Party at Salem's

[hazlogs]

7/14/2002

Currently in Saint Claire, it is mostly sunny today. The temperature is 72
degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in
from variable directions at 5 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.03
and falling, and the relative humidity is 49 percent. The dewpoint is 52
degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celsius.)

Currently the moon is in the waxing Crescent Moon phase (32% full).

Location: Elson Avenue, Downtown

There's the laughter and noise of two kids talking, walking down the street
leisurely. "So, what sort of music do you like?" Lyra asks, hands in her
pockets again. "I know another like you, Adrian- he's very big into Broadway
and theater. Mama Kaz is like you too, and I've seen her with a flute, so I
think she likes classical."

Richard's hands are free from the confines of pockets, one wrapped around a
half-filled bottle of root beer. Taking a quick swig he raspily answers the
young girl. "I didn't know she played the flute. Well, what I like, what I
/do/ is that sweet stuff of the cradle of American music. Jazz. Hot or cool,
makes no difference to me." He looks at the girl, a quizzical wrinkle across
his brow. "Broadway tunes?"

A tall, scarred, trenchcoated figure -- one familiar to Lyra -- lurks
outside the Red Mill apartment complex, reading a newspaper by the light of
a streetlamp.

Lyra quirks a surprised smile at the Galliard cub. "Come now, don't say it
with such distaste! Would you, light my, candle?" The dark haired Gnawer
flings her arms out, skipping ahead of Richard and spinning theatrically, a
full 360. The bunny-eared hood bobs up and down. "It's out again! Sorry
about your friend. Would you, light my candle?" She makes to do another
spin, and ends up crashing into a streetlamp, narrowly missing the man
standing under it. "Excuse me! Sorry!" She gets her bearings, and looks at
the person to apologize.

The Glass Walker glances up as the Gnawer breaks into song and, thus warned,
quickly side-steps to avoid a collision. "Hello to you too, Lyra," says
Salem dryly.

After a few more steps, Richard stops, pausing to take in the impromptu
performance, obviously not recognizing the song but amused nonetheless.
Whimsy turns to surprise as the girl missteps; he flinches, but is quickly
relieved to see that she doesn't fall. Taking another swig of the soda, he
steps forward, curious to see who's under the light.

It's not the best place to jog, but Rhiannon is actually moving back towards
the better areas rather than from them as she comes out onto the sidewalk
from a side street. Her pace is even and after a short bit she stops,
checking her pulse and pacing. It's not long before she spies the small
congregation near the streetlamp, but only when she recognizes Lyra does she
begin to approach.

After a brief moment of surprise, Lyra breaks into an embarrassed smile,
rubbing her forearm a bit. It had smacked into that pole hard. Who knew
streetlamps could be so dangerous? "Hello, Mr. Salem," she replies
sheepishly. She looks over her shoulder at Richard, motions him over. "It's
okay, Mr. Salem is nice. Maybe he can tell us a good place to practice." The
Gnawer doesn't notice Rhiannon's presence on the block, looking the other
way.

Salem folds the newspaper, his eye going toward Richard. He studies Lyra's
friend critically for a moment, then turns back to the Gnawer herself.
"Practice? Practice what?" He hasn't noticed Rhiannon yet, though certainly
won't fail to once she's closer.

Richard nods, smiling again. "You okay," he asks Lyra. "You got a bit
carried away there, didn't ya?" He nods over to 'Mr. Salem.' "Evening, my
name's Richard." His gaze rests a little bit too long on Salem's scarred
visage.

Rhiannon is now close enough to recognize Salem, and she gives him a wave,
noticing that Lyra hasn't seen her yet. Her footfalls are hard to miss now
too, and she's walking with a lanky, stretching step to ease herself out of
the jog, rather than stop cold turkey.

Lyra grimaces, flexing her fingers and working her arm a bit. "Well, just
because I'm a clumsy dolt, doesn't mean Broadway music is bad," she insists.
"We were looking for a place to practice forms," she tells Salem, then
pausing to look over at whatever those clunkclunk sounds were. She finally
catches sight of the Walker Kin. "Oh hey, Miss Rhiannon!"

