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Jan. 7th, 2011 06:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shelbyrouIt is currently 11:08 Pacific Time on Fri Jan 7 2011.
Currently the moon is in the waxing New (Ragabash) Moon phase (19% full).
Edgewood House: Downstairs
The front door leads into a small mudroom; coats are hanging on hooks. It opens into the spacious, well lit living room, with several battered old couches arranged into a sort of conversation pit facing the fireplace, a table in the center of them. There are a few chairs, some straight-backed, some plush and comfortable, arranged to make secondary conversation areas, with little end tables placed in strategic locations. There's a notable absence of either breakable objects, or elaborate electrical equipment such as televisions. The walls, painted an increasingly dingy white, have some sweeping dark fabric prints on them, but no paintings or posters. A steep, uncarpeted staircase leads up to the second floor. There are several doors that lead out to other sections of the house, as well. (+view for details)
Obvious exits:
Front Door Upstairs
Though rain threatens, it has yet to arrive, merely making the day grey and gloomy. Inside Edgewood House Shelby has turned on the kitchen lights to banish the mood, and there's a kettle on the stove and a mug waiting. The Fang investigates the fridge meanwhile, humming to herself and poking into drawers and the backs of shelves.
The door to outside opens and Xander heads on in, grumbling and pulling his jacket more tightly around his shoulders. Someone's not used to this particular type of chill! Peeling off his shoes in the entranceway, he glances kitchenwards at the noises that come from that direction, and once he spots Shelby he gives a nod. "Hey."
Shelby retreats out of the fridge and bumps the door closed with a hip, her hands full of produce. Her, "Oh!" is quickly replaced by a polite smile and welcoming nod. "I'm making water for tea, if you want some. It's awful out there, isn't it? Supposed to rain all weekend."
Xander isn't particularly tall or noticeable in public; he is about 5'6" or so, and fairly slightly built. He looks young for his age - upper teens - though he also looks confident and comfortable in his skin. He has a thick head of black hair, cut reasonably short to keep it just out of his dark brown eyes. It's usually crammed under a baseball cap and he's most frequently found in jeans and a t-shirt with a worn leather jacket in the winters.
He's Korean in lineage, though he has very little accent beyond generic American.
Xander makes a face. "No kidding," the Shadow Lord grumbles, but he doesn't seem particularly grumpy about it. "I'm not used to this kind of weather, it barely ever got like this. And yeah, sure, that'd be great." He pauses near the kitchen doorway. "How've things been?"
"I'll say," the Fang agrees with an exaggerated shiver. "Where are you from? I don't remember if we said or not. I haven't been here a year yet," she continues as she sets down the veggies and turns to pull another mug from an upper cabinet. "They've been good, other than Kerr. --The cub who died," she adds over one shoulder.
"Odessa," Xander replies. "Er, Texas. Remember? I told you all about our illustrious football teams." Quite dry, that. "Need any help with anything?" There's a brief hesitation regarding the cub, and he merely nods after a moment. "Yeah. I need to get back out there and check some things out. That was... a weird encounter."
Shelby taps lightly at a temple, her smile rueful. "That's right. Friday Night Lights. Sorry. I'm used to jotting down notes and things on my phone, but I've gotten out of the habit of carrying it everywhere. The tea's in that drawer," she adds, waving a hand in that direction as she turns to lean back against the counter. "What was weird about it? Or, what did you think was weird about it?"
Xander waves off the apology, going to dig in the drawer for said tea bags. "No big deal. Oh-- the fact that the bear had a bane in it, and was definitely wyrmy to some degree--" Ahah, tea, "--the shit the bane did, like how it could turn things to rock? Is definitely a Weaver sort of thing."
"I thought it was weird that Little Silvertip-rhya," she pauses after the honorific, just for a breath and no longer, "has a bear spirit following him around. Though I suppose it makes sense, with the bear being tainted, and all?" Definitely a question, that, the lilt inviting the Theurge to chime in. "Were you there for the start of it, when the bear attacked?"
The rumble of a car on the drive could be heard faintly over the conversation in the kitchen, but it is a few minutes after that which opens the front door and brings in the tall dark haired ronin.
