 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius.)

Currently the moon is in the waning Gibbous Moon phase (77% full).

Whispering Pines - Henderson's

This is a not-so-typical college student dwelling. It consists of one large main area, a smaller bedroom with its own little bathroom and a small kitchen. The main room is all too neat for a college student. There is the usual assortment of entertainment items: TV, Stereo, VCR, and a couple of video game systems. Beside that is also a small stand containing an electric guitar and small amp. The rest of the furniture is simple, a large chair and couch, both brown to match the carpet. A wide window at the far end of the room lets in large amounts of sunlight during the day. Along the opposite wall is a bookcase. Predicitably enough, the bookcase is filled with books, and on top of it there are several pictures of Tom and his family, though oddly enough, there are no pictures of him in the past five years, not even a high school graduation pictures.

Andrea's standing at the door when Salem comes up. She chuckles softly as she ducks her head toward him.

Salem gives Andrea a somewhat surprised look, one eyebrow rising above the frames of his dark glasses. "Small world," the Walker says, dryly.

Andrea's smile turns bittersweet. "Closing business," she says in return, before stepping inside after Alicia opens the door.

Alicia glances over to Andrea -and- Salem, then grins wryly. "Well now.. Quentin. Both of our Elder types are here at the same time." She is dressed up in a knee length skirt, gray haltertop and a jacket. Actually, quite nice, for a change. "We were just about to go out an see whats going on."

Salem takes off his sunglasses as he follows Andrea in and tucks them inside his coat.

Quentin's brows quirk upwards slightly at the sight of the two on the other side of the door, seeming a hint surprised.. and awkward, for a moment, as he asks-- "Hey boss. Andrea-rhya.. uh.. you want me to go?"

Andrea shakes her head. "Not necessarily, on my behalf. If Alicia would like a more private conversation, I'm certain she'll express that."

Salem simply shakes his head. "Nor on mine." He glances at Alicia. "I simply came by to catch up."

"Its cool, Q." Alicia says with a smile as she closes the door behind the pair, then motions them to sit. Clean house, for a change. She flops down on the couch and folds her hands upon her lap, staring straight at Andrea, a longing? Sadness?

"Ah, 'kaie. Didn't know what you guys came by for.." A half-lean of Quentin's hip to the couch arm near Andrea, then, arms folding 'cross his chest and head tilting a little to one side-- a pause, then he offers perhaps to lighten the mood, "..Sepdet-rhya's back, by the way."

Salem remains standing, hands folded into the pockets of his coat. He arches an eyebrow at Quentin's news. "She is?"

Andrea sits in one of the empty chairs, at the gesture. She meets Alicia's gaze steadily, then says gently, "I'll return if I can. I'm sure you'll make me proud, whether I meet you again in this life or the next." The news of Sepdet's return does cause her to half-smile.

Alicia lets out a breath and runs her fingers through the pony tail that drifts over her shoulder, glancing down at her lap. There is a lot she wants to obviously say, but finding it hard to get past her lips. "... I know I'll make ya' proud, Sister."

Quentin's lips quirk up in a grin that he's trying to resist, as he explains as tersely as possible in order to get it out with a straight face, "She, um, accidentally moon bridged herself to New Jersey, and had to walk back." A moment, and he adds, "Tobin'n me caught her up on recent events."

Salem blinks at Quentin's explanation, then utters a snort that sounds dangerously close to an actual chuckle. "Striders..." More seriously, he asks, "She's staying, then?"

Andrea nods at Alicia, and her smile relaxes. She then glances back to the conversation about the errent Strider.

Alicia bobs her head slightly over towards the conversation as her eyes fixes upon Quentin. "She looked happy to be back." She says, confirming his words.

Quentin hesitates a moment at the question, before allowing quietly, "For now. She said.. it was time that the old trees moved on, so their branches wouldn't smother the younger from the light."

Salem wrinkles his nose a bit, his expression... dubious.

Andrea glances down at her hands and adds mildly, "It is an unusual privilege, as a Garou, to knowingly leave a place in the hands of those you've trained. Most of the time, death takes us instead."

Alicia flexes her fingers a bit and shifts her shoulders to pop a few joints. Rising up, she heads past them to the kitchen, disapearing within. She is quiet for a moment on this paticular topic.