Salem inclines his head briefly to the kinswoman, then turns back toward the
petite Gnawer. "The woods would be best, for space and privacy," he says,
tucking the newspaper under one arm. "Otherwise... you're not planning on
racing about or howling like madmen, are you?"

Richard looks around to the newcomer, taking her appearance in and giving
her a courteous smile. Surrounded by people he doesn't know, he just watches
and waits, trying to absorb the various dynamics. He steps back, being sure
to get out of the way of the approaching kin.

"Lobita, good to see you," Rhiannon says to Lyra. Salem gets simply a nod,
and then she looks at Richard. "Rhiannon," she informs him.

Lyra mock-frowns at Salem, hands in her pockets again. "I'm not that silly!
I was hoping to find Renee's warehouse, ask her if we could practice there.
There's always my shop, too, but I don't want to break things. And the woods
are a bit far away to get on foot." She glances at Rhiannon, then quirks a
smile and tries to hide it by biting on her lip. It doesn't work.

Salem hesitates for a moment, then nods once, as though making a decision.
"I live upstairs," he says, glancing briefly toward Red Mill. "There isn't
much to break. But no barking." The last is delivered so deadpan that it's
hard to decide whether he's joking or not.

Kaz has her flute case in hand, as she wanders down the street, heading
towards Regan. Perhaps she's been busking.

Richard nods quietly at the scarred man's regulations. "No problem, man,
but, hey if this is a bad time or somethin', I can just move on along." He
stops, noticing a familiar figure with the afore-mentioned flute. He nudges
Lyra, motioning towards Kaz. "Hey, you were right. Flute."

The previous night's discussion is not all that far from Rhiannon's mind,
and she casts Lyra a wry glance. "Practice what?" she asks, her words fairly
innocent despite the way she's looking at the Gnawer cub. "And what are we
not breaking?"

Down the street, two people can be seen heading in the general direction of
the crowd. Lyra'd probably recognize 'em right off, if she's paying
attention. Glancing over at Jeremy, Aiyana motions with a hand to the area
around her. "Now see, ain't this better than gettin' a tan from your
monitor? I swear you're gonna be a hermit one day."

"What? Where? Flute?" Lyra looks the other way, and spies Kaz- and Aiyana,
and Jeremy. "Oh, it's a regular party tonight!" she grins. She takes a few
steps away from the group, intent on grabbing her elder before she got away.
"Mama Kaz?" she calls out.

Kaz is, currently, on the opposite side of the street from the Gnawers and
Walkers, and doesn't, until Lyra calls out, seem inclined to notice them.
And then, she looks over, and raises a hand, dodging a car or two to cross
the street. "Yo," she says, briefly. She is, it must be said, fairly
subdued.

Salem's lips thin slightly, though his manner remains calm. "A party
indeed," he murmurs, more to himself than anyone else. He nods toward Aiyana
and Jeremy, the latter more than the former, and then falls to studying Kaz
carefully.

Richard continues to watch Kaz as she nears the group, but soon sees Jeremy
and Aiyana. He holds up a tentative hand, knowing them only slightly better
than the other. "Somebody set off an alarm or something?" he wonders aloud.

Rhiannon gives Kaz a casual glance, then looks further down the street at
Aiyana and Jeremy. She recognizes them both by voice, if not by sight.
"Hopefully no one unwanted is going to join," she murmurs as she absently
checks for sight of said unwanteds, particularly police.

Aiyana blinks and waves to the group. "Wow. Not the only ones out for a
walk, huh? We missin' somethin' or what?" Ly and Richard get a cheerful grin
flashed, before she gives Kaz a mock salute. "Hey."

Kaz fetches up next to Lyra, and shoots her something resembling a smile,
though it's certainly not a large one. She's apparently ignoring Salem's
scrutiny. "S'who're you?" is her brief question towards Rhiannon.

Kaz shoots the same semi-smile at Aiyana.

Salem tucks the folded newspaper into a pocket of his coat and then folds
his arms across his chest. Leaning against the streetlamp, the Walker goes
quiet. His offer to let Lyra and Richard practice shifting at his apartment
isn't repeated, though neither is it withdrawn.