"He's Uktena," the theurge replies with a shrug of a shoulder. "They-- are more spirit-y as a tribe than some. He kinda acted like he almost knew it was coming, though. The way he talked to the bear? Maybe it spoke to him beforehand, he had a premonition, I don't know. Either way, he acted like it had asked him to ... deal with it. The bane." There's a little frown at that, and he sets the tea bags on the counter and looks over toward the ragabash. "Yeah. We heard a scream. It was a pig getting killed, but we didn't know that when we heard it. Anyway, ran over there, and we saw the bear and it charged us." There's a shadow of something there, some irritation or thought, and he looks away and gestures toward the hot water. "That done yet?"
Shelby's eyebrows might choose a different adjective for the Uktena, but the girl keeps her mouth shut, expression offering silent sympathy... at least until the sound of the front door closing. "It'll whistle," she says lightly, pushing off the counter and letting her arms drop out of their easy fold as she looks toward the front of the house. "Though it's more like a shriek. Shouldn't be too long."
"Mm," Xander starts quietly, "If he hadn't--" And whatever he was about to say is cut short by the door, and he peers around the entrance to the kitchen to see who has just arrived. "Hey," the Shadow Lord offers.
Caleb
Tall and slenderly built, this young man appears to be just tipping into his twenties. Dark hair that is worn in that rather popular 'casual-messy' style hangs down on his brow and begins to curl at the base of his neck, as well as tuft slightly over his ears. His eyes are a very light brown but are alert and full of consideration. He dresses casually but with thought, and carries himself with a loose, but not entirely carefree posture.
It's a moment more before the Ragabash makes his way toward the sound of voices, pausing there to look in and gauge the situation. He nods to the unfamiliar man then casts a more wary nod to Shelby.
After a long moment - at least two or three seconds - Shelby returns Caleb's nod before turning back to Xander. "If he hadn't what?" she asks politely, her tone still determinedly light.
The newest entrant to the Edgewood house does not arrive by car or from the road. Instead, Zosia moves in from the depths of the forest, shifting out of her lupus form when she hits the edge of the forest. She looks as though she's been out for a bit--mud and leaves are stuck in her blonde locks. Heading into the house, she grunts noncommittally to those present, aiming for the kitchen.
"Xander Yin, Night's-Shadow, Shadow Lord Theurge. Cliath." That's an introduction angled toward Caleb, and he starts to answer Shelby before there's another entrant. He gives a bit of a wry smile her way. "I'll tell you later," he says, and moves smoothly out of the fostern's way as she heads toward the kitchen.
Caleb looks increasingly uncomfortable as Zosia enters, and then the introduction echoes in his ears and he fights back yet another grimace. "Private discussion? I can leave .."
Shelby says, "Zosia-rhya," and moves past Xander to fetch down a third mug from the cabinet. "Want some tea?" As if on cue the kettle inhales and starts its shriek, and the Fang hurriedly crosses to the stove to lift it away from the heat. Caleb's question earns him another look, this one over her shoulder, but Shelby turns to Zosia rather than making the decision herself.
"Some tea would be utterly lovely," Zosia drawls, moving aside enough that Shelby can maneuvar as needed. "If they need you to leave, they certainly have my permission," she says coolly, glancing at the Ronin as she says that.
Xander's brows arch up high at that, and he sends Caleb a curious, examining look. "You're fine," he says, but there's a few questions buried somewhere in there.
"Looks at the gathered and then reaches a hand out to Xander, "I'll keep it short and quick so as to not interrupt. Caleb Hahn. Ronin." Then Caleb moves to the cupboard to pull out his own mug.
The Lord's approval comes just as Shelby tells Caleb, "Yes, do." Momentarily discomfited by the overlap, she steals a glance at Zosia before turning what can only be described as cool regard on the Ronin. Amused, she studies him for a moment before deliberately turning her back, dropping him with a near audible thump to pour out three mugs. That done, Shelby returns the kettle to the stove, ignoring Caleb and his mug entirely.
Waiting for her tea, Zosia surveys the little gathering. "So, what's the news?" she asks, in theory changing the subject.
Xander takes the Ronin's hand, shaking it firmly. At least, he seems to 'get' the tension, at any rate. He looks very faintly amused, and then shakes his head and looks up to Zosia and shrugs a shoulder. "We were just talking a bit about the attack in the woods the other day. With the bear."
Caleb gets his mug and moves to the fridge, hand reaching in to pull out the milk. He seems to pass both tea and coffee. "Are bears common to the nearby woods?" asks the apparently curious new moon.
