"If you're sending two garou in as lightning rods, they'd better like each other."

Farmhouse: Kitchen and Dining Room
Homey is the first word to come to mind when looking at the farmhouse's kitchen. Dark, wood-paneled wainscoting covers the walls to about waist height, dark beige wallpaper continuing to the ceiling. Twin refrigerators occupy the north wall, facing the large six-burner stove on the south. The kitchen counter runs the length of the eastern wall, broken only by the double-basin sink. Cabinets run above and below the counter and a twin-pane window is set in the wall above the sink. A small pantry is set into an alcove alongside the refrigerators, presumably holding the deep freezer as well as shelves of dry goods.
Some twelve feet above the floor, a large chandelier hangs from the ceiling, lighting the dining room and casting long shadows over the bar to the kitchen. A long table occupies the center of the dining room, three chairs setting along each side, and one on each end. On the west wall, a large window looks out on the trees alongside the western pasture. Set into the north wall is a large cabinet, its glass doors closed on shelves containing a full compliment of fine china and glassware as well as a few decorative nicknacks. On the east, a wide bar separates the dining room from the kitchen.
An opening in the southern wall allows passage to the front entryway of the house, while a sliding glass door in the kitchen opens to a clearing behind the house.

A tuneless whistling fills the kitchen as Kevin the charach ragabash, seemingly determined to give nobody an excuse to criticise him any further, is engaged in the washing up, giving plates and cutlery a good wash rather than a mere perfunctory scrub.

The front door opens as Emma arrives, and a faint but firm, "Hello?" is called out into the farmhouse. She moves from front door to kitchen entrance way and spots the working ragabash as she does. "Hey." The Ahroun steps in and moves to the fridge, seeming a bit unsure how she wants to interact with the other.

Kevin puts the pan-scrubber down tidily by the taps and wipes his hands clean on the dish-towel. Thankfully his new-found domestic skills haven't extended to him wearing gloves. "Emma," he greets the ahroun politely enough. "Any news from the tire yard?"

Emma looks over her shoulder as she pulls the milk out. "Laura and I are taking a scouting mission soon as the moon sits right. Gonna make sure nothing has changed with it, and then set up the final plan of attack." The cap comes off and the milk gets a quick swig right out of the container. "I spoke with Blackriver."

Kevin looks at Emma for a moment as though about to remonstrate with her manners in drinking milk from the carton, but he controls the urge and remains quietly spoken and polite. "What did she say?"

The carton gets closed up and put back in, "Have a seat?" she asks, nodding to the table.

Kevin leaves the sink and sits down at the table, looking up at Emma with a bright, keen expression. Or maybe he just hopes that's the way he looks.

Emma looks across the way as she sits down, grabbing a banana as she goes. "Alright, tell me where you think you might be the most useful in this attack?"

"I'm a ragabash," Kevin replies. "I'm damned quick. And I can look after myself. While I don't necessarily agree with the half-moons' judgment that I should be used as a kind of lightning rod in the fight, I can also appreciate that as far as I go at least, there might be good things to be said for it. Basil, on the other hand," he adds, "I'd say was far more useful in the front line of the main attack. He's a fighter like yourself, pure and uncomplicated. Have you formed any plan yourself yet?"

Emma nods her head, "I've got vague ideas from talking with Yi about it all. But until I see it personally, I won't know. The trouble with this fight is that it's fire. I mean.. cmon." She laughs, taking a mouthful of banana. "The beasties we are after are surrounded by smoke spirits.. they form a perimeter. And you're right. You being quick is going to be an essential asset to that part of the plan." Here she looks dead at the ragabash. "I'd put you there not to satisfy the judges ruling, but because I believe you are one of the few that could pull it off."

A touch of his habitual drawl creeps back into Kevin's voice. "I'd say you flatter me," he responds, "but frankly I agree. Let's face facts. Without supernatural aid, nobody in this sept is as fast as me. If your plan does require someone to go in in advance of the main party, stir up some trouble and then get out quickly ready for the main assault, I'm your wolf. And I'd have said that even if I weren't bound by a philodox judgment."

Emma smiles a little bit, "Glad to hear that Kevin. I wanted you to know that.." she pauses, looking around. "My talk with Blackriver went well, but," and her voice lowers into a whisper, "I'd not have put either of you in a position just to appease their ruling. I have the interests of victory in mind, and the fewer casualties we have, the greater chance of success." She clears her throat. "I'll need two of you though, who would you recommend as being able to keep up with you?"

Kevin devotes some thought to that. "If I say 'not Basil' it isn't because I want to save his hide, or even because I wouldn't rather fight beside him than anyone else, because I would. It's because that isn't his best place in the fight." He ponders some more. "Another ragabash is the obvious suggestion, though any other auspice would do if they had the legs to keep up. Damn shame Tamara died, with that gift of hers. Dillen's fairly quick on his feet... so's Touch Deer. So are Yi and Masao, as I have the best of reasons to remember..." He gives a wry smile. "One other long shot, a guy I can't pretend to like, but he'd get the job done... Circle Keeper?"

Emma gives thought to this, "Touch Deer is gone." And this is said with no small show of complete disgust and frustration. "And the guardians will not come to a fight in the scab. I would think that perhaps Masao would work, as would Yi. And her being there before would be an advantage. Your job would not be to engage anything in this. Though don't think that leaves you any less at risk.. which I will be sure to point out to the Halfmoons." She clicks her tongue to her cheek at this. "Simply put, I need two strong, fast, and durable Garou to run interference. Grab the attention of these smoke spirits and scatter them, and keep them scattered so we can get in."

"If you like," Kevin volunteers, "I can join you on the scouting mission? If I'm to play so crucial a role in your plans, it'd make sense for me to scope the battle site out beforehand."

Emma nods her head, "I'd very much agree with that. Good, you're coming with Laura and I. She's going to focus on figuring out what kinds of spiritual help we need in dealing with the fires themselves."

"I can work with Laura," Kevin nods. "That's one thing to bear in mind, I guess. If you're sending two garou in as lightning rods, they'd better like each other. Less risk of them tangling each other up and both getting killed. I must say," he frowns, "that neither Yi nor Masao is probably very well disposed towards me right now, for the best of reasons."

Emma wavse a hand, "If they will let their personal issues interfere with a fight that is for Gaia's greater glory, then they will answer to either the judges, Gaia, or me. Laura is not going to be the other running interference, she has her hands full with other things, nor is she fast enough." She bites another hunk of banana. "And the two of you would be running in opposite directions, far as I know right now. Like splitting a herd of cattle, working together, but not side by side."

Kevin shrugs. "Fair enough then. Let me know when the scouting mission sets off. I'll be there."