Lyra leans against Kaz slightly, companionably, a trick she seems to have
picked up from Anneka. She waves at Aiyana and Jeremy, grinning and flashing
the Ahroun cub one of those looks that only other girls can translate. "Hey
you two. Mama Kaz, I was going to practice some forms with Richard. Mr.
Salem said we could use his flat, if we were quiet. Would you like to help
us? If you're not busy."

"Rhiannon." It's a friendly enough reply, and her face shows no distrust,
although she seems uninclined to describe herself further.

Aiyana narrows her eyes a little at Lyra, biting her tongue so she doesn't
say anything incriminating towards herself.

Kaz doesn't, quite, move away from Lyra, and she doesn't stiffen, but it's
clear /not/ moving away takes effort. "Sure." She shoots a glance at
Rhiannon. "She invited?"

Richard steps forward slightly, nodding to Kaz. "Evenin' ma'am." He says
nothing further but his eyes flit from Salem to the terse interaction
between Kaz and Rhiannon.

"Everyone's invited," says Salem, his voice utterly dry. "And I just went
shopping the other day, too."

Kaz shrugs. "Won't tear nothin'." She gives Richard a nod, of the 'good
evening, good to see you' variety.

Rhiannon suggests, "If we're going to, it should be soon. A patrol car could
wander by, and we're not...inconspicuous."

Lyra's eyes light up as Kaz agrees to come, and she positively beams at
Salem when he makes it an open invitation, unaware of (or choosing to
ignore) any sarcasm. "Really? Oh Aiyana, Jeremy, would you like to come too?
You did say you needed practice, Ay."

Aiyana shrugs towards Ly. "Why the hell not. Couldn't hurt any, I guess."
She heads towards the group.

Richard finishes his root beer but holds onto the bottle. He looks around at
Rhiannon's warning. "Sounds good ta me. Police don't sound so good ta me."

Salem glances down the street, then nods and steps toward Red Mill, trusting
anyone to follow who wishes to.

Rhiannon's mouth quirks in an almost-smile. "Present company excluded, I
hope."

[Location change: Salem's apartment]

Salem ushers the party inside and locks the door afterwards. "Make yourself
at home," says the Walker, shedding his coat and hat. "Can I get anyone a
drink? Nothing alcoholic, I'm afraid." He's all politeness, the perfect
host.

Kaz says, "Water." Then she leans against a wall and considers Rhiannon.
Briefly, though there's curiousity in her eyes, she says, "I'm Kaz. Gnawer
Elder. Galliard. Alpha of Trouble."

Rhiannon shuts the door behind her, and gives the apartment a cursory
looking-over before approaching Kaz. "I'm sorry about out there, I'm not
that short usually. Being outside, I just wanted to be careful." She holds
out her hand with a genuine smile. "Rhiannon MacKenzie. Walker Kin." She
gestures at her sweatshirt, adding, "And, this too."

Aiyana steps in and glances around the place. "Not bad," she finally
comments, looking for a nice spot to loom in.

Jeremy glances around Salem's place idly for a few moments, sharp eyes
taking in every detail that may stick out.

Lyra shakes her head, adding "No thankyou sir," then takes a jerky sidestep
as a cockroach scuttles past where her foot had been. She stares at it, a
bit horrified by its size and close proximity. Pure luck is with her that
she doesn't squash the thing on reflex, as her aunt did when she caught them
in the shop.

Richard follows Lyra into the apartment, shaking his head at Salem's offer.
"No thanks," he responds, setting his empty pop bottle on a counter. Looking
around, he stops, almost freezing, uncertain about something. He remains
quiet, watching, waiting to be addressed. The cat food catches his eye and
he shoots it an odd look before starting to look for the missing pet.

Kaz shakes Rhiannon's hand firmly, though not too firmly. "Nothin' but
sense. Glad t'meet more Kin. You got all the numbers you need? Made up a
phone list of Kin, awhile back." While Kaz is certainly talking more, now,
she's not exactly the most forthcoming person in the world, at the moment.

Salem fetches a glass of water for Kaz. With ice, even. His gaze flicks
toward Lyra at the Gnawer's sudden movement. "Ah, yes. Please do not step on
the cockroaches." This little request is offered to the gathering at large.