"That was when Kerr died," Shelby adds to Xander's explanation, with a nod for the Lord. "Otherwise, that's pretty much it. I talked to Kevin-rhya a little, but it's been quiet. Anything new from the bawn?" She neither moves away from nor reacts to Caleb's maneuvering, letting him move about the kitchen as he likes.
"Tim took care of her body somewhat," Zosia says neutrally, her lips pressing together. Whatever else she might have said, she sits on, squinting at Shelby. "What'd Kevin have to say?"
That news seems to strike the ronin hard, "Kerr's body?" His eyes turn to Zosia, seeking the straight answer of the ranked Garou, "She fell?"
"Dunno if they're common," Xander says with a shrug. "And yeah, during the fight."
Shelby answers Zosia with, "I know," and brings her tea up for a sip. "Mnh, nothing terribly new, really. I told him about Kerr, and the fight." A nod to Xander, as if to say 'yes, that'. "August-rhya told you about the tunnels, in town? Turns out they're on Fidelity territory, and as far as I know, they haven't asked for help with scouting them."
"I had heard something about them," Zosia says agreeably, her eyes flicking over Caleb then back to Shelby and Xander. "Not directly about Fidelity but the lack of asking isn't surprising. It is never comfortable having other packs on your territory."
Caleb looks visibly dismayed by the news, turning back to his task of filling the mug with milk with sudden lack of interest.
Xander turns and starts preparing his cup of tea, though he's still paying some attention to the conversation. "I'd heard something about that. Not any real details, though."
"Well, that's why I haven't done any more looking," Shelby says, and settles back against the counter again, cradling her mug in both hands. "If they want my help, they'll ask, and until then I'm not going to push. I haven't heard a word about those dogs he told me about, though. Haven't smelled anything, haven't seen anything. It's like they never existed."
Zosia taps her fingers against her lips, grunting. "I've seen no signs either," she says slowly. "I do patrols every day but there's a lot of area to cover."
"Jacey said something about some dogs," Xander says, dumping enough sugar in the tea to give someone diabetes. "But I don't think it was recent. I've seen some weird shit since I got here, but no dogs."
There's an audible sigh from the ronin that is tinged with frustration. He takes his drink and turns around, leaning back against the cabinets as he watches and listens.
"That's the ones," Shelby nods to Xander, quirking an eyebrow at his sucrose habit. "Let me guess - you don't eat spinach, because it's too bitter?" To Zosia she adds, "So the only one who's seen anything is Jacey, and that hasn't changed since August spoke to me. I managed to teach Dedication to Rat-Tale, by the way. You're right - teaching someone really makes you think about how it works."
"Jacey's the only one?" Zosia asks doubtfully. Shaking her head, she sighs. "Well, we'll keep an eye out but theres only so much we can do until it is found. It does," she adds finishing her own drink before sighing. "Back to patrols I go. I'll catch up on more news later." With that, the theurge heads out.
Xander quirks a brow up at the ronin, but then looks amused at Shelby, stirring the sugar into the tea. "Hey, I have a sweet tooth, okay?" It's defensive in an amused way, but then he sobers, sips the tea, and lifts a hand after the departing fostern in a bit of a wave. "Could be," he says after a moment, "'s that the dogs were just one part of whatever's going on. Or a one-off thing. Could be that they're gone by now."
Caleb looks at the Lord briefly before studying Shelby. The mug is tipped back and he finishes it off and sets it in the sink before looking to the Fang. "Has she been put to rest already?"
Shelby calls, "I'll let you know!" after Zosia before wrinkling her nose, amused, at Xander. "Have you gone through twelve-step for your honey problem yet? And yes, that could be. There are a lot of little strange things around here, but we can't seem to make them into one big strange thing, or even a bunch of bigger strange things. Like, there was this weird tiger back in... October? of last year, but we've done some looking and can't seem to figure out if it was a spirit or not. Zosia-rhya is looking into that," she adds, with a nod after the Fostern. "No," she adds to Caleb with a teen's superciliousness, "she just walked out the door."
Xander snorts. "I happen to like it, darn it. There has to be a problem with an addiction before it's an issue, and I have no problem with my addiction, thanks." Another sip of the tea, and he nods. "We'll just have to keep digging. Either a pattern will come up or it won't. I do know the issue up at that construction site needs to be dealt with, and soon." To Caleb, and after Shelby voices her answer, Xander just shakes his head. "Not that I know of."
