Werewolves in McDonalds

[hazlogs]

It is currently 17:22 Pacific Time on Sat Nov 3 2001.

Currently the moon is in the waning Full Moon phase (82% full).

Currently in Saint Claire, it is a cloudy day. The temperature is 51
degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in
from the southwest at 6 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.18 and
steady, and the relative humidity is 92 percent. The dewpoint is 49
degrees Fahrenheit (9 degrees Celsius.)

[Salem]

          Tall and dark, he stands a few inches over six feet, a striking
and rather dangerous-looking man in his late twenties. A mane of black
hair, well past shoulder-length, frames a hawkish face, the left side of
which is twisted by scars; apart from this disfigurement, he's quite
handsome -- albeit in a devilish, saturnine kind of way. His face is one
designed for brooding and cynicism, and the neatly-trimmed, short black
beard makes him look all the more satanic. His left eye is dead white,
lost within the tangled jungle of scar tissue that covers the left side of
his face; his good eye is dark brown, not quite black. In short, he has
the look of the very devil about him, or of a Christ figure gone bad.

          The tails of his duster nearly sweep the ground when he walks.
The black leather of the garment looks battered and shows signs of long
use; it's seen better days. His clothes underneath tend toward dark hues
as well -- black jeans, grey t-shirt, and a pair of combat boots that have
been well worn in.

McDonald's

A small McDonald's which is devoid of any sort of garish trappings.
Instead, it seems to focus on fast, friendly service with a smile and good
food. Above the counter to the north, you can see the glowing yellow
billboard which details the food and prices. Behind the cashiers, a few
people can be seen scurrying about near the grill, making drinks or
tossing finished burgers down a small metal chute toward the cashiers.
Along the side wall, children's high chairs can be seen, each with the
grinning face of Ronald McDonald. A wall poster asks you to donate money
to the Ronald McDonald House. Opposite the cashier counter are both
Smoking and Non-Smoking sections for in-house dining. Fake plastic plants
hang from the ceiling and below the skylight in the center of the room is
a square wooden basin that rises 3 feet into the air. In the basin are
live potted plants, including a rather stumpy tree.

A glass door on the western side of the fast food joint leads back out
onto the street.

Tom is pretty much standing next to Alicia. He's trying to look as
imposing as possible to the staring young man. Okay, so he's a little
jealous. He doesn't say anything though, just remains a good, quiet little
Kin Man.

"Yah.. Um.. uhh.. Yah.. would you like ah -- " The young cashier is
quickly cut off by Alicia's hand, waving him off. "Yah Yah.. numbah' four
for the love of God, super size it too -- don't botha'asking." The Gaian
rolls her eyes a little bit as she shifts her eyes to the new comer,
spotting Deanna. "Yo!" She shoves a ten toward the kid and starts heading
over quickly, letting Tom fend for himself, leaving him with the pimply
lil kid.

Richard comes out of the restaurant's restroom, stopping to glance back at
something on the far side of the room. He shakes his head, a frown
proclaiming the less than tidy nature of the facilities. He lugs a small
totebag around at his side, and with his free hand, snaps a pair of
sunglasses off of his face, sticking them into his pockets. He slowly
comes around to face the registers, longingly looking at the items and
prices.

Deanna raises an eyebrow at the exchange, a wide grin spreading across her
face as she steps out of the way of the door. "Damn, girlfriend....you
better get out of town b'fore ain't none of the men have teeth left
t'drop. What's up?" She holds out an arm to half-hug her friend.

Richard gets in line behind the young man, shuffling forward a little bit.
He seems focused on the selection of something to eat, his lips moving
slightly as he thinks to himself. He smiles slightly at the two young
women, but quickly returns to the board as he reaches inside his pocket,
pulling out some change and shaking it softly in his hand.

Tom rests his hands on the counter, then places his order. He's a touch
nicer than Alicia, but makes doubly sure the little jer-- er cashier gets
it right. He then turns, watching Alicia trail off, shaking his head
lightly.

Alicia smiles and wraps up Deanna in a hug, rumbling a quiet growl,
teasing. "Hey girly. Small world. You here for the gourmet fries and shake
delights?" Teasing, she finally lets her go after a 'mmph', all grins
obviously.

Salem pushes the door open and enters the McDonald's, his coat buttoned
closed against the chill outside, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Edgy wrapped up in a
long black coat. He starts for the counter, tugging off his gloves and
apparantly lost in thought.

Snorting a laugh, Deanna shakes her head and returns the smile. "Nah, just
a Coke and some decent light and shit t'draw for an art project. What're
you doin' here?"

