"We are the epitome of an omega pack. Underdogs. Bite the Wyrm's ankles."

Farmhouse: Hallway and Living Room
All doorways in the front part of the house lead to the front hallway, a J-shaped area with the short tail starting at the stairs, the front door hitting the bottom curve, the doorless opening to the living room halfway up the long side, and the also doorless opening to the kitchen and dining room at the very top. The hall has a simple wooden floor, and decorated with a generic print of soft-colored flowers hanging on the wall to the right of the front door, and a tall table sitting under the print which serves as a place to toss keys. A closet under the stairs serves as a place to hang coats or to toss shoes.
The doorless opening to the living room is halfway up the side of the hall's J, and the word cozy might spring to mind when looking into is, as it seems to radiate comforting vibrations. A long couch sits against the south wall beneath a large bay window curtained only by sheers that manages to obscure the view in but only filters the day's light. A variety of out-of-date magazines are strewn atop a low coffee table; more neatly presented are the plethora of books filling the small bookshelves which line the eastern wall. Three chairs sit about the room, focused inward, to allow group conversations. Large floor pillows are stacked in one corner of the room, except one, which lies carelessly in the middle of the floor, apparently left out the last time it was used.
An opening in the northern end of the hallway allows access to the kitchen and dining room at the back of the house, while carpeted stairs twist up at the other end of the hall, leading to the second floor. A door at the base of the J lets out to the front porch.

Helen is muttering to herself as she heads down the stairs, pausing mid-way to glance back over her shoulder with a frown before heading into the living room.

There in the living room -- though he wasn't there when Helen went upstairs -- is Kevin, sitting with his feet swinging over the side of the best chair, intermittently chewing a pencil and making notes on a piece of dirty paper.

"Whoa, hi," says the Fury, stopping at the sight of Kevin. She sounds surprised to find him here. "What're you doing?"

Kevin looks over the paper. "Hey, Helen," he says. "You seen Emma? She's not around at her city place at the moment."

Helen shakes her head. "Haven't seen her in awhile," she says. "So...I don't know if you'd find her out here or not. I was just passin' through." She watches him for a moment before asking, "How're you doin'?"

Kevin favours Helen with a smile. "For a guy who's been held down and hacked at by members of your tribe with silver knives twice in a month, and then gone wading in wyrmy waters at midnight trying to go fishing for a bane, I think I'm doing okay. What about yourself?"

"That sounds...great," Helen says blandly, expression blank. She even looks a bit sorry for him but that doesn't last. She glances away from Kevin as she flops down into one of the chairs. "I'm alright. Started a new pack. Tryin' to figure out what the hell to do with a cub of ours. That's about it."

"I'm in a new pack too," Kevin says proudly. "Natalie always did insist I didn't belong in a war pack. Maybe she was right after all. What cub is this?"

Helen perks right up. "Really? Hadn't heard. With who?" She chuckles then, letting out a long breath. "Alesia. Don't ask. Just don't go there."

Kevin gives Helen a look from under a raised eyebrow, but he doesn't go there, instead confining his answer to "Basil, Kaz and Morgan. We are the epitome of an omega pack. Underdogs. Bite the Wyrm's ankles."

"That's pretty cool. I'm with Cole, Dillen, Blackriver and Leslie. Scares the shit out of me we all get along," Helen says. "You know, as opposed to killing each other or at least threatenin' to."

Kevin gives Helen a slightly narrow-eyed look. "Who's alpha of you guys? Dillen or Blackriver?" He evidently discounts any possibility of the other three, including Helen herself, claiming that role.

Helen tilts her head to the side, offering Kevin a lopsided grin. "Not me, huh?" she jokes. "It's Blackriver." At even saying the Silver Fang's name there's a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "Cole's beta. The rest of us suck."

"I'm surprised Dillen isn't up there," Kevin comments. "Mmm. Maybe he had a bellyful of alphaness with Requiem being such a handful all the time. And hey, I'm a ragabash, you're a ragabash. We both know our place. It's only the occasional crackpot no-moon who thinks they can lead a pack. Or a sept," he adds meaningfully.

Helen lifts a brow and snickers. "I led a tribe, much as it was. Guess that makes me a crackpot." She grins widely at Kevin. "Complainin' about Vera-rhya, are we? Y'know, I bet Cole and Dillen had a drinkin' match or some shit like that, and Cole won. I should ask."

