Bringing in Dante

[hazlogs]

[Some weekend around Oct 20, 1996]

Regan Hope Project(#3662RAJ)
This barn of a room with eggshell blue walls has been divided up into several 
  different areas. In the east end are several apartments formed by carpeted 
  walls, similar to those found in office buildings. In the centre is a day 
  care/play area walled off by a two-foot fence. Off to the west are 
  apartments similar to the ones in the east, but much larger. A prominently 
  placed sign reads "Guns Will Be Checked. No Kidding. No Exceptions." in red 
  felt tip. There is a large painting on the floor, an intricately-painted 
  magpie.
There are large double doors set in the south wall to allow access to Regan 
  Avenue. There is a smaller door off to the left of them.(+view alert)
Contents:
Dante L Coyote
Only Antique Toys
Emrys
Ally
Obvious exits:
Regan Avenue  Buick's Office  

Dante L Coyote sitting against the wall, looking down at the ground, his hat 
  over his eyes.
Hazmat stalks into the project, mumbling something under her breath. She 
  glances around, her glance at first going past Dante... and then slipping 
  back toward him. She frowns, eyes narrowing.

[Dante L Coyote]
A short, thin AmerIndian boy, apparently not more than 10 years old. His black 
  hair is tied back into a pony-tail and he wears a pair of tattered blue 
  jeans, a University of New Mexico t-shirt, leather slouch boots and a dusty 
  outback-style long jacket. An old guitar is slung across his back.
        His face is the handsome, though dirty face of a young boy. However, 
  when you peer into his dark eyes, he looks back at you with a haunted look 
  of innocence lost.
Carrying:
books
guitar
Dante L Coyote does not notice her, absorbed in his own thoughts.
Xandra has connected.
Hazmat rummages in her trench pocket, slouching over toward a wall. Casually, 
  the girl leans near a corner, one hang tugging out a smudged mirror. She 
  seems to be looking into it, though the perceptive might notice that she's 
  got the mirror tilted so tha it reflects Dante. Her grey eyes go unfocussed.
Xandra has left.
Dante L Coyote mumbles and grumbles to himself.
Dante L Coyote is pretty much oblivious to anything going on around himself in 
  the mostly empty project.
Hazmat's eyes snap back into the real world, and she pockets the mirror. 
  Sighing, she wandeers over toward the kid and nudges him gently with a boot. 
  "Hey. Wake up."
Dante L Coyote looks up at her with a snarl on his face. "What? Oh, what do 
  _you_ want?"
Hazmat isn't much intimidated by snarls and anger. She tilts her head and 
  grins. "Yuh wanna hang on in this place all y'life, then?"
Dante L Coyote harumphs. "As if I had anywhere else to go. There was another 
  place, but -someone- wouldn't let me stay there..."
Hazmat shrugs a shoulder. "Things wasn't good there righ' then. Yuh woulda 
  gotten inna middle a' some bad stuff." She changes the subject. "Anyway, yuh 
  *do* have another place tuh go to. If yuh want."
Dante L Coyote says "What do you mean, where?"
Hazmat scratches the back of her neck. "Place out near Kent Crossin'. 
  Farmhouse." She crouches down on her heels, more at his level, and whispers, 
  "Yuh been havin' dreams? Weird stuff happenin' to yuh? Get angry fuh no 
  reason?"
Dante L Coyote narrows his eyes suspiciously. "What do you mean?"
What she says hits too close to home.
Hazmat scratches at her crooked nose and smiles again. "Wolves. Runnin', 
  maybe? Woods an' stuff like tha'?" Her expression's suddenly sympathetic. 
  "Yuh ain't 'lone, kid." Her voice remains at a whisper, not carrying further 
  than the two of them.
Dante L Coyote turns away, about in tears. "I don't know what you're talking 
  about."
Hazmat sighs quietly, eyes softening. She's a sucker for youth in tears. 
  "There's a... a spirit, I guess, says yuh do." She reaches out and taps him 
  lightly on the leg. "C'mon. Yuh don' hafta be 'lone. Or onna run. Or fearin' 
  yuh own anger. Yuh c'n learn tuh control it."
Dante L Coyote looks at her, his eyes, wet, blinking slowly. A big sigh, as 
  the few good moments he'd had since he'd arrive had been trashed earlier 
  this evening anyways.
Dante L Coyote speaks, resigned, "Okay, I'll come. Just a moment."
Hazmat taps his leg lightly again and gives him her best Hazmat smile. "Cool."