Alicia grins at her Fianna friend. "I'm here taking the eye candy out for
some snacks and seeing whats what." Rolling her shoulders back, she
glances over, calling to Tom. "Hey baby, can you snag Dee' a coke and some
fries!"

A young man in his early twenties, Tom stands at a little over six feet
tall. He has a head of auburn hair cut short on the sides and left a
little long on the top. His eyes are a very light blue, almost to the
point of being grey and are framed by the handsome features of his face.
He's a handsome fellow ranging more toward gentle and boyish than toward
ruggedly handsome. His clothes are casual, though stylish. He wears a
simple blue pull-over shirt with no design on it, a pair of blue jeans and
a pair of sneakers.

Tom looks over his shoulder as he's called. "Uh, I guess," he states, then
turns to add to his order. He has to explain it. Twice. Still, he does it
without complaint. In truth, he kind of likes giving these wage slaves a
hard time.

Richard shakes the change in his hand some more, as if he were weighing it
or something. Opening his hand, he looks down, counts what he has and
frowns. The voice of the young woman calling out to his friend breaks his
concentration and he closes his fist again, looking over at her. He smiles
again, but this time it's a tenuous grin.

Salem glances up sharply when Alicia calls over to Tom, and a faint smile
twitches across his mouth. Pulling off the other glove, the Glass Walker
heads over toward the Child of Gaia, greeting her with an amiable, if
reserved, "Good evening, Alicia."

[Alicia]

Here we have Alicia Jackson, a young woman who looks around the age of
18/19 or so. When in truth, she just turned 16, but that hard look in her
eyes could easily be mistaken for older. Slender in form, her body is
composed of lean, compacted muscle. She looks quick, but not very strong.
Her eyes are a dark brown, curious and wandering, lit up playfully most of
the time. She stands of average height, perhaps about 5'6 or so, carrying
herself well when she moves. Her flesh is lightly tanned, kissed by the
sun from the many years of running with the gangs on the street. Four ear
rings adorn her left ear, two more upon the right, composed of small,
goldeny hoops. The Galliard's hair falls down just past her shoulders.
Once brown and red streaked to those who's seen her before. Now, pale
blonde with slightly darkened roots.

Her clothing consists of a pair of baggy, over sized camoflauge pants.
Black, green, and brown patterns splashed along the fabric. A tight
fitting sports bra hug her upper frame, revealing the curves of her upper
body, flat stomach and lean arms. She wears a golden hoop in her navel.
Knee high boots travel up her legs, firmly laced in each hole. Finishing
off, she has a worn, dusty old black trench coat which hangs just below
her knees. Her tongue ring is almost always seen, clicking in thought, or
when she speaks with that ghetto accent of hers.

That greeting elicits a step back and a raised eyebrow from Deanna, just
as she was turning to go find a table to sit at. "You know him?" she asks
in a low voice that has immediately gone into cautiously reserved mode.

[Deanna]

     This slender and lithe girl's attitude and manner screams 'city
teenager'. Brown hair so dark it looks black in the right light is
stylishly cropped to fall to her shoulder blades and frame a fair,
pampered face with slightly rounded features. Her eyes are a dark
green-grey, and spark with an indomitable fire; she'd be cute if not for
the often-angry look in those eyes. Her soft alto voice has more than a
hint of a New York accent.

     Her clothing of choice for today is a hunter-green cable-knit sweater
over a pair of slim-cut blue jeans that look relatively new. Around her
neck is an intricately filigreed gold heart-shaped locked on a gold chain,
and a pair of low-heeled black leather boots complete the ensemble. An
oversized hooded sweatshirt in navy blue with "GAP" emblazoned in red and
white across the front is thrown over to protect her from the season's
chill.

Alicia dips her head in a nod as she smiles over towards Salem. "Ahh. Hey
you. This is my friend Dee', she's kinda family and stuff, just from
anotha' house down the street." Playfully, she motions to him, then
glances over to Tom. Richard on the other hand gets over looked, she
doesn't know him.

Tom finally seems to get the guy set straight on the order and steps to
the side waiting. He strums his fingers on the counter and idly yawns,
occasionally glancing over to the group and feeling a touch nervous. Too
many garou, too little space.

Richard shuffles forward, up to the counter. Dropping his bag, he brings
both hands up: his fist full of coins pounding out a short bass drum lick,
his right tapping a complimentary snare. He nods and smiles broadly,
waiting for the kid to take his order. Hearing the beat of a different
drummer, he turns toward Tom and grins. "We can' have two drummers in the
band, man," he joshes, his voice slightly raspy. "How 'bout I let you take
over?"

