"I don't know what the hell I think about other people any more. You included."

Odeon - Lobby(#4049RJ)
The Odeon's lobby is testament to a faded and perverted glory. The deep crimson carpet is thick in places but in others stubbly as velveteen, and the rich pattern of tangling flowers is everywhere marred by dark stains. The walls are clothed in kingly purple tatters of wallpaper, and covered with faded posters featuring women and men in various states of undress, posing with various degrees of tastelessness, and screaming out titles like "Male Service", "Bang Bang: a Sexual Explosion", and "A Slip of Her Tongue" in garish lettering. There's no light in the room but what comes in from the street, and during the day the actresses look grey and ghoulish, and the bright reds and purples of the room faded and dusky; and at night, the place might as well be covered in thick black paint.
Immediately in front of the entrance is dull matte turnstyle which no longer turns, where once tickets were taken. To the right are a pair of doors which some joker has labelled "Pimps" and "Hos" with red spraypaint: these are the washrooms. To the left are a pair of doorways which lack actual doors, and opposite is a grand set of boarded doors which lead into the theatre proper.

A rattling sounds at the front door of the derelict cinema, and then a whistle comes from outside as though the rattler is trying to attract the attention of anyone inside without the benefit of a doorbell.

Basil rouses himself from a half sleep against the wall, slowly making his way up from his dirty, stained couch cushion towards the door. "Who is it? And what do you want?" The Ahroun asks, his groggy grumpiness seeping through into his voice

The rattling stops and for a moment, silence. Maybe the person outside is having second thoughts about wanting to get in. Then a voice comes through the crack in the door. "It's me. Kevin."

Basil pauses in mid step, about two feet away from the door before he takes off a chain wrapped around one of the front door push bars. The Garou pushes open the door, then gestures into the dark, dank interior of the decayed building. "Hello, Kevin."

Kevin stands outside in the light of the late morning. The difference between the inside and the outside is so pronounced that Basil is no more than a dim shadow to him, though of course, Kevin recognises his partner in crime by his voice alone. "Morning, Basil," he says awkwardly. "You came back too then? Is Kaz with you?"

"She's around here somewhere. She might have gone out to go get a McBreakfast or something... " Basil trails off, stepping to one side of the door. "Was nice of her to do what she did, isn't it? At least now we've got our freedom for a little while longer. What have you been doing?"

"Not a lot," Kevin confesses. "Lurking in my room, played some computer games. Walked round town some, getting used to being back in St Claire. I ought to get up the courage to speak to Tu... or Aimee... or Derek... but either they're not around, or when they are it's so obviously a bad time..." He shrugs by way of conclusion to that sentence.

"You should just do it, instead of putting it off. Be straight forward and honest, don't lie. Be sincere. Especially with Aimee. If you don't want to be with her, tell her that. If you still love her, tell her that." Basil murmurs, leaning up against the wall near the doors, glancing at Kevin. "I'm surprised Tu hasn't seen you yet though... "

"Tu has a job," Kevin reminds Basil. "And with me having been stuck in that damn wood for a month nearly, he's probably had to do my work too, which may explain why he's not around. Aimee... I'd tell her the truth if I knew what it was. I don't know what the hell I think about other people any more. You included."

Basil says "Tell her the truth. The truth shall set you free... Or something. Tell her you cheated on her with another Garou. That you're a charach. If you do love her." Basil pauses. "Do you? Then tell her that. Lay everything out on the table. It'll be your one chance, because she isn't going to want to talk to you for a bit after that, if the movies are any guide." Basil smirks a little, then shakes his head. "You know what you think of me. Or at least part of you does."

"Yeah. Guilt, mainly," Kevin responds, deadpan. "At least you're talking to me, though." He looks behind him. "If we're going to talk about stuff like this we'd better go inside. Less chance of people overhearing."

"I'm already inside." Basil murmurs, gesturing his head to one side. "Guilt is a real shitty thing. But doing nothing but burying what's causing it ain't going to get rid of it. It's only going to make it burn brighter, hotter. Ever read the Tell Tale Heart? It's just like that."

Kevin slips through the gap in the doors. "Nah, never read that," he admits. "I know the guilt is a useless waste of time emotion to feel, but it's still there. All the people whose lives I affected just because of my own weakness. Yours most of all."

"I made a choice as much as you did. And for a while... " Basil his fingers with a smile, brushing aside some of Kevin's hair when he gets closer. "That choice felt right. And it felt really good, not just because of the sex, but... Either way, it's now the past. It's over. It won't be repeated. Whatever love you feel for me now can't be like it was, even though it's still there. Focus it at your Kin, focus it somewhere else, or go find another. Just don't focus on guilt, pain, or your own loneliness. That isn't the right way, either."