Salem grunts. "True enough," the Walker says. "Any idea who's going to step up as alpha?"

Quentin's hands splay apart to either side at Salem's dubious look, allowing wryly, "Hey, I'm just the messenger.. don't shoot me or anything." As Alicia heads into the kitchen, he glances after her with a faint, sympathetic smile.

K. C. knocks on the door with a stereotypical shave-and-a-haircut pattern.

Andrea shakes her head. "Robert hasn't told me about anyone that's spoken with him, yet. But he might not have sought me with the information." She exhales. "For good reasons or bad, I'm abandoning the post. It is no longer in my hands what happens with the sept."

Heading back out, popping the tab off a coke, Alicia lets out a breath. "Well, we'll see what happens. Maybe Robert will assume the role once again." The knocking of the door catches her attention and she makes her way over to it, idly sipping at the metal rim. "I'm taking the plunge again, now that shit has cleared up in the city. Ganna shoot for Fostern."

Alicia peers out the peeper, then opens it up.

Salem nods to the elder Gaian, then glances over at the door.

K. C. tucks a few braids behind an ear and ducks her head a little. "Hey. Ah .. Mr. Salem called me. I hope I'm not interrupting, but it sounded like I should stop by...?"

Andrea glances over the other woman curiously, though she hasn't yet stood.

"Ah. Hey there KC. C'mon in." Alicia says, motioning her in, then closes the door. "Andrea, Salem and Quentin are all here."

Recognition of at least the name does cross Andrea's face as the other woman is named.

Quentin quirks a brow upwards at the sight of the other Walker, observing wryly, "It's a regular moot in here all of a sudden.. hey K.C.."

"The Garou world _runs_ on spontaneous moots, Quentin," Salem observes, glancing over at the young Galliard.

"Got a song to sing for ya'll." Alicia says, eyes shifting mostly over to Andrea, finally just spitting it out. "Something I wanted you to hear for quite some time." Well now, how is that for a change of subject? "And I'm erked at myself for not having the balls to bring it forward to one of the moots earlier."

K. C. summons up a smile and slips inside the door. "Guess it's the right place then." She lifts a hand. "Quentin. Mr. Salem." Her gaze lingers on Andrea and she steps closer to offer a hand. "K. C. Edmonton. Walker Philodox. Talks the Talk." She glances over her shoulder at Alicia, says, "Sorry," then falls silent again.

Andrea ducks her head toward K.C. though she does not add her introduction just yet. She returns her gaze to Alicia and waits.

Quentin chuckles quietly, "So I'm learning.." A half-turn towards Alicia, then, one brow arching as he settles to listen.

Salem gives Quentin a faint half-smile, then turns his attention to his packmate. One eyebrow lifts at the Gaian Galliard.

Alicia shifts her shoulders as she takes another sip of her coke, fingering the tab of her can. "Its ok KC." She says with a quick grin, eyes glancing back over to Andrea. "Kinda just spit that out while it was on the tip of my tongue."

K. C. settles in to listen, folding her arms loosely across her chest.

Alicia runs a hand back through her hair for a moment, then lets out a breath. She snaps her fingers to Q, then makes her way down the hallway. "C'mon lil Galliard. Ganna show off those lungs of yours."

Quentin immediately gets a rather.. cautious look about him at Alicia's words. "Oh.. kay," he allows, pushing to his feet and giving Salem a 'If I'm not bad in ten minutes, send the war pack' kind of look before following Alicia down the hall.

Salem replies to Quentin's look with the faintest of smirks, then folds his arms across his chest.

The pair disapears down the hallway for a few minutes. There is the sound of 'thumpthumpthump', instruction per'say, on what appears to be a drum. Then soon, the strumming of a guitar, in time of the beating of the drum. A few more instructions, then, all seems to be ready. "Can't move the drums out in the living room!" Alicia shouts out down the hallway. "So, bear with us!"

Salem glances sidelong at K.C., then Andrea. One eyebrow remains quizzically raised.

K. C.'s eyebrows lift as well, and she shrugs her shoulders a little, shifts her weight and glances down the hallway, like she might be able to see what's coming.

Andrea shakes her head in bemusement at Salem, though she does stand and move closer to the hallway.