Dante L Coyote stands and moves deliberately around the project, placing items 
  from his pocket on desks and beds.
Hazmat straightens up, shoving hands into pockets, watching the boy and 
  waiting for him to be ready.
Dante L Coyote goes into a final cubicle, and comes out with his backpack and 
  guitar. "Okay, I'm ready."
You go through the double doors.
Regan Avenue, 300 Block
Even against a background of sleet, the south side of the street, while it's 
  clearly low income housing, is less rundown than one might expect. There are 
  no broken windows, no broken bottles on the sidewalk. The north side of the 
  street is dominated by a colorful, near gaudy mural covering the entire side 
  of one building. Loud, graffiti-style lettering proclaims, 'Regan Hope 
  Project!'  The rest of the north side of the street is taken up by 
  storefronts, and both housing and offices above them. Some have their own 
  less colorful murals.
Fourth Street lies to the west, and Third Street to the east. The door of the 
  Regan Hope Project is closed.
Obvious exits:
Regan Hope Project  West  East  
Dante L Coyote steps through a pair of double doors, coming out of a building 
  to the north.
Dante L Coyote has arrived.
Dante L Coyote pauses, and looks back with a small sigh.
Hazmat gives the kid an encouraging smile and catches a bus. The ride is long, 
  takening them past the city and over the bridge, into the more rural Kent 
  Crossing. After the bus comes a rather long walk through sparse woodland and 
  down narrow lanes.

Lane(#300RJ)
Stretching a good quarter mile from the road, this gravel lane leads back to 
  the Escrowe farm. Trees line the lane, leaves of brown and orange, red and 
  gold coloring the branches and carpeting the ground around them. In the 
  distance, the farmhouse looms above the treetops, gleaming white as the snow 
  from its yearly coat of paint. Silence prevails here, save for the rustling 
  of the tall grasses in the fields when the wind blows.
The front entrance to the farmhouse is on the porch alongside the gravelled 
  road which continues on around the eastern side of the house back to the 
  barnyard. The opposite end of the lane turns back west to empty out onto 
  Sunrise Road.
Obvious exits:
PORch  BarnYard  Sunrise Road  

[journey into the farmhouse omitted]

Farmhouse: Downstairs
Three rooms make up the first floor of the farmhouse, the living room which is 
  the first as you come in, and the dining room and kitchen at the back of the 
  house. (See +view and places)
A door in the kitchen allows direct access to the barnyard behind the house, 
  while the door in the living room lets out to the front porch. Carpeted 
  stairs twist up the northwest corner of the room, leading to the second 
  floor.
Contents:
Shin
Tatiana
Brittany
Derrick
John O'Morain
Dusty
Illuminated Text
Blanket
NOTE: Current Farmhouse Residents
Obvious exits:
Front Door  Back Door  STairs  

Dante L Coyote steps in from the porch, closing the front door behind him.
John O'Morain turns to look at the new arrivals.
Derrick says "Haz, hey."
Dante L Coyote stands, with his back against the door, looking around 
  nervously.
Shin looks at Brittany for a moment. "In my province, that position was 
  hereditary. I stress the word 'my'." He says nothing more.
Dusty's eyes go to Derrick, trying with limited success to stay impassive. He 
  jerks his head, very very faintly, at the rest of the room, then turns to 
  look as the door opens.
Tatiana quirks a brow, studying the strange woman.
John O'Morain eyes Hazmat, as if trying to figure something out.
Hazmat raps on the front door before steering her charge inside. "Hey, guys? 
  This here's, uh..." She looks at Dante. "Wha' was yer name again, kid?"
Brittany nods. "Welcome, then, and well met, Takimara-san. I trust you will 
  bring more honor to your people."
Dante L Coyote his voice hushed and quiet, his eyes red with cried tears. 
  "Dante."
John O'Morain blinks, and nods. "Hiya, Dante. Nice ta meet you."
Dante L Coyote chews on his lower lip.
Shin murmurs softly. "And you, Miss Jefferson." He tips his head, then blinks 
  idly over at Hazmat and the youth she half pushes inside.
John O'Morain looks at Hazmat. "Have we met?"
Derrick nods slightly at Dusty, and then levers himself up off the floor. 
  "Hey, Dante. I'm Derrick. Y'look like you might want something to drink...?"