Salem's gloves vanish into a coat pocket as the Walker gives Deanna a nod.
"A pleasure." His gaze follows Alicia's toward Tom, briefly, and then
shifts back to the Gaian. "Private party, or open to gatecrashers?" Dry
humor colors his voice.

Deanna inclines her chin in understanding. "Uh huh, 'Licia. You too..."
she trails off as she realizes she doesn't have the man's name. She turns
away, searching out an appropriate table for four to deposit her
sketchbook on.

"Go ahead an crash Salem. Its not a biggie at all. It'd be cool for ya
ta'hang out. You two can do a lil bit of intro's if ya wanna, ya'know, get
to know each other since we share the same roof." Smiling, Alicia heads
over towards Tom and wraps her arms around his waist, drawing him into a
playful hug.

Tom is in the midst of getting the orders. And he's checking them over,
carefully, not trusting them. He grunts, though as he feels arms around
his waist and looks over, smiling just a bit to Alicia, "Hey, I think they
got it right this time."

Richard's grin at Tom disappears as the girl comes up behind him and grabs
him. He nods at the girl, but appears as if he doesn't want to intrude or
come between them. But something catches his eye, and he stares at the
young woman, his brow furrowing slightly. His attention prevents him from
hearing the cashier ask for his order.

"Ah, of course." Salem glances at Deanna, then introduces himself
smoothly. "Jack Salem. I presume that you're new in town?"

Deanna, who has selected a table for four nearby, looks up and nods. "Yup.
Not much more'n a couple'a weeks." A thick New York accent makes her
origins abundantly clear as she gestures to the table where she is
sitting. "Still getting used to the place," she admits amiably. "So how
long have you been around?"

Salem leans against the table, folding his arms across his chest.
"Currently? About a month, but I lived here previously about two years
ago."

Richard is prodded from behind and snaps out of his reverie, holding his
arms up in mock surrender and laughing. "I'm goin' already." Taking one
more look at the girl, he looks over to the cashier. "Hey, man. How's it
goin'? Gimme one of those chee'burgs and hold the pickles. And a water.
Tha's all." The quick, raspy patter ended, he stands aside to wait,
tapping his foot to some silent rhythm.

"Oh really? Cool." Deanna smiles to herself as she extracts a pencil from
her case and taps the back end idly against her sketchbook. "Does it
always rain this much out here? It's so depressing."

Tom hands Alicia her part of the order and looks around again, brow
furrowed curiously and his head tilted to the side.

Salem's mouth twists into a sardonic, crooked half-grin. "Only in spring,
summer, and fall. In winter, it snows instead." One shoulder lifts and
falls in a shrug. "One gets used to it."

"Please tell me the sun at least comes out every once in a while?"
Deanna's face falls. "An' I thought the smog in downtown back home was
bad."

Alicia takes the order from Tom and smiles, then starts heading in the
direction of the other two, sliding down into an empty chair. Leaning her
elbows on the table, she starts to nurse her soda, staring off
thoughtfully for a moment as she listens to Salem and Dee'.

Salem utters a brief chuckle. "Don't worry, it does." He nods to Alicia,
then turns back to Deanna, head tilting slightly. "What brings you out
here, all the way from the other coast?"

Tom follows Alicia over. He pauses a moment, but then takes a seat beside
Alicia. He does shift about a bit uncomfortably, and though he figures he
knows the cause of the discomfort, it does little to fix it. He soon just
sets to quietly eat his meal.

Richard flinches a bit, noticing his bag. Grabbing it quickly before the
people behind him can close up the gap, he pulls it toward his feet.
Standing back up, he turns his back to the counter, leaning against it and
checking out the restaurant. A soft 'whoa' passes his lips as he checks
out the guy with the eye and the attitude. He checks out both the loud,
somewhat familiar girl and the strange guy, his brow furrowing again.

Deanna chuckles as the food arrives and she removes her sketchbook from
the table to make room for the greasy food. She waits for everyone else to
get their stuff before rescuing her Coke. "Thanks, 'Licia. I dunno," she
answers Salem. "My old lady and her excuse for a boyfriend moved out here
for a job and dragged me with 'em." She doesn't look none too happy.