From down the hallway, comes the quick strumming of a guitar, acoustic, but, plugged in with some sort of amplification. It sings beautifully, soon followed by the rumbling of drums behind it. It has a quick beat, very uplifting. It seems that the Walker is either a quick learner, or has some experience upon the instruments. The two follow each other for a moment, gaining a comfortable relationship of harmony, notes, strings and rhythm, before Alicia's voice begins to pour out, soulfull. "Stranded in the middle of a hurricaine -- I got an umbrella but no where to stay. Do I give up now, do I face the cold? I better get some boldness. Looking to the left, I see it coming - I'm alone and I'm scared and its heading my way. Do I run, do I hide, do I dare close my eyes? Or do I face the fear inside?" The lyrics, powerful from her soul, is easily followed up by the rushing of guitar strings. "Time.. after time, I will keep running back to you, keep running back to you, and I realize this time it'll be fine." She pauses, swallows, eyes shifting to Quentin.

The apple of Quentin's throat rises and falls in a swallow as he takes a deep breath.. and then his voice rises to join Alicia's in the chorus of the song, less practiced but perhaps not as unskilled as one might expect as the two voices meld into a harmonious whole. "Even if the stars fell like rain.. even if tomorrow never came.. even if the world I know should crumble," rises the song, "Nothing's gonna stand in my way -- even if the sun left the sky, and even if these tears never dry.. even if the mountains fall and tumble, if what's left of me is taken, I will not be shaken.."

Andrea's smile returns, though there's an edge of pain in the pleased look. She leans lightly against the wall and listens.

"Landed in the middle of the desert -- And I'm wondering why what keeps me alive, When the water I drink and the air that I breathe is dry. Time after time, Gaia I'll keep running back to You, Keep running back to You - and I realize this time that I'll be fine!" Alicia's vocals slip past Quentin's once more as the Chrous comes to an end, the guitar picking up in beat, fingers gliding over the strings with a neatly practiced perfection. "Even in the darkest night - I know I'll be alright, The world is bound to change -- But You always stay the same." By now the two instruments have found each other as if soul mates, they are perfectly in synch. Hand in hand the two play for the Garou, a symphony of strings and drums, united as one in an acoustic celebration.

"You give me joy," rises Quentin's voice then as the other Galliard's own trails off, "You give me hope.. you give me love that doesn't change.." A breath is drawn in, his eyes closed and the drums still beating as he sings the chorus solo, "Even if the stars fell like rain, even if tomorrow never came, even if the world I know should crumble -- nothing's gonna stand in my way. Even if the sun left the sky, and even if these tears never dry.. even if the mountains fall and tumble, if what's left of me is taken, I will not be shaken.."

The play in silence for a few more moments until the guitar stops, followed by the drums shortly after with a quick finish. There is a slight clear of the throat from Alicia, before a grin forms over her lips, glancing over to the Glass Walker cub.

"...even in these Last Days," Andrea murmurs, before she begins to clap.

K. C. claps politely as well.

Salem joins in the applause; the dour Glass Walker's even smiling a bit.

"You owe me /so/ much," Quentin mutters as he casts a look over to Alicia, though a smile just-cracks through the glare at the applause.. a faint flush staining his cheeks, one hand raising as though to rub it away.

"You owe me." Alicia says, kissing him on the cheek, then heading back down the hallway. "For showing you a talent you have yet to tap." She bows before them, eyes glinting with happiness, before sliding down next to Andrea's side, arms gliding about her in a strong hug.

Andrea hugs the other woman back, though she chuckles as she does so. "Everyone changes, Alicia. Even Gaia herself." The smile hasn't faded. "But it's a very nice song."

"Thank you Andrea Rhya. The song is more meant to be about my love for Gaia.. you know?" Alicia says with a smile. "Well... our love. That unbreakable spirit that we hold for her." With another hug, she rises, excusing herself. "I'll be right back, I'm just going to knock on a neighbor's door." With that, she scoots out to the kitchen.

Quentin's flush lingers as he pushes up from the drum-set and follows the other galliard out into the main room, still shaking his head.

Salem's cellphone takes that inopportune moment to ring at him. (Well, at least it didn't happen during the performance.) "Definitely need to share that one at moot," the Walker remarks as he pulls out the phone. He gives Quentin an approving look, then steps out to take the call.

K. C. says, "Nice job," to Quentin.