Aiyana looks to Ly for a second, chuckling at her actions, all while waiting
for her to make some type of comment. Shaking that lingering fear off for
now, she looks over at Jeremy. "See? Now if you wouldn't have left your
place, we wouldn't get to be here." Salem's comment gets a reised eyebrow,
but she doesn't question it.

Jeremy fidgets a bit, wringing his hands together, letting out a puff of
breath. "Wow.. great." He murmurs quietly, clicking his lip stud against his
teeth out of impatience.

Richard watches as a cockroach climbs down the wall in front of him. "You
step on one of those and ya get flipped I bet. For real. They didn't eat the
cat, did they?" he quips as he pulls a small pouch out of his pocket.

Aiyana blinks. "Somethin' wrong?" she whispers. "We can bounce outta here if
you want, bro. If you're uncomfy..."

Lyra nods slowly, eyes still following her creepy little bugger as it makes
its way to the cat food dish. She shudders a bit, then straightens her
posture and tries to shrug it off. That was easily the largest roach she'd
seen in some time, bringing up memories of Meiran stomping around the shop
with a slipper... She looks to her left as Richard pulls out a pouch.
"Marbles?" she asks softly, gesturing with one hand to the bag.

Salem turns a thin little smile over at Richard. "The cat food," he tells
the cub, "is for the roaches."

Kaz asks Lyra, "Make more sense if you know the Walker Totem is Cockroach?"

Rhiannon nods at Kaz. "I've gathered more than a few, although if you've got
a comprehensive list I'd love a copy." She glances at the roaches, but
doesn't seem to think much of them.

Richard gives Salem a singular look but doesn't push the issue. Kaz' comment
seems to resolve the issue for the moment. Nodding to Lyra, he holds up the
pouch, pushing his sunglasses up on his head. "Well, one 'marble' I guess."

Kaz pauses briefly, to give Rhiannon a short, searching look, then she nods.
"Sure thing." She whips a not-at-all grubby piece of paper out of her pocket
and hands it over. "Pretty comprehensive."

Aiyana blinks and stares at her shoe as a roach makes its way across it.
"...right."

Jeremy bends over and picks up the roach, stroking its shelled back with a
finger. "I'm fine. I just don't do group things often." He murmurs to
Aiyana.

Lyra grins at that, then looks to Kaz and nods. "Okay," she says softly.

Rhiannon takes the paper, looking it over before she turns to Salem. "I've
just finished five miles, Salem, so I'm gonna take you up on the drink
offer. Water if I can." She looks back to Kaz, and asks, "Need this back?"

Aiyana gives Jer one of those 'you've gotta be kidding me' looks. "Not
exactly my idea of a pet, but hey, whatever works for you." She does place a
hand on his shoulder, though, glancing around the room. "Hey, like I said,
we can go outside if you want. It's a decent night out."

Kaz shakes her head. "Gave copies to Alpha, Warder, and most of the Kin. Got
my own. Keep one as extra. You don't smell of Wyrm, you get a copy."

"What is wrong with roaches?" Jeremy asks, glancing over to Aiyana. "Rats
are not exactly puppy material either. You just have to make do with
whatever you go." He gives the roach another soft stroke before placing him
back on the ground near the wall.

Salem pours Rhiannon a glass of ice water that looks more or less identical
to the one he fetched for Kaz. His gaze lingers on Aiyana and Jeremy, eyes
narrowing slightly. But he doesn't comment.

Richard turns his back to most of the crowd and bends over, reaching up for
his face. His glasses fall from his head and scuttle slightly on the floor,
creating a plastic clacking. He grunts slightly, but soon finishes his
business, kneeling down to pick up the glasses. Standing back up and turning
around, his right eye is missing.

"Fair enough." Rhiannon tucks the list into her sweatpants pocket, making a
mental note of some of the names. "I have Drew's new number, if you still
need it," she says after downing almost the entire glass in one go.

Kaz pauses, glass to her lips. "Yeah. Please. Ain't actually seen her yet.
Just know she's back."

Aiyana shrugs. "I guess so, but...eh. Guess I'm just used to steppin' on
'em, rather than makin' friends. And I have yet to pet a rat," she corrects.
"How about this. I'll give 'em a friendly wave, and they don't try to crawl
up my pant leg. Cool?" At the sound of the glasses she turns, curious, but
she doesn't stare. That'd be impolite.