Salem arches a brow at Deanna's answer, though whatever questions he might
have about it are kept locked away behind his skull. For the moment, at
any rate. "Well," says the Walker after a moment, with a wry smile.
"Hopefully, you won't find St. Claire quite as tedious as you fear." He
glances toward the counter, recalling what he actually came here for.
"Excuse me a moment," he says to the others, and makes his way toward the
line.

Alicia nods her head and watches Salem go, then shifts her eyes over
towards the black guy, studying him. Her brown eyes glimmer for a moment,
then dull away as she offers to Tom. "Hey babe -- Um... Do you want to go
out dancing tonight?"

[Richard]

Apparently in his young to middle teens, Richard is tall for his age, his
limbs long and spindly, his torso lean and slender. Spidery arms extend
ending in large hands with gangly but slightly muscular fingers. His
slightly over-sized head sits upon his shoulders, the top of it covered
with a thick curly wool, obviously not shorn in some time. A slightly
aquiline nose pokes out from under a pair of bug-eyed sunglasses which
cover two large eyes, both brown but of different shades. As the kid opens
his mouth, you see striking contrasts: the pearly white of the teeth, the
blood red of the gums and tongue, the darkness of his ebon-covered face.

    The kid's wardrobe is something out of the past. A long-sleeved shirt
hugs his chest, the faded purple and green stripes running the length of
his upper body. Corduroy pants, a dull mixture of orange and beige, hang
loosely on his hips ending around his ankles in tattered strings. On his
feet are some black socks and some greenish-black negative-heel shoes,
their widened toes almost giving his feet a clownish appearance. On his
arm is an enormous bracelet, half links, half metal plate, it's
slightly-burnished surface failing to prevent the reflection of any light
shone upon it.

Looking to Alicia, Tom raises his brow. "Mmm, I...guess we could if you
want. I'm a terrible dancer, though. I'll probably stomp your feet in."

Richard straightens abruptly, almost unconsciously, as the strange guy
heads towards the counter. He looks over his shoulder, a touch of anxiety
added to his brow. Finding only his water, he takes the courtesy cup,
bringing it to his lips and taking a sip. Turning forward, he eyes Salem.

Deanna coolly nibbles on a fry, then frowns. "Lemme go get some ketchup."
She stands up and heads over to the straw-paper-strewn convenience
counters in search of a straw and some ketchup.

Salem gives Richard a glance, but no more of one than the other people in
line receive. The amiable air that he had when conversing with Alicia and
Deanna has vanished, leaving behind a cool -- even cold -- aura of
self-controlled violence. Ignoring any and all nervous looks his way,
Salem studies the menu and waits his turn with complete outward patience.

Richard watches the character as he takes his place in line, interrupted
by the cashier, who pushes a platter toward him. Grabbing his lone burger,
Richard leaves the plastic tray behind, walking toward the napkin
dispensers, still eyeing Salem as he goes by.

Alicia watches Deanna head off and then glances over to Tom with a slight
grin. "Thats ok, you can be taught. Dancing isn't that hard anyways." She
murmurs, reaching out with a hand to slip it between his fingers, tugging
softly.

Tom grins to Alicia, "Perhaps, but my knee was bad for years so I got
very, very rusty." He shrugs lightly and says, "But I can try, just keep
me away from, y'know, any sorta drinks."

Deanna by now has retrieved her straw and has grabbed a tiny paper cup
from the stack next to the ketchup dispenser. She steps around to the
dispenser with a murmured, "Excuse me," as she steps around Richard.

Salem continues to wait in line. He glances Richard's way again as the boy
passes him, then turns his attention back to the menu.

Vicki enters the McDonalds, a nice stranger holding the door open for her
as she drags a double stroller inside. Two children ride in the stroller,
probably a year old apiece. Kids in tow, she lines up behind everyone else
at the counter.

Richard sidles up to the napkin/straw counter and deftly sidesteps as
Deanna moves around him. His hands full, he sets the cup and burger on the
counter temporarily as he pulls some napkins out. He regards Deanna. "No
problemo. Hey, Miss. What's that girl's name over there? If you don' mind
me askin'."

[Vicki]

         A woman in her mid twenties, Vicki is what you would consider an
average person. Both in appearance and height, as she stands at an even
5'5. Her face is a study of angles, high cheekbones and a near triangular
jaw. She could be considered quite pretty, if only those angles were
softened a little. The sharpness of Vicki's complexion gives her a
naturally serious appearance, so long as she doesn't smile and retains a
stoic pose. Short, dark, dirty-blond hair frames the young woman's face,
going well with the shade of her skin; a light copper. Rectangular glasses
rest on the bridge of her nose, outlining brown eyes. A amethyst pendant,
in the shape of a owl, is suspended from her neck by a thin gold chain.