Hazmat squeezes Dante's shoulder comfortingly. "Yah, Dante. A 'corn spirit 
  nearly put holes in m'leg tellin' me tuh pick him up. Figger he's a Coggie 
  cub, yah? So I'm bringin' him here." She pauses, glances at John. "Um, 
  dunno?"
Dante L Coyote says "Uh...""
Dante L Coyote is a bit overwhelmed, rather confused.
John O'Morain nods. "Right." He launches into his introduction, obviously 
  having done this many, many times before: "John O'Morain, Cliath theurge of 
  the Fianna. Nice to meet you."
Shin permits himself a small smile for Derrick, shaking his head. He leans 
  back. "Perhaps the child would like some time away from all these people, or 
  has he had enough of that?"
Hazmat keeps a slight grip on Dante's shoulder, and stands behind him, 
  blocking his way toward the door in case he tries to make a run for it. 
  "Hazmat. Gnawer. Ragabash. Lupus. Cliath," she answers John, absently.
Dusty is standing back by the bannister, looking rather as if he doesn't want 
  to be overly noticed. His eyes watch Dante sympathetically, though he 
  doesn't say anything.
John O'Morain nods. "Right, thanks."
Dante L Coyote speaks, again, very quietly. "I'm confused, what does all this 
  mean?"
Dante L Coyote slides down the door, into a sitting position.
Derrick glances over at Shin and says, dryly, "I'd kind of gathered that since 
  my last comment, thanks."
Shin lifts an eyebrow and simply looks at Derrick, not saying a word. His gaze 
  doesn't waver.
Hazmat glances down at Dante. "It'll get less confusin' eventually."
Dante L Coyote bites his lower lip again.
Derrick lifts an eyebrow back. "What." The question is more of a statement 
  than a question, and he doesn't break Shin's gaze.
John O'Morain lenas forward, resting his chin on a hand, watching Shin and 
  Derrick. He scratches his chest absently.
Hazmat glances around, obviously waiting to see if someone will take charge of 
  the cub she so helpfully and honorably brought. Rather than keeping him for 
  her own tribe.
Shin doesn't respond. He merely continues to look at Derrick, hardly moving.
John O'Morain notices Hazmat. "You think he's Coggie?"
Dante L Coyote glances at the blanket, looking it over absently for a moment, 
  apparently in an effort to keep from looking at anyone.
Hazmat raises her eyebrows at John. "He hadda kinfetch that was a *unicorn*."
John O'Morain hops up, moving over to Hazmat. "Well, yeah, that's a good 
  start. Hmm." He looks down at the cub. "Are you hungry?"
Dante L Coyote says "Um, no, I'm okay. They fed me good at the Project."
Dante L Coyote not meeting John's eyes.
Trying to be unobtrusive, Dusty makes his way around the edge of the room 
  towards Dante. He leans over and whispers in his ear.
Megan slides open the glass door in the kitchen, stepping in, and then closing 
  the door behind her.
Dante L Coyote speaks absently, "...well..."
Rose slides open the glass door in the kitchen, stepping in, and then closing 
  the door behind her.
Tatiana moves over to sit by Shin.
Hazmat brightens, seeing Megan.
Dante L Coyote looks over at Dusty.
John O'Morain nods. "Mm. Well, it's a bit crowded down here. Why don't you go 
  with Dusty" He looks at Dusty for confirmation--"here and go upstairs and 
  clean up a bit, oK?"
Derrick mumbles something, and looks down at the floor.
Dante L Coyote suddenly sees Rose, his eyes brighten. "Mary?"
Dusty looks up at John, and shrugs assent, then gestures wordlessly to the 
  stairs.
Rose brightens and suddenly animates, dropping her bag and flinging herself 
  bodily at Dante. "Baby brother!"
Megan is still in the kitchen, with Rose, and invisible to anyone in the 
  living room. At the sound of people, she starts heading that direction, 
  saying, "Well, I don't know about that, Rose."
Derrick glances at Dusty. "Mind if I come with?"
Shin snorts at Derrick softly as the other man breaks eye contact. He shakes 
  his head and turns to glance at the wall.
Hazmat pats Dante on the shoulder once more, encouragingly, and leaves him to 
  be taken care of by John and Dusty.
John O'Morain is knocked bodily (!) out of the way by flinging Rose, and trips 
  over the couch's arm, falling onto the couch. "What the--?!"
Tatiana sits close to Shin, crouching against the wall to draw as little 
  attention as possible.
Megan comes in soon after Rose does, to see John go flying. "Hey, hey. No 
  destroying the furniture."
Dante L Coyote stands up and embraces Mary.