"Where is she being kept for now?" he asks then, teeth clenching in little moments of growing frustration. "I'd like to pay my respects." Caleb glances between the two, "And I can leave you then to your merry conversation too, so it's a win win."
"The first step is recognizing you have a problem," Shelby tells the Lord with mock-gravity, shaking her head sadly over her untampered mug. She blinks at Caleb and has another sip before the shoe visibly drops. "Oh! You're talking about Kerr. We'd moved on. Kerr's at the burial grounds, I believe, unless she's been moved again. That's where I'd start looking, though. They're on the east side of the bawn, if you haven't found them already." The last, at least, is delivered with outward helpfulness.
Xander looks a little amused, though he sobers a bit at Caleb's question and seems perfectly content to let Shelby answer without interjection.
Caleb gives a nod, and, the perceptive would see a rush of hesitation in his features before he nods. "Thanks." Then he's moving toward the back door and the woods that lie past the meadow.
Shelby waits until the door is closed behind the ronin before she shakes her head and turns to consider the vegetables. "I'd thought maybe a salad, but it's almost too cold. You want anything, Xander? If you need my help looking into whatever, let me know. I'm not in a pack, so my time is almost entirely my own."
Xander shrugs a little. "Whatever works. I'm not starving yet, I had lunch before I came down." He glances back towards the door, and finally says, "No, though, what I was saying before? Silvertip didn't want us to kill it. The bear. And I think if he hadn't been making that call? I don't think it would've got to the point it did. Not," he adds, dryly, "That it's really my place right now to be saying anything, but. You know."
Shelby nods and picks at the vegetables, then, pulling out a few cherry tomatoes and some leaves of spinach before bundling the whole caboodle back into the refrigerator. "The... tainted bear, right? The one on this side of the gauntlet?" She looks at him for his answer as she takes her lunch over to the sink for washing. "You think it would have gone better if you'd just killed it, instead of trying for mercy? It was already dead by the time I got there," she adds, half-apologetic and half explaining.
Xander hesitates for a moment, rocking the tea back and forth and watching it swirl in the glass. The Shadow Lord's expression is thoughtful, brows drawn together a bit. "Hindsight's 20/20," he says to begin with, "But yeah. I do. The rarity of actually being able to save something like that?" He snorts, sipping at the tea. "I think Kerr might not've died," he says, franky. "Because the thing would've been dead. But. Like I said. Hindsight."
"It's always easier to know how to fix things after they've happened," the girl agrees, frowning at the sink. "I've got a theurge-y question for you, actually. I don't know how much attention you were paying at the end," a delicate way of phrasing it, "but Little Silvertip-rhya said the bear spirit - not the bane, but an actual spirit - was his totem. He's in a pack, but it's an Uktena pack. Is that common, to have a totem spirit too?"
"I wouldn't say common," the theurge answers, "But some do, yeah. Usually it's a spirit that you've worked with for a long time, built up a... friendship, of sorts. Companionship. With." He pauses. "It's not really an easy thing to do, because most spirits powerful enough to be able to pull favors aren't going to rush to ally themselves with just a single garou, but... it's possible. Just takes a lot of time, patience, and chiminage."
"Bear," Shelby repeats, sounding dismayed, but shakes her head and turns off the water, fetching out a bowl and a fork in which to place her impromptu salad. "I've known other garou who are friends with spirits, but that's what they called it: friends." A shrug, though, and the girl heads over to the table, sliding gracefully into a chair. "How is your chiminage going, speaking of?"
Xander snorts. "I haven't been able to find this guy I'm supposed to talk to yet. August, I think they said? Maybe it's just because everything's been busy, but... I dunno. I'm hoping I'll be able to get in touch soon. I don't want to spend a couple months just... kinda floating, y'know."
Shelby pokes at the tomatoes, finally managing to spear one with her fork. "He can be hard to find," she agrees sympathetically. "I always seem to run into him when I'm not looking for him. Like when he told me to look into the dogs and tunnels. But Zosia," she nods after the departed Theurge, "is his packmate, so I can try and pass word along if you'd like."
"Yeah, that'd be cool," Xander replies with a nod, draining the rest of the tea and stepping over to rinse out the cup. "I'll probably offer teaching some Rites and things - that's about all I have right now." Wry, that. "Or making some talens or whatever. Anyway, though, I probably oughta get to town before it gets late. Cool seeing you, though."