Alicia grins and tilts her head. "You kick box Tom. I think you should be
able to fake dancing a bit. Ya'know.." Her voice trails off into a rich
song, beautiful spun, playfull. "Because they were Kung-Fu fighting, and
Tom was fast as lightning.."

Tom rolls his eyes a bit. "Yeah, I kick box. I could punch someone out if
you'd like, but other than grace, I doubt it'll help me to shake my booty
much." He laughs softly, seeming to relax, at least a little bit. He
briefly looks over toward the door, smiles and waves to Vicki, then
excuses himself from the group to head over to her. "Vicki!"

"Huh?" Deanna looks back up at Richard, her hand over the button for the
ketchup. "Her? Her name's Alicia. Why do you ask?"

Vicki blinks and looks up from attending to to her children. "Tom, that
you?" She marvels. "Its been ages since I saw you last." She grins. "You
look good without that limp."

Richard grabs his burger up and nods a thank you to Deanna. "Umm, well, no
reason besides me just wantin' to know. She just looked familiar, is all."
He looks back over toward the couple at the table. "Well, thanks."

Alicia watches Tom get up and take off, a slight smile forming on her
face. Finding herself alone at the table, she peers over to Richard and
Deanna talking.

Tom smiles and gives his old friend a brief hug, then says, "I looked good
with it too," in a overly hammed up voice. He then crouches down to look
at the kids she's dragging around. "This the duo I saw oh-so-long ago?
They're growing like little weeds, aren't they?"

Salem, eventually reaching the front of the line, gives the counter-jockey
a warm smile that does little to wipe away the employee's nervous look.
"The nine-piece chicken McNuggets and a large coffee." Somehow, the Walker
manages to sound not the least bit condescending when making his order,
and fishes out his wallet as the cashier presses buttons and avoids his
eyes.

Deanna shrugs nonchalantly. "Okay, man. Whatever. Not a prob." Turning
back to her task, she quickly fills two of the dinky paper cups with
ketchup and scoops them and the straw - oh, and napkins would help, so she
grabs a couple of those, and starts to make her way back to the table.

Vicki laughs. "Yes, they are. I've had to baby-proof everything, since
they started walking." The boy looks at Tom thoughtfully, while the girl
giggles. "Babub," she babbles.

Richard's gaze follows Deanna back to the table as he checks out this
Alicia one more time. He hrms to himself, lifting up his bag to the
counter. Unzipping it, he throws the burger inside, along with a lot of
napkins and several condiment packages. Content, he zips the bag back up,
turning towards the exit.

Tom grins to the child. "Oh, they're adorable," he says with a big, goofy
grin. "You need any help with them? I never did get back with you, life's
been...hectic lately with school and I lost touch." He sighs, "I seem to
have a habit of doing that, don't I?"

Richard pushes open the door and steps out onto the street. Richard has
left.

Alicia glances back up at Deanna and smiles, scooting over a bit for her
to slide in. "Hey girl. So whats going on? We need to find Seirian real
quick and stuff." She comments.

Salem moves to one side to await his food, letting the next person in line
order. The coffee arrives first, and he sips this, letting his gaze wander
back toward the others.

Vicki shrugs and offers Tom a forgiving smile. "Thats okay. Like has been
busy for me as well. Between work, the children, and classes that I've
been taking. Its amazing that I find the time to sleep anymore. I haven't
had much luck keeping ties with people, either." She finally makes it to
the counter, ordering a mealdeal. Whcih in McDonalds fashion, arrives
relativly quickly. "Where were you sitting?"

Deanna slides in, ketchup and all, setting her prizes down on the table.
"Yeah, I know. School's a fucked up mess right now, so I been a little
slow gettin' on the horn with her. You wanna help me track her down?"

Tom points over to the table with Alicia and the other garou. "Over
there," he says, figuring she'll see them for what they are. "Yeah, you've
got all my problems, and kids to boot. I'm suprised you sleep at all."

Alicia nods her head. "Sure will. I want ya two to get tight wi'each other
and stuff." Moving her eyes about the room, she spies Salem waiting for
his order, then glances off to the two conversing kin. "Tom and I may go
out dancing, ya wanna come with us Dee'?" She asks softly.

That catches Deanna's interest. "Like where? I'd love to as long as the
music doesn't suck." She slurps her Coke.

Vicki looks over and nods. "I see them." The kinswoman grins. "I saw the
ring eariler. Congradulations. Shall we join them?"