Hazmat's expression lightens, and she makes her way toward the Fianna. "Heyuh, 
  Megan."
John O'Morain claws himself up to a sitting position. "Not me, honest. Flying 
  cubs, is what it is."
Rose says "Oh, baby brother! I thought I'd never see you again! What are you 
  doing here! Did you make trouble?""
Shin grimaces slightly, then lifts his head to look around the massed people. 
  He shakes his head and pushes away from the wall.
Dante L Coyote says "No, I didn't, I swear, she came and brought me here."
Dusty gets knocked to the floor as well by Rose's enthusiasm, and his 
  nervousness becomes a little more apparent. he scrambles to his feet, 
  rubbing at one elbow, and glances at the stairs, then at Derrick.
Dante L Coyote points to Hazmat.
Megan still has her arms around her chest, looking vaguely cold. "Heya, Haz. 
  Well, okay, John, the cubs then," she says with a look to the tiny gymnast 
  and the complete stranger that claims to have come with Hazmat.
Derrick nods at Dusty. "Sure. C'mon."
John O'Morain blinks at Megan. "Something wrong, cous?"
Derrick mounts the stairs, pausing briefly at the landing before continuing up 
  to the second floor.
Dusty gestures to Dante. "C'mon...Dante, is that your name? We can do the 
  introductions when I'm not suffocating."
Hazmat explains to Megan, briefly. "Kinfetch dragged me t'him. Mus' be a 
  Coggie." She tilts her head toward the Fianna, some other topic behind her 
  eyes.
Derrick comes down the stairs.
Rose looks up blankly at Hazmat, then hugs Dante again. "Go with your guide, 
  Dante."
Dante L Coyote looks back and forth between Mary and Dusty. "Okay."
Derrick nods to folks. "I think we're gettin'. Brittany - we ever gonna get 
  together again?"
Dante L Coyote turns for the stairs.
Dusty flashes a weak, somewhat edgy grin at Mary, and turns and heads for the 
  stairs.
Brittany nods to Derrick. "That is the entire purpose of my trips here, 
  Frederick. When you are free, please inform me?"
Dante L Coyote mounts the stairs, pausing briefly at the landing before 
  continuing up to the second floor.
Dusty mounts the stairs, pausing briefly at the landing before continuing up 
  to the second floor.
Derrick smiles at Brittany. "Surely. I just figure, folks're kind of nervous. 
  And I don't blame 'em. Later..."
Shin's voice is soft and languid, very pleasent sounding. "Oh, have a nice 
  time, Derrick." He smiles with all his teeth.
Derrick mounts the stairs, pausing briefly at the landing before continuing up 
  to the second floor.
Rose looks to Megan as Dante departs. "I am sorry," she apologizes. "That was 
  rude."
Megan shakes her head at John. "Shoulda wore a coat out. Gaian, huh," she more 
  states than asks Hazmat. "Drew's going to have fun."
Hazmat grins at Megan briefly, and then grows slightly serious. "Um, hey. 
  'Member wha' I asked yuh back aftuh when Remy snuffed it?"
Shin pauses where he is, still watching the stairs, but his focus of attention 
  has shifted.
John O'Morain leans back on the couch, propping his feet on the coffee table 
  again.
Megan looks between Rose and Hazmat, nodding to Hazmat distractedly. "Yeah, I 
  do. Yeah, it kinda was, Rose," she says to the petite girl. As if feeling 
  mildly xenophobic herself, she makes her way over to a seat on the couch 
  near John.
John O'Morain scoots over to make room.
Rose stands fidgety in the middle of the room.
Hazmat shifts her weight slightly and moves toward the couch, leaning against 
  the back, regarding Megan almost nervously. "So, uhm, wha' d'yuh think?"
Brittany drifts to the kitchen for a bit, to make herself a drink.
John O'Morain peers at Rose, curious.
Tatiana curls up against the wall, writing a note to Shin.
Megan scrapes a hand through her hair. "That I need to talk to you, and Matt 
  and Becca, about that little fight sometime. Not now, though," she says, 
  with a pointed glance at Rose, then back.
Shin tosses his head slightly and turns away from the staircase, drawing back 
  to stand against the wall. He glances down at Tatiana and nods. "Nor did I."
Hazmat sighs slightly, quietly, and rubs at the crooked arch of her nose. She 
  looks as though she could say something about that, but doesn't.
Long distance to Megan: Hazmat suspects Meg would notice the crooked nose. 