Kevin gives a twitch as Basil reaches to touch his hair, as though his instinct is to pull away. "I know I should," he agrees, his eyes dropping so as not to meet the Bone Gnawer's. "Right now, it all seems pretty... hypothetical? The chances of me being killed in the tire yard are high enough that I don't want to risk making anyone else care about me until I've made it through that. Speaking of which," he goes on, seeming rather glad to have an excuse to change the subject, "I told Emma I'd go along on the scouting mission before the main attack as well. Get to know the layout of the place, give me -- give us both -- more chance of getting out alive."

"A lot of people already care about you, stupid." Basil whispers, only faint malice in his voice, his hands wringing in front of him. "If you leave things left unsaid, it'll just make them hurt more. Like leaving before a movie is over, only a hell of a lot worse." Basil huffs, then smiles tentatively. "Maybe I'll go too. But I was also thinking that maybe to give us another edge, and to better serve Gaia, we could form a pack. We don't have much time, so it must be done soon. And without hesitation. I need an answer."

"We could...?" Kevin's finger extends and moves back and forth between the two of them. "You? And me? You'd pack with me, after all this?"

"Only if you promise to do right by Gaia, and not throw away your life needlessly. And to be honest to both me." Basil pauses, then nods at the door. "And Aimee. Whether you get back together or not is your own thing. But whatever you do, do it honestly."

"Hell, yes," Kevin replies without further thought. "And I can promise both those, no sweat. Just us two, or did you have anyone else tagged?"

"I was thinking of Bug. Maybe Masao. A few others, maybe. We'll have to see what I can find. If nothing else we can tag Bug, and pick up others later." Basil offers, nodding. "I'm just not sure about taking her to the fire though... If we need to pull back, and she frenzies... I don't want to lose her like that."

Kevin runs a hand through his hair thoughtfully. "I don't know about Bug... she's metis," he muses. Then a thought seems to strike him. "And I'm charach," he says thoughtfully. "Right little pack of omegas we'll be. Do the dirty jobs no other pack cares to take on." He gives a thin smile. "War pack? Cunning? I can't see us attracting a wisdom or respect totem."

"No. We're going to be a good, Gaian pack like any other. Your thinking like that is why we couldn't attract totems like that." Basil speaks, firmly, looking up at Kevin's face. "It will be our goal to heal Gaia's wounds, to help those that suffer, and do right by the mother. That will be our mission. And whatever Totem wants to help us fulfill it, we will serve them loyally."

Kevin reddens slightly. "And I guess you're looking at leading us?" he mutters.

"Of course. I won't entrust my mission or my dream to anyone else." Basil replies right back without a moment's hesitation, looking quite serious as he looks back at Kevin. "Our pack isn't going to be for glory, honor, wisdom, or ourselves. It'll be for 'the people'. Our's, and the ones outside those doors. Everything else is secondary to them, and the Mother."

Kevin is still looking rather pink. "I'll follow you," he says slightly indistinctly. "And I'll take great pleasure in poking anyone who sneers at the pack, or you, in the eye. I always said you were better than anyone gave you credit for, and now they're gonna see it."

Basil smiles wide at Kevin, lifting one of his hands to lightly slap one of the Ragabash's shoulders. "That's the way. Now all we have to do is get everyone together, prepare ourselves, our offerings for the spirit, and find someone to set us on the path. Do you know anyone that knows the Rite?"

"I don't," Kevin says, "but I guess someone round here must. I can try to find out?"

"Start with all the Theurges you know. Immediately. As in as soon as you get out that door. Second, I want you to pick up things." Basil gestures, again to the door. "Things a Totem about healing would like. Herbs. Bandages. Stuff like that. We're in a little hurry, so we'll make due."

"Guess I'll need to head back out of town then," Kevin decides. "I'll buy, beg or borrow stuff once I've spoken to a theurge and know what we're likely to need."

"Dig through trash if you've got to." Basil suggests, then gives Kevin another slap on the shoulder. "Whatever we do, we've got to hurry. Every moment wasted is another moment we could be doing something better. But before that tire fire, you better also take time to speak to Aimee. You got me? That's it. I got nothin' else to ask of you, other than to be safe, brother."

Kevin salutes Basil. He doesn't just snap his fingers to his brow in a normal salute, either; somehow his hand comes up, rotates three times, and then hits his forehead in a strangely extravagent gesture. "Oh, man," he says, "we're going to blow their tiny minds with this one. Tell Kaz I'm still here!" he adds as he hurries out of the door like a man with a Mission, capital M.

Basil shakes his head with a small smile at the strange gesture, simply raising two fingers of his own up to his brow, casting a lazy salute to Kevin. "I will. Good luck, Cowboy." Basil half murmurs, binding the chains on the door again as soon as Kevin's gone.