Salem gets his nuggets and takes the small, warm cardboard box along with
his cup of coffee back over to the table. As he approaches, the cold
neutrality vanishes, and his scarred face returns to an expression of
reserved amiability. He slips into a chair.

Tom smiles a little and nods. "Thanks," he says. "Sure. Let's." He reaches
down to grab up one of the kids and hefts him to his shoulder for a little
pony-ride sort of thing as he follows Vicki to her seat. Ah, he's becoming
Uncle Tom.

Alicia shrugs her shoulders to Deanna with a smile, then peers over at
Salem for a moment. She eyes his nuggets, almost in a predatorial fashion.
"Not sure Dee'... maybe just cruise around till'we find something cool."
Watching Tom play with the kids, a slight grin tugs on her lips.

Michael, the baby boy, squeals happily. "Horsie!" Vicki smiles and pushes
the stroller ahead of her, balancing her tray in her other hand.

Deanna nods, watching Tom and the kids as well as she drags a fry through
her pet puddle of ketchup and shoves it in her mouth. "Uh-huh. What kinda
music you like?"

Salem gives Vicki and her broodlings a rather wary look, then meets
Alicia's predatory expression with a smirk. Opening the box, he turns it
around toward the Gaian. "Help yourself," he offers, generously.

Tom smiles a bit and sets the boy down again when they reach the seat. He
tries to help Vicki down with the tray, so she doesn't drop it, and even
stays standing until she sits. "Uh, does everyone know Vicki and her
kids?" he asks, smiling. He's a touch more relaxed now that he has someone
who doesn't get giant and hairy and howls at moons around.

Alicia feels her eyes light up as she reaches over, plucking one from the
box with a grin. "You rule Salem.. Um... I like anything I guess. Tonight
I need a beat." Lifting her eyes, she smiles to Tom. "We've met once." Her
fingers wiggle in salutations to the strider kin.

Salem flashes a brief, crooked grin at Alicia, then plucks one of the
processed chickenlike breaded things for himself and bites into it.

Vicki puts Rebecca(baby girl) on her lap, after sitting down. "Hello
Alicia." She smiles at the kinsman. "Thankyou." Unfortunatally, both
chicdren begin to fidit after being brought into such a large
consintration of garou. Espically Salem. While Rebecca merely looks
seriously unhappy, Michael begins to cry.

Deanna likewise holds up a hand to Vicki. "I think we've met once...uh..."
She eyes the bawling child with some consternation.

Tom furrows his brows lightly and leans over to give Michael a bit of
attention which includes 1: Making funny faces, 2: Talking in a soothing
tone, and 3: Trying to distract him by doing shadowpuppets.

Salem's smile vanishes abruptly, and his amiable expression becomes a
bit... strained. The full moon is bad enough; a crying child only further
tests the limits of his self-control. Still, the Walker doesn't seem apt
to blow up just yet, and manages to retain some outward semblence of the
calm and casual as he finishes off the nugget and washes it down with
coffee.

Very little seems to help, as Rebecca joins her bawling brother. Between
the two of them, they are making ALOT of noise.

Alicia smiles and watches the children get antsy, tilting her head a bit.
Biting on her lip, she glances over and places her hand over Salem's
wrist, a soothing expression of sorts.

Deanna's smiles has also vanished, and she takes another sip of her Coke
with singleminded intensity, as if willfully ignoring the crying children.

"I am so sorry," Vicki says, as she attempts to quiet her children.
"They're normally very good."

Tom lets out a breath, shaking his head. "Ah," he says, really unable to
think of what to do. He looks to Vicki, somewhat helpless. He's no idea
what to do, afterall.

Softly, Alicia's voice rises up from the screaming babies, starting to
sing a beautiful Rock-A-Bye. She trains her eyes upon the two children,
lightly swaying from left to right as she hopes to capture their
attention.

Salem actually _twitches_ when Alicia lays a hand on him. He meets her
eyes for a moment, then turns toward Vicki. "My fault," he says, in a tone
of muted apology. "I tend to have a bad effect on children." He glances at
Michael and Rebecca with a sour expression.

Vicki nods, understanding dawning. "Suppose everyone else here isn't
helping, either." She murmurs. She puts the crying Rebecca back into her
stroller, indicating that Tom should do the same. "I'll move."

Tom hefts the boy up and settles him in the stroller. "Ah, I'll come with
you," he says. He gives Alicia a light smile, patting her hand, then says,
"Come get me if you need me, okay?" He's a bit nervous around them too,
truth be told.