Jeremy glances over to Richard and lifts up a brow. "Well, I've petted rats
before." He notes to her with a slight grin.

Salem's attention is arrested by Richard, and he pauses while on his way
back to the kitchen, peering.

Kaz glances over at Richard. "You hide that 'round us. Why's that?"

With a nod, Rhiannon pulls her wallet out of the sweatshirt's front pocket,
and pokes through it for a few seconds before producing a plain business
card. It's still in pretty good shape for being wallet-bound, and the Kin
hands it to Kaz. "I will need that back, however."

Aiyana squints. "If there's a hidden meanin' to that, I'm gonna kick your
ass," she mutters with a joking tone to Jer.

Richard folds the glasses, placing them near the empty bottle. Rubbing his
eye, he yawns softly. "Okay, ready for transformation. I just didn't want
that rollin' all over the place." He looks over at Kaz, giving her a
confused look. "What? The eye?" He pauses, taking some time to answer. "I
don't understand. Why do you think I'm hiding it."

Kaz nods, and in fact quickly enters the number into her cel phone, then
hands the card back. "Mind giving me yours? Mind me spreading it around?"
She shakes her head at Richard. "No, just meant, around Bawn and stuff, you
don't even need the fake."

Jeremy smirks at Aiyana, then lifts his shoulders in a shrug. "Take it how
you want it. I'm seriously having computer withdrawls tho'. I'm.. going to
head out."

Aiyana looks around, studying Salem for a moment. "...on second thought,
maybe I'll join ya. Mind me freeloadin' on your couch again?"

Salem shakes his head, then heads into the kitchen. His eye wanders over
toward Aiyana and Jeremy again, and his lips thin. Still, though, no
comment.

Richard is distracted by the discussion between Aiyana and Jeremy for a
moment. "Yeah, well, I guess it ain't too practical, is it? Let's just say
it's a sentimental thing. Gift."

"Feel free," Rhiannon says, and she produces another business card--this one
her own. It's a fairly mellow piece of work, with all the basics (cell,
office, fax). "I'm easier to reach on the cellphone. The office is kind of
just for show, since I'm almost never there." She seems a little annoyed by
that fact, but doesn't go into it.

Kaz nods at Richard. "Sentimental value, I get." Once Rhiannon gives her the
card, she enters at least one number onto her cel phone again, and then
sticks the business card in one of the many pockets of her coat. "Why?"

Salem turns back to the kitchen, wordlessly pouring himself a glass of
orange juice. The Walker's mostly-genial mood has soured briefly at the
sight of his tribe's kin acting so... couple-y with a Bone Gnawer.

[Meanwhile, Jeremy and Aiyana have taken their party off elsewhere, and
Richard and Lyra have crashed on the floor or something.]

Rhiannon sighs. "You'd be amazed how many warrants you can be called in on
when it wasn't even your case to begin with." She doesn't sound too bitter,
but she's not thrilled over the situation either. "It's a good deal of work,
arresting someone." She watches Salem go into the kitchen, curious, but
doesn't ask. The Kin does, however, finish off her water.

Kaz blinks once or twice. "Paperwork's getting in the way of the real job?"
she hazards, though she's got some bit of attention on Salem.

Rhiannon shakes her head. "No, but we've been working a lot with local cops
on warrants, especially drug arrests, and it's a helluva lot of leg work,
finding people and watching them and, well, arresting them." She laughs a
little. "Paperwork, that's the only thing that *would* keep me office bound,
but I do it all at home so my work days are less than twleve hours."

Kaz blinks again. "Oh. So it's not a complaint, it's just you're tired. Ok."

By the time the Walker returns, orange juice in hand, he seems to have shed
the spasm of dourness, or at least pushed it way down where all his other
errant feelings go.

Rhiannon grins. "Yeah. Pretty much." She gives Salem a searching look but
doesn't ask about his temporary absense. "How are things with the Caern?"
she asks both Garou, her voice intentionally low.

Kaz, meanwhile, tells Salem, "If they're bothering you, I could talk to
Aiyana." Kaz adds, to Rhiannon, in the understatement of the year, "Not so
good."