  Looks like it was seriously smashed and healed that way. New feature. :>
Brittany returns, sipping at a glass of bourbon.
Megan turns back to Rose, and says, "Why don't you introduce yourself to 
  everyone, Rose."
Rose looks around, and realizes just how many people are about. She quavers, 
  before setting her eyes on Megan again and obliging. "I am Rose Fierrerre. I 
  am from the Phillipines. I... dance... a little."
Hazmat's brow furrows. "Phillip-peens? Tha' in Oregon?"
John O'Morain blinks slightly, looks at Megan, then looks back at Rose.
Shin says softly. "It's an Island, virtually conquered by the United States."
Brittany says "Phillipines, Hazmat, wrested back from the Japanese in the 
  second World War, now protected by the United States.""
John O'Morain chuckles, shaking his head.
Rose says "My country. It's a big country. A lotta people. Not conquered. It 
  isn't!"
Shin smiles thinly. "Lovely, how your country won that war, through the Wyrm's 
  weapons. I suppose supporting a maniac like Hitler, even indirectly, wasn't 
  much better."
Hazmat glances at Shin, then Brittany. "Oh. I know 'bout th' Japanese," she 
  says, confidently. "Kosh watches all kinds a' Japanese stuff, wi' words in 
  English."
Brittany advances, slightly, adding, "Although the person in question was 
  reported killed in an aerial accident."
Shin half-smiles. "Anime."
Rose seems confused and distressed by all the talk about her. "I didn't mean 
  to do it. I didn't. I'm so sorry."
Brittany pauses, deciding to not press the point, rather than confuse a cub to 
  Fox.
Hazmat glances, puzzled, at Rose. "Do what?"
Rose sniffs. "Everything. I didn't mean to lose. I tried so hard. I did 
  everything right, but the Judges hated it all. I was clumsy and ugly and 
  bad. And I didn't want to break the airplane. The bad men made me.
Shin blinks at that, covering his confusion by brushing a lock of hair back 
  from his face. He looks askance at Hazmat, then, less certainly, at Megan.
Tatiana sighs and looks at the time. Getting up, she stretches her legs before 
  leaving.
Tatiana leaves through the front door. You can hear the screen door swing shut 
  again with a clatter.
Hazmat doesn't quite grok this, but for the gist. She hums. "It ain' yuh 
  fault, naw. Stuff's hard when yuh change fuh th' fuhst time, an' b'fore." 
  She nods her head knowingly.
Rose looks at Hazmat. "You... you know? Are you the Sacred?"
Hazmat's expression goes blank again. "Uhm, say-cred?" She looks to Megan for 
  help.
Shin murmurs softly. "Sacred, divine, godly. Sounds like she means it as an 
  object - God, perhaps."
Megan shrugs her right shoulder. "I was taking it to mean Gaia. It's all the 
  same in the end."
Hazmat ohs and looks back at Rose. She grins encouragingly. "Yea, I guess so. 
  S'ok. Like I tol' tha' Dante kid, yuh'll learn t'control it." She glances at 
  Megan and ducks her head slightly, adding, "Uhm, mostly."
Shin smiles faintly, without humor.
Rose looks confused by this, somewhat, but just nods dumbly.
Brittany returns to the kitchen for a refill.
Megan glances down, avoiding looking at Hazmat, then nudges John. "You'd 
  probably be the best one to explain Gaia."
John O'Morain blinks, and looks up. "Hmm? Uhh. Gaia? Gee."
Hazmat bites rather hard on her lower lip and looks away from Megan, shoulders 
  slumped. Under her breath, she mutters, "I *apologized*, dammit."
John O'Morain looks around, a bit confused.
Rose looks at John. "Is... is the Sacr...is Gaia going to kill me now, for 
  being so bad?" She seems stuck on this point, refusing to let it go. "Will 
  it hurt much?
John O'Morain blinks at Rose. "Well, no. Gaia won't kill you. She doesn't work 
  that way. Don't worry about it." He smiles reassuringly.
Shin arches an eyebrow.
Rose hugs her arms around herself, looking about for her forgotten gym bag and 
  not seeing it. "Then... what does the Sacred want of me?"
Shin brushes the hair from his face and sighs. He steps back for the moment.
John O'Morain says "I don't know, Rose. That's for you to find out. But we can 
  help you get to the point where you're ready to start looking for that. 
  You've got some gifts--given by the Sacred, by Gaia--to help you find out."
Rose nods. "Yes. The Sacred made me a dancer.