Vicki hands Tom her tray. "Thanks," the gets behind the stroller and
pushes it to the oposet side of the McDonals. Away from the garou, the
children begin to calm down.

Salem watches the small group move off, a grimace hinting around the tight
set of his mouth and jaw. Then he turns away sharply and takes another sip
from his cup of coffee.

Deanna just isn't here. Not here in more ways than one, it would seem to
judge by her slightly blank expression as she absently sips her Coke.

Alicia waves a hand in front of Deanna's eyes, then glances back to Salem
with a shrug. "A pirate's life we be eh'? Arrrr.." She softly huffs and
picks up a fry, playing with the end of it. "This sucks, even kids hate
us."

Tom makes himself as useful as he can, and sits down. "So, other than
tired, how've you been?" he asks Vicki.

It's a couple of seconds between the hand pass and the shift of
expressions on Deanna's face that marks a return to the current time and
place. "Huh?" She rubs absently at a temple.

Salem gives the Gaian a thin, humorless smile. "Blame my ancestors, amoung
others," he says quietly. "Still..." His shoulders move in a dismissive
shrug as he bites into another nugget.

Vicki gives both children some french fries, after they have calmed down.
"Okay. Soem things have been happening at the Hospital, but I haven't been
involved."

Tom nods slowly. "I've heard. I'm almost to the point where I'll have to
go to a bigger school too," he says with a sigh. "I'm sort of at an end.
Ah, but, I'll not drag you down with my problems."

Alicia nods her head a bit and leans against Deanna's shoulder, swirling
the fry through the ketchup before letting it drop. "Man Dee'... its like
life will never be ya'know, normal and shit. That kinda straight up sucks.
Oh well, least we can still go dancing."

Vicki hs, head tilted to one side. "Belive me, that can't be any worse
then the shit I was dealing with a year and a half ago."

Deanna snorts softly in her chest, staring into her Coke. "Oh, I know. It
so sucks. I dunno how much longer I'm gonna be able t'stay in school if
this shit keeps up." Her voice lowers. "Every day I walk into homeroom
wondering if this is gonna be the day I finally lose it. An' forget
gettin' trashed in public. God help us if we do that.

Salem takes another sip of coffee, regarding the two younger Garou with a
rather bemused expression. He refrains from comment, however.

Tom tilts his head. "Well, we can talk about it later," he says, sounding
as if it might just be that bad. He leans back a bit, then grins as he
hands a fry to one of the children.

Alicia rubs the back of her neck. "Hell, dating is hard 'nuff as it is
without freaking out your boyfriend on prom night cuz' ya suddenly got an
excessive amount of chest hair outta no where." Teasing, she glances over
to her Fianna friend, then bursts out laughing at the thought.

Michael grabs the fry and stuff it into his mouth, while Rebecca remains
distracted by the fries that sh ewas given eariler. "If you say so," Vicki
says. "It would be nice, if you came by more often."

Deanna laughs with Alicia good-naturedly. "Yeah, that'd be pretty freaky.
All my classmates are like fuckin' scared of me an' shit. It's weird bein'
avoided." She lets out a long, gusty sigh, her expression nothing short of
morose. It's depressing. I guess now I kinda know how the nerds feel."

Tom smiles. "I'll try to put the books aside long enough to visit," he
promises, feeling slightly ashamed for not having done so sooner. "Really,
I'll try. We probably have much to talk about and, maybe, you could offer
some advice to my problems."

Vicki rubs and the back of her neck and shrugs. "I can do my best, if
nothing else."

"I can only imagine how difficult that must be, yes," Salem remarks, his
voice still quiet. He turns the nugget box around again, letting Alicia
and Deanna help themselves. "My own parents invested in private tutors
until I was fifteen. Afterwards... mother's duty was all."

Alicia nods her head and rubs at the back of her neck some, plucking out a
golden nugget of joy. "Well.. I was living it the hard way on the streets.
Needles in the arm, a new guy in the sack each night." Frowning, she
glances away a bit and clears her throat. "And this is where we talk about
happy rainbows and puffy clouds."

Tom nods, "And I could offer some babysitting too, I suppose," he says
with a chuckle, distracting the child with yet another fry.

Salem snorts, the sound _almost_ a laugh. "And unicorns and candy canes.
Yes." Just a minor bit of the old sardonic tone there.

Vicki smiles. "That would be nice. I have a few babysitters that I can
call in, but another one would always be welcome." Vicki finally gets
around to unwrapping her burger and taking a bite.