Currently the moon is in the waxing New (Ragabash) Moon phase (19% full).
Edgewood House: Downstairs
The front door leads into a small mudroom; coats are hanging on hooks. It opens into the spacious, well lit living room, with several battered old couches arranged into a sort of conversation pit facing the fireplace, a table in the center of them. There are a few chairs, some straight-backed, some plush and comfortable, arranged to make secondary conversation areas, with little end tables placed in strategic locations. There's a notable absence of either breakable objects, or elaborate electrical equipment such as televisions. The walls, painted an increasingly dingy white, have some sweeping dark fabric prints on them, but no paintings or posters. A steep, uncarpeted staircase leads up to the second floor. There are several doors that lead out to other sections of the house, as well. (+view for details)
Obvious exits:
Front Door Upstairs
Though rain threatens, it has yet to arrive, merely making the day grey and gloomy. Inside Edgewood House Shelby has turned on the kitchen lights to banish the mood, and there's a kettle on the stove and a mug waiting. The Fang investigates the fridge meanwhile, humming to herself and poking into drawers and the backs of shelves.
The door to outside opens and Xander heads on in, grumbling and pulling his jacket more tightly around his shoulders. Someone's not used to this particular type of chill! Peeling off his shoes in the entranceway, he glances kitchenwards at the noises that come from that direction, and once he spots Shelby he gives a nod. "Hey."
Shelby retreats out of the fridge and bumps the door closed with a hip, her hands full of produce. Her, "Oh!" is quickly replaced by a polite smile and welcoming nod. "I'm making water for tea, if you want some. It's awful out there, isn't it? Supposed to rain all weekend."
Xander isn't particularly tall or noticeable in public; he is about 5'6" or so, and fairly slightly built. He looks young for his age - upper teens - though he also looks confident and comfortable in his skin. He has a thick head of black hair, cut reasonably short to keep it just out of his dark brown eyes. It's usually crammed under a baseball cap and he's most frequently found in jeans and a t-shirt with a worn leather jacket in the winters.
He's Korean in lineage, though he has very little accent beyond generic American.
Xander makes a face. "No kidding," the Shadow Lord grumbles, but he doesn't seem particularly grumpy about it. "I'm not used to this kind of weather, it barely ever got like this. And yeah, sure, that'd be great." He pauses near the kitchen doorway. "How've things been?"
"I'll say," the Fang agrees with an exaggerated shiver. "Where are you from? I don't remember if we said or not. I haven't been here a year yet," she continues as she sets down the veggies and turns to pull another mug from an upper cabinet. "They've been good, other than Kerr. --The cub who died," she adds over one shoulder.
"Odessa," Xander replies. "Er, Texas. Remember? I told you all about our illustrious football teams." Quite dry, that. "Need any help with anything?" There's a brief hesitation regarding the cub, and he merely nods after a moment. "Yeah. I need to get back out there and check some things out. That was... a weird encounter."
Shelby taps lightly at a temple, her smile rueful. "That's right. Friday Night Lights. Sorry. I'm used to jotting down notes and things on my phone, but I've gotten out of the habit of carrying it everywhere. The tea's in that drawer," she adds, waving a hand in that direction as she turns to lean back against the counter. "What was weird about it? Or, what did you think was weird about it?"
Xander waves off the apology, going to dig in the drawer for said tea bags. "No big deal. Oh-- the fact that the bear had a bane in it, and was definitely wyrmy to some degree--" Ahah, tea, "--the shit the bane did, like how it could turn things to rock? Is definitely a Weaver sort of thing."
"I thought it was weird that Little Silvertip-rhya," she pauses after the honorific, just for a breath and no longer, "has a bear spirit following him around. Though I suppose it makes sense, with the bear being tainted, and all?" Definitely a question, that, the lilt inviting the Theurge to chime in. "Were you there for the start of it, when the bear attacked?"
The rumble of a car on the drive could be heard faintly over the conversation in the kitchen, but it is a few minutes after that which opens the front door and brings in the tall dark haired ronin.