Kevin snorts with amusement. "I heard Cole pulled that one on Vera and won," he recalls. "Never let a Fianna galliard set challenge terms, is the lesson there, isn't it? And Vera... hell, I can't say I like her still, but after that fight on Sunday night I gotta say I respect her. Hard to fight for your life alongside someone and not feel something good for them after, assuming you do both survive."

"Really?" Helen is very amused by this, as evidenced by the fact she's still grinning. "Damn, that's funny, gotta ask him about that one." She stretches out her legs, leaning back, watching Kevin. "Gotta say I agree with you there. Sucks having to respect someone you don't like but that's life."

Kevin gives a languid, easy shrug. "Does anyone ever truly like an alpha? Respect is one thing, but like?"

Helen purses her lips. "Yeah," she says quietly, "you're right. I haven't had much contact with her, really. I just tend to stick with my packmates now, or Laura." She sighs. "So what're you doin' with that?" she asks, glancing to the paper Kevin was writing on earlier.

"Sketching out the tire fire site," Kevin replies, showing Helen the paper on which he's drawn a rough map of the area with a few arrows, letters, and squiggles. "It's going to be a hell of a fight, that one, and I don't like the odds, so I'm trying to improve them by meticulous forward planning. Emma is too, which is one reason I want her... though I don't know whether she's got time for that with her packmate dying like that."

Helen leans forward to examine the piece of paper, quiet as she takes it all in. "Maybe not," she muses. "I could help, maybe get my pack involved if you need more people, 'cause I'd like to. Help that is."

"Emma's the one to speak to," Kevin repeats. "Maybe Laura or KL could help, they're in her pack, aren't they? Me, I'd say 'send all hands on deck', but I'm not officially in charge of strategy. Being, as I said, a ragabash. I just get to run around and risk my life trying to draw fire."

Helen laughs at that. "The life of a ragabash, be the bait," she says, leaning back again. "I'll talk to her. If I find her I'll tell her you're lookin'. And yeah, they are -- so I guess they'd wanna help. Good goin' of you, though, not something I'd think of," she adds, gesturing to the map.

"Well," Kevin says with an air of frankness, "I'm trying to think things through more and act on impulse less. You may have noticed I can be impulsive," he understates. "Gonna get myself killed one of these days if I don't learn to think twice... don't think twice, it's alright..." he bursts into song briefly. "Think twice before I go running off in all directions."

Helen chuckles at Kevin's response. "Clever boy," she jokes. "I could learn somethin' from you. I'd like to think I'm not that impulsive, but who the hell knows."

Kevin looks a touch shocked. "You? Learn from me? You're elder of your tribe," he protests, "I'm about as low as you can get in this sept."

Helen shrugs. "I'm not elder anymore," she points out. "Laura is. But hey, you not bein' impulsive and stupid like I can me at least makes me think, right?"

"I don't ever remember you being impulsive and stupid," Kevin points out. "I remember you being damn nice to me when I was freshly firsted, and I remember that time in the warehouse with the rats when you gave those things what-for..."

"Thanks," says Helen with a small but genuine smile. "But I've had my share of stupid moments. Guess it just takes some shit to grow up. You may the lowest of the low here, Kevin, but hey, thinkin' all that through--good idea."

"Nothing makes you think," Kevin drawls in a too-casual voice, "like having your balls cut off in front of the sept. Mainly makes you think 'I'm not gonna get in this position again'."

Helen cracks her knuckles, nodding at Kevin. "Yeah, that'd do it," she agrees quietly. "Kinda sucks that no matter what we do sometimes it takes somethin' that shitty to make you think, huh?"

"Everything is a learning experience," Kevin says sanctimoniously. "The really great thing is, it's finally kicked Basil into gear. I always did know that guy was awesome... but he's stopped trying to hide it and pretend he's a slacker now. He was there at the bane fight too, and he kicked ass. He's gonna end up an awesome alpha at this rate. If Brom could only see him now, he'd not recognise him."

Helen smiles. "Good for him," she says. "Sucks it had to be that to kick his ass into gear, but maybe in the long run it's good 'cause it did. I hope that made sense. I, uh, obviously can't really identify with either of you but..."

"We're probably not good people to identify with," Kevin says slyly. "Follow your goddess instead like a good Fury. But if you guys," he goes on pensively, "wanted to get together with us guys, maybe, I dunno, stage a mock-attack operation, or just some kind of strategic exercise... something that'll get us all honed..."

"Yup. I'll be a good Fury. Pretend I don't talk to you or anyone else who isn't a chick," Helen jokes. "I'll talk to Laura and KL, see what they have in mind, if they'd be willing. You'll need all the people you can get, but Emma's gotta have