Deanna blinks, then glances at Alicia and bursts out laughing. "Unicorns,
eh? I bet 'Lish'd like that."

Tom nods, then lets Vicki go about her eating. He resumes making funny
faces at the children, trying to get them to laugh and smile and relax.

Alicia grins and lets out a silent -YAY-. "Of course. Unicorns rule dude."
Faintly grinning, she pops a fry into her mouth and begins to chew
thoughtfully.

Salem arches a brow, and then lets out a dry chuckle. "Oh, yes, of course.
Unicorns." He drinks another mouthful of coffee.

Both children respond favorably to Tom's attention, as they smile.

Deanna shakes her head, shoving the rest of her fries At Alicia. "I'm not
real hungry if you want to kill these," she offers. "I aon't going there
right now, 'Licia. Not here." She takes another pull of her Coke.

Alicia glances down at the fries, then back at Deanna with a hint of
concern.

Salem arches a brow, but says nothing.

"What?" Deanna looks from Alicia to Salem, confused. "I'm just not real
hungry right now. Oh, what time is it?" She searches the wall for a clock.

"You.. said you weren't going there.. not here. Um.. I'm just.. confused
on what ya meant by that." Alicia fingers the fries for a moment before
nudging them away. "You ok?"

Deanna shrugs, then nods. "I'm good, just you were talkin' about Unicorns
rule. I say ya can't beat stags..." A mischievous grin spreads across her
face.

Salem takes the next to last chicken nugget and bites into it, dryly
amused but making no comment.

"Oh, lets not play the my totem can beat up your totem game." Alicia says
with a soft laugh as she wrinkles up her nose, glancing over to Salem,
whispering. "Besides, I hear roaches are the almighty powerful ones
anyways, we don't stand a chance Dee'."

"I," says Salem archly, "was not going to say a word."

Deanna holds up both hands in surrender with a laugh. "Hey now, don't
bitch at me. You asked. An' yer full of shit, anyway." Her wide, teasing
grin indicates that she's speaking entirely in jest. She snorts at Salem's
comment, remarking, "Then don't."

Salem utters another of those dry, sardonic chuckles and finishes off the
nugget.

Alicia grins and glances over to Deanna for a moment, then starts to
stand, brushing off her jeans. Her eyes glance over towards Tom and Vicki
as they converse, watching them.

Vicki is merely talking to Tom about day-to-day things, inbetween taking
bites out of her burger.

Tom is conversing right back, chatting quietly, and occasionally
entertaining the kids.

Deanna looks up at Alicia. "What time is it?"

Alicia glances down to her pager and furrows her brow. "Its about nine at
night now. Why, you got somewhere important ya gotta be?" She asks.

Deanna's eyes widen. "Oh shit. Nine's my curfew -- I pissed her off the
other day. I gotta go." She stands up hastily, rescuing her pencils and
sketchbook from the seat next to her before standing up and tossing a
couple of ones on the table. "Give those to Tom for the grub for me,
willya?"

Alicia chuckles and pockets the change. "Sure thing. Hey Dee', if yer' mom
gives ya shit, jus' say you were at my house studying or some garbage."

Salem's right eyebrow rises, and again he has that look of questions
unvoiced. The last nugget vanishes, along with the dregs of his coffee.

Deanna nods, managing a faint grin. "Sure. S'what I always do. Well, I
better scram. Good to meetcha, Salem," she nods in the Walker's direction.
"You take care, girlfriend, okay?" She opens her arms for a hug from
Alicia.

"Likewise," Salem returns, smoothly. His eye strays toward Vicki, Tom, and
the children, though only for a moment.

Alicia reaches out and draws Deanna tightly into her arms, giving a hug,
and then pushes her off. "Go go Go."

Deanna turns, scoops up her sketchbook, and scurries out the door. "Bye!"

Salem tips his coffee cup back, and, finding it empty, crushes it down and
stacks it into the also-empty nugget box. "I should be heading off as
well," he tells Alicia. "I've got some, ah, spiderwebs to clean up around
the house."

Alicia nods her head with a smile. "Its cool Salem. You take care of
yourself also. You wanna hug too?" She teases.

Salem snorts, though the one-eyed Philodox is clearly rather amused by the
suggestion. "That won't be necessary, thank you. Keep well, hm?"

Tom looks over a moment, noticing fewer Garou and gets a curious look on
his face.

Alicia nods her head. "You too Salem. See ya later." Slinking back in the
booth, she picks away at the fries out of boredom.

Salem nods and heads out, pausing to throw out his trash before he leaves.