"As well as can be expected," Salem says, happening to answer Rhiannon
first. "Progress is being made. There's still quite a lot to do." Then he
regards Kaz, studying the Gnawer a moment. "Any idea how long _that_ has
been going on?"

Kaz shrugs. "Wasn't going on before the Dancers. I've been kind of busy
since then." She herself sounds entirely unconcerned about it; clearly, she
asked because /Salem/ was annoyed by it.

Rhiannon grimaces, and says, "Fran told me that it was pretty bad. If anyone
needs anything, just let me know and I'll see how getting it. I can't get
things in mass quantities, but I can probably scare up a decent variety."

"Hmn," says the Walker, settling himself at one end of the greenish couch.
Then he shakes his head, dismissively. "Bigger things to worry about. For
example," and here he looks at Rhiannon, "there's a lot of waste that needs
disposing of."

Kaz nods. "Should mention, in case anyone else hasn't, Alpha and Warder have
opened up both Bawn and Caern to those Kin who want to come and think they
can cope."

Rhiannon grunts at Salem. "Yes, trash day should be soon. It's hinging on
some legwork I'm waiting for, from Charleston. Should hear back this week."
She then addresses Kaz, "Well I've been to our Caern in LA before, but I'll
admit, it was a lot easier to get to than this one. We'll see, maybe Fran
will drag me out to it."

Salem nods, taking a sip of his OJ. Salem remarks, dryly, "It's quite a
hike. I'm sure Francisco can carry you out on his back, in hispo."

Kaz shrugs. "Were barred from it before, why I mentioned it now. Source of
some annoyance among the other Kin." She adds, to the both of them, "Think
the Warder burned some bodies, if that's the kind of trash you mean."

Rhiannon blinks, surprised, and runs a hand over her hair. "Oh, *that*
trash. Sorry, looks like I handle more garbage than I realized. That kind is
pretty easy to deal with. Just need a time and a place to...bring the
garbage truck." She looks grim about the whole thing, despite the wordplay.

Kaz seems set on permanent grim mode, just now. "Wasn't sure which you
meant. Definitely need some chemical cleaning to deal with some of the
inventive presents they left behind, though. Don't know what kind of legwork
you meant."

Salem takes another sip of his juice. "We need to organize some Dancer hunts
as well. And to keep an ear open for signs of their presence in the city."
He frowns. "They may have gone to ground in the sewer system."

Kaz says, "Keeping an ear out already. Rhiannon, you hear of any odd
munitions purchases... Be happy to know about it." She then thumps a heel
against the wall. "Not going do the Call down there. But maybe further out.
Need to kill some stuff."

"The legwork has to do with...something else." Rhiannon looks at Salem for
just a moment, then continues. "I can get some pretty decent chemicals from
LA. It'd take a few days, but might be worth it." She makes a sound of
frustration, as Kaz mentions the Spirals. "I've been talking to my CIs and
keeping a look out, but if they're out there, they're being pretty damned
stealthy about it."

Salem tilts a look toward Kaz. "You were working on the sewer issue. How
extensive _is_ the blight down there?"

Kaz snorts. "All over. Lights help, but it's hard to get them up."

Rhiannon hmmmphs. "The Hospital's high on my list of places to fix,
personally. If I ever get tagged, I don't think the EMTs will be listening
when I tell them to take me somewhere else."

What would have been a full out grin, weeks ago, is a mild, tight smile,
now, from Kaz. "John wants to blow it up."

Salem sets down his glass, then reaches up to pinch at the bridge of his
nose. "The hospital. Dammit. Yes." He arches a brow at Kaz's remark, then
gives her his own tight smile. "I don't blame him."

"Fuck yeah," Rhiannon replies.

Kaz says, "Isn't practical, more's the pity. Though I suppose if we rigged
up a decent terrorist threat, it might actually be."

Salem takes up his glass again and sips. "The environment's still ripe for
terrorists," he says, with a snort. "The White House continues to piss
themselves over it, when they're not nattering about corporate reform."