"He's Uktena," the theurge replies with a shrug of a shoulder. "They-- are more spirit-y as a tribe than some. He kinda acted like he almost knew it was coming, though. The way he talked to the bear? Maybe it spoke to him beforehand, he had a premonition, I don't know. Either way, he acted like it had asked him to ... deal with it. The bane." There's a little frown at that, and he sets the tea bags on the counter and looks over toward the ragabash. "Yeah. We heard a scream. It was a pig getting killed, but we didn't know that when we heard it. Anyway, ran over there, and we saw the bear and it charged us." There's a shadow of something there, some irritation or thought, and he looks away and gestures toward the hot water. "That done yet?"
Shelby's eyebrows might choose a different adjective for the Uktena, but the girl keeps her mouth shut, expression offering silent sympathy... at least until the sound of the front door closing. "It'll whistle," she says lightly, pushing off the counter and letting her arms drop out of their easy fold as she looks toward the front of the house. "Though it's more like a shriek. Shouldn't be too long."
"Mm," Xander starts quietly, "If he hadn't--" And whatever he was about to say is cut short by the door, and he peers around the entrance to the kitchen to see who has just arrived. "Hey," the Shadow Lord offers.
Caleb
Tall and slenderly built, this young man appears to be just tipping into his twenties. Dark hair that is worn in that rather popular 'casual-messy' style hangs down on his brow and begins to curl at the base of his neck, as well as tuft slightly over his ears. His eyes are a very light brown but are alert and full of consideration. He dresses casually but with thought, and carries himself with a loose, but not entirely carefree posture.
It's a moment more before the Ragabash makes his way toward the sound of voices, pausing there to look in and gauge the situation. He nods to the unfamiliar man then casts a more wary nod to Shelby.
After a long moment - at least two or three seconds - Shelby returns Caleb's nod before turning back to Xander. "If he hadn't what?" she asks politely, her tone still determinedly light.
The newest entrant to the Edgewood house does not arrive by car or from the road. Instead, Zosia moves in from the depths of the forest, shifting out of her lupus form when she hits the edge of the forest. She looks as though she's been out for a bit--mud and leaves are stuck in her blonde locks. Heading into the house, she grunts noncommittally to those present, aiming for the kitchen.
"Xander Yin, Night's-Shadow, Shadow Lord Theurge. Cliath." That's an introduction angled toward Caleb, and he starts to answer Shelby before there's another entrant. He gives a bit of a wry smile her way. "I'll tell you later," he says, and moves smoothly out of the fostern's way as she heads toward the kitchen.
Caleb looks increasingly uncomfortable as Zosia enters, and then the introduction echoes in his ears and he fights back yet another grimace. "Private discussion? I can leave .."
Shelby says, "Zosia-rhya," and moves past Xander to fetch down a third mug from the cabinet. "Want some tea?" As if on cue the kettle inhales and starts its shriek, and the Fang hurriedly crosses to the stove to lift it away from the heat. Caleb's question earns him another look, this one over her shoulder, but Shelby turns to Zosia rather than making the decision herself.
"Some tea would be utterly lovely," Zosia drawls, moving aside enough that Shelby can maneuvar as needed. "If they need you to leave, they certainly have my permission," she says coolly, glancing at the Ronin as she says that.
Xander's brows arch up high at that, and he sends Caleb a curious, examining look. "You're fine," he says, but there's a few questions buried somewhere in there.
"Looks at the gathered and then reaches a hand out to Xander, "I'll keep it short and quick so as to not interrupt. Caleb Hahn. Ronin." Then Caleb moves to the cupboard to pull out his own mug.
The Lord's approval comes just as Shelby tells Caleb, "Yes, do." Momentarily discomfited by the overlap, she steals a glance at Zosia before turning what can only be described as cool regard on the Ronin. Amused, she studies him for a moment before deliberately turning her back, dropping him with a near audible thump to pour out three mugs. That done, Shelby returns the kettle to the stove, ignoring Caleb and his mug entirely.
Waiting for her tea, Zosia surveys the little gathering. "So, what's the news?" she asks, in theory changing the subject.
Xander takes the Ronin's hand, shaking it firmly. At least, he seems to 'get' the tension, at any rate. He looks very faintly amused, and then shakes his head and looks up to Zosia and shrugs a shoulder. "We were just talking a bit about the attack in the woods the other day. With the bear."
Caleb gets his mug and moves to the fridge, hand reaching in to pull out the milk. He seems to pass both tea and coffee. "Are bears common to the nearby woods?" asks the apparently curious new moon.