John O'Morain nods. "And it's given you some other gifts, too, some of which 
  are shared by others, like us"--he nods, indicating the others in the 
  room--"which we can help you practice and use."
Rose says "Do you mean... like how the Sacred rotected me from the bad men?"
John O'Morain looks questioningly at Megan for a moment, but nods. "Yes. Like 
  that."
Megan gives John a 'I have no idea what she means either' look.
John O'Morain shrugs and looks back at Rose.
Shin actually asks it. "Pardon - how did she protect you? I'm the curious 
  sort."
Rose is not terribly perceptive, but finally realizes an explanation is in 
  order when asked. "When the bad men came, the Sacred wrapped me in safety."
John O'Morain covers a smile. "Yes, Rose. You have gifts that protect you."
Brittany asks, as she looks back from the kitchen doorway, "Is that how you 
  survived a fall of roughly 10,000 feet?"
Shin murmurs absently. "Handy trick."
Megan blinks, and looks over at Brittany uncomprehendingly.
Rose says "The Sacred gave me strength, even when my legs were broken, I could 
  walk. And I had claws ... but I did not fall. The Sacred made me strong, and 
  I stayed in the plane."
Rose says "And the bad men, they could not see me. The Sacred took the light, 
  and protected me with Sacred Darkness."
Hazmat isn't even bothering to follow this; she's only listening with half an 
  ear.
Brittany blinks? "Teh story was that you, and two believed terrorists, had 
  plunged to your doom. You were still on the plane? How did they not find you 
  when it landed?"
Shin murmurs. "Darkness came."
John O'Morain picks a magazine up off the table and flips through it.
Brittany glances to Megan?
Rose says "When the bad men went away, the Sacred made me small again, and 
  everyone was crying and screaming. And I knew it was all my fault, and I ran 
  away. I ran and ran."
Megan gives Brittany a similar glance as the one she gave John. She seems 
  confused, but content to sit back in her seat and listen.
Brittany asks, "Ragabash, perhaps, merging with the shdaows?"
Hazmat's attention snaps back to the present, this last bit of Rose's story 
  making sense. "Mine was kinda like tha', too. Kinda."
Shin tilts his head. "All your fault - why? Depends on what you believe of 
  this Sacred. If it would destroy a plane because of you, but then save your 
  life..." He shrugs.
John O'Morain mms. "Would you like to sit down, Rose? Been a trying time 
  lately, it seems." He nods toward one of the open chairs.
Rose says "No. No. The Sacred only destroys the bad ones. Like my father saved 
  the village from the bad ones before I was born. But I broke the airplane. I 
  let the bad men make the big hole."
Megan shrugs her shoulder. "I don't know, maybe."
Shin says quietly. "Let them? Did you know they were going to make the plane 
  fall and not stop them?"
Brittany asks Shin, then, "Could she be Hakken?"
Rose takes a seat, as directed, but becomes more, rather than less agitated as 
  she sits. "I don't know. I don't know," she protests. "The bad men came, and 
  they had tongues like the big water snake, and they wanted to hurt me. But 
  the Sacred saved me."
Rose looks about for comfort. Her eyes veer towards the stairs where Dante had 
  gone.
Shin shakes his head and enumerates. "We do not loose track of our Kinfolk and 
  their offspring." He turns to look at Rose. "Were they after you, in 
  specific?"
Megan seems to be eyeing Rose carefully. She seems as if she's ready to say 
  something, but holding her tongue, for now.
John O'Morain mutters quietly, shaking his head.
Rose hugs her knees to her chest, then nods. "I think so. They came... they 
  came, but the Sacred watched, and filled the airplane with Sacred Darkness, 
  and made me strong and swift. And I had to fight them, because they hurt all 
  the people."
Shin prompts softly. "With what - claws, guns, knives? Can you remember, 
  little one?"
John O'Morain sets the magazine down, very deliberately.
John O'Morain mutters something in Gaelic.
Rose says "The Sacred gave me claws like el Gato, and teeth like el liguardo, 
  and made me fast. I moved like the stinging wasp."
Shin says "Crinos. And the men?"
Hazmat straightens up and vanishes out the back door, hands in her coat 
  pockets, suddenly moodly.
John O'Morain gives Megan a look, and stands swiftly, steps over the coffee 
  table, and walks quickly out of the room, through the kitchen, and out the 
  back door shortly after Hazmat. The door slams rather loudly behind him.
John O'Morain slides open the door in the kitchen, passing through into the 
  back yard.