"I won't lie, I'm tempted," Rhiannon tells Kaz, her expression terribly
serious. "It's the worst possible place to be a no-fly zone, especially for
Kin." She scuffs her shoe against the floor, huffing in annoyance. "But
you're right, it'd be pretty fucking impossible to hash out. And there's
regular people to think about, too."

Kaz shakes her head. "No. Look. This is not back burner. This is relevant.
You're law enforcement. You know what looks like a real terrorist threat and
a fake one, correct?"

Salem turns his attention to Rhiannon, listening intently.

Rhiannon sighs, the sound full of regret. "Unfortunately, my anti-terrorism
training is pretty minimal. Just wasn't really the thing when I joined up,
and in LA, drugs are the real problem." She bites her lip, thinking. "I
could ask to get some, but it'd take time."

"There are other methods, too, if only for harassment purposes," Salem says,
swirling the juice around in his glass and studying it. "Health inspectors."
He looks at Kaz and arches a brow. "Surely, between our tribes' respective
totems, we can gather up quite an assortment of unwholesome pests."

Kaz sighs. "Think that might leave you as someone they view with suspicion
if terrorists suddenly rise, wouldn't it?" She blinks at Salem, slowly.
"They tried to get some of the health issues into the media. It got sat on.
But we can keep at it."

Rhiannon nods at Kaz. "Possibly. Which is, of course, the bind. It might be
easier to talk to some other Kin, if anyone knows any." Salem's suggestion
bring a smile to her face, but it's a crafty and devious thing. "Now that I
can get down with. We can probably get a whole bunch of nasty city officials
after them. Nothing major will come of it, I imagine, but it could work well
for a distraction."

Salem continues to look at the Gnawer. "We should. Shit in their soup, that
is." He purses his lips thoughtfully. "Synthesis should be able to organize
a little, ah, electronic sabotage, as well." He nods to Rhiannon and adds,
"Anything to keep them turning around. And around."

Kaz says, "Know lots. But none /here/ that'd be any good at terrorism. You
know any, well, mob types, or is that more Rina's bag?" She nods at Salem.
"Good. Talk to Cockroach, get him to send his people in there. Expect he
might be wary; it /is/ dangerous. Electric, yes."

"Rina would be better in that respect," Rhiannon confirms. "But I can get on
stepping up the harrassment campaign. I don't actually *like* not going to
the hospital, even just for broken ribs."

Salem grunts agreement with the kinswoman, then finishes his juice. "The
work continues." He pushes to his feet and heads toward the kitchen area.
Then he stops and turns back. "Oh, and Kaz? Lyra is a student of yours,
isn't she?"

Kaz says, "Yes. Why?"

"She's a credit to your tribe," says the Glass Walker, and then continues
his way past the counter to wash out his glass.

This actually seems to get through Kaz's wall of grimness, if only to stare
at Salem in some surprise. "What... brings this on?"

Rhiannon half-smiles at Salem's retreating form, and supports this claim
herself. "She did a pretty good the other night, when the Caern was being
attacked." Rhiannon gestures vaguely. "You probably heard about that by
now."

Kaz says, as if admitting a crime, "I've been... out of touch." And avoiding
people. "What happened?"

Salem smiles thinly as he sets his glass in the drainer, but doesn't
enlighten the Bone Gnawer.

Rhiannon takes a deep breath, and explains, "Well, Alec and I were watching
the cubs when some kids decided to knock the Medicine Shop over for some
relics. Things got a little bullet-happy. Lyra took a few for Alec and had
to kill one of them." She leaves out the fine points but hits on the
important facts. "We got lucky, cops didn't get there until we got things
cleaned up. She was shaken up afterwards, but she handled it okay."

Kaz's eyes narrow. "That," she says, with the echo of her usual accent,
"Must've been hard. I'll have't talk t'her."

Salem leans against the counter, rubbing at his chin thoughtfully.

"It was," Rhiannon agrees. The Kin hesitates for a moment, then says, "I
think she was worried about having killed the guy, since it might make
people think she hated humans."

Kaz looks confused. "People who, our sort of people?"

Rhiannon simply nods.

Salem arches a brow.

Kaz says, "I've killed humans. Doesn't mean I like it. Just means it has to
be done sometimes. We all understand that." After a pause, she adds, "She
still thinks like a human."

[Scene more or less ends here.]