"That was when Kerr died," Shelby adds to Xander's explanation, with a nod for the Lord. "Otherwise, that's pretty much it. I talked to Kevin-rhya a little, but it's been quiet. Anything new from the bawn?" She neither moves away from nor reacts to Caleb's maneuvering, letting him move about the kitchen as he likes.
"Tim took care of her body somewhat," Zosia says neutrally, her lips pressing together. Whatever else she might have said, she sits on, squinting at Shelby. "What'd Kevin have to say?"
That news seems to strike the ronin hard, "Kerr's body?" His eyes turn to Zosia, seeking the straight answer of the ranked Garou, "She fell?"
"Dunno if they're common," Xander says with a shrug. "And yeah, during the fight."
Shelby answers Zosia with, "I know," and brings her tea up for a sip. "Mnh, nothing terribly new, really. I told him about Kerr, and the fight." A nod to Xander, as if to say 'yes, that'. "August-rhya told you about the tunnels, in town? Turns out they're on Fidelity territory, and as far as I know, they haven't asked for help with scouting them."
"I had heard something about them," Zosia says agreeably, her eyes flicking over Caleb then back to Shelby and Xander. "Not directly about Fidelity but the lack of asking isn't surprising. It is never comfortable having other packs on your territory."
Caleb looks visibly dismayed by the news, turning back to his task of filling the mug with milk with sudden lack of interest.
Xander turns and starts preparing his cup of tea, though he's still paying some attention to the conversation. "I'd heard something about that. Not any real details, though."
"Well, that's why I haven't done any more looking," Shelby says, and settles back against the counter again, cradling her mug in both hands. "If they want my help, they'll ask, and until then I'm not going to push. I haven't heard a word about those dogs he told me about, though. Haven't smelled anything, haven't seen anything. It's like they never existed."
Zosia taps her fingers against her lips, grunting. "I've seen no signs either," she says slowly. "I do patrols every day but there's a lot of area to cover."
"Jacey said something about some dogs," Xander says, dumping enough sugar in the tea to give someone diabetes. "But I don't think it was recent. I've seen some weird shit since I got here, but no dogs."
There's an audible sigh from the ronin that is tinged with frustration. He takes his drink and turns around, leaning back against the cabinets as he watches and listens.
"That's the ones," Shelby nods to Xander, quirking an eyebrow at his sucrose habit. "Let me guess - you don't eat spinach, because it's too bitter?" To Zosia she adds, "So the only one who's seen anything is Jacey, and that hasn't changed since August spoke to me. I managed to teach Dedication to Rat-Tale, by the way. You're right - teaching someone really makes you think about how it works."
"Jacey's the only one?" Zosia asks doubtfully. Shaking her head, she sighs. "Well, we'll keep an eye out but theres only so much we can do until it is found. It does," she adds finishing her own drink before sighing. "Back to patrols I go. I'll catch up on more news later." With that, the theurge heads out.
Xander quirks a brow up at the ronin, but then looks amused at Shelby, stirring the sugar into the tea. "Hey, I have a sweet tooth, okay?" It's defensive in an amused way, but then he sobers, sips the tea, and lifts a hand after the departing fostern in a bit of a wave. "Could be," he says after a moment, "'s that the dogs were just one part of whatever's going on. Or a one-off thing. Could be that they're gone by now."
Caleb looks at the Lord briefly before studying Shelby. The mug is tipped back and he finishes it off and sets it in the sink before looking to the Fang. "Has she been put to rest already?"
Shelby calls, "I'll let you know!" after Zosia before wrinkling her nose, amused, at Xander. "Have you gone through twelve-step for your honey problem yet? And yes, that could be. There are a lot of little strange things around here, but we can't seem to make them into one big strange thing, or even a bunch of bigger strange things. Like, there was this weird tiger back in... October? of last year, but we've done some looking and can't seem to figure out if it was a spirit or not. Zosia-rhya is looking into that," she adds, with a nod after the Fostern. "No," she adds to Caleb with a teen's superciliousness, "she just walked out the door."
Xander snorts. "I happen to like it, darn it. There has to be a problem with an addiction before it's an issue, and I have no problem with my addiction, thanks." Another sip of the tea, and he nods. "We'll just have to keep digging. Either a pattern will come up or it won't. I do know the issue up at that construction site needs to be dealt with, and soon." To Caleb, and after Shelby voices her answer, Xander just shakes his head. "Not that I know of."
"Where is she being kept for now?" he asks then, teeth clenching in little moments of growing frustration. "I'd like to pay my respects." Caleb glances between the two, "And I can leave you then to your merry conversation too, so it's a win win."
"The first step is recognizing you have a problem," Shelby tells the Lord with mock-gravity, shaking her head sadly over her untampered mug. She blinks at Caleb and has another sip before the shoe visibly drops. "Oh! You're talking about Kerr. We'd moved on. Kerr's at the burial grounds, I believe, unless she's been moved again. That's where I'd start looking, though. They're on the east side of the bawn, if you haven't found them already." The last, at least, is delivered with outward helpfulness.
Xander looks a little amused, though he sobers a bit at Caleb's question and seems perfectly content to let Shelby answer without interjection.
Caleb gives a nod, and, the perceptive would see a rush of hesitation in his features before he nods. "Thanks." Then he's moving toward the back door and the woods that lie past the meadow.
Shelby waits until the door is closed behind the ronin before she shakes her head and turns to consider the vegetables. "I'd thought maybe a salad, but it's almost too cold. You want anything, Xander? If you need my help looking into whatever, let me know. I'm not in a pack, so my time is almost entirely my own."
Xander shrugs a little. "Whatever works. I'm not starving yet, I had lunch before I came down." He glances back towards the door, and finally says, "No, though, what I was saying before? Silvertip didn't want us to kill it. The bear. And I think if he hadn't been making that call? I don't think it would've got to the point it did. Not," he adds, dryly, "That it's really my place right now to be saying anything, but. You know."
Shelby nods and picks at the vegetables, then, pulling out a few cherry tomatoes and some leaves of spinach before bundling the whole caboodle back into the refrigerator. "The... tainted bear, right? The one on this side of the gauntlet?" She looks at him for his answer as she takes her lunch over to the sink for washing. "You think it would have gone better if you'd just killed it, instead of trying for mercy? It was already dead by the time I got there," she adds, half-apologetic and half explaining.
Xander hesitates for a moment, rocking the tea back and forth and watching it swirl in the glass. The Shadow Lord's expression is thoughtful, brows drawn together a bit. "Hindsight's 20/20," he says to begin with, "But yeah. I do. The rarity of actually being able to save something like that?" He snorts, sipping at the tea. "I think Kerr might not've died," he says, franky. "Because the thing would've been dead. But. Like I said. Hindsight."
"It's always easier to know how to fix things after they've happened," the girl agrees, frowning at the sink. "I've got a theurge-y question for you, actually. I don't know how much attention you were paying at the end," a delicate way of phrasing it, "but Little Silvertip-rhya said the bear spirit - not the bane, but an actual spirit - was his totem. He's in a pack, but it's an Uktena pack. Is that common, to have a totem spirit too?"
"I wouldn't say common," the theurge answers, "But some do, yeah. Usually it's a spirit that you've worked with for a long time, built up a... friendship, of sorts. Companionship. With." He pauses. "It's not really an easy thing to do, because most spirits powerful enough to be able to pull favors aren't going to rush to ally themselves with just a single garou, but... it's possible. Just takes a lot of time, patience, and chiminage."
"Bear," Shelby repeats, sounding dismayed, but shakes her head and turns off the water, fetching out a bowl and a fork in which to place her impromptu salad. "I've known other garou who are friends with spirits, but that's what they called it: friends." A shrug, though, and the girl heads over to the table, sliding gracefully into a chair. "How is your chiminage going, speaking of?"
Xander snorts. "I haven't been able to find this guy I'm supposed to talk to yet. August, I think they said? Maybe it's just because everything's been busy, but... I dunno. I'm hoping I'll be able to get in touch soon. I don't want to spend a couple months just... kinda floating, y'know."
Shelby pokes at the tomatoes, finally managing to spear one with her fork. "He can be hard to find," she agrees sympathetically. "I always seem to run into him when I'm not looking for him. Like when he told me to look into the dogs and tunnels. But Zosia," she nods after the departed Theurge, "is his packmate, so I can try and pass word along if you'd like."
"Yeah, that'd be cool," Xander replies with a nod, draining the rest of the tea and stepping over to rinse out the cup. "I'll probably offer teaching some Rites and things - that's about all I have right now." Wry, that. "Or making some talens or whatever. Anyway, though, I probably oughta get to town before it gets late. Cool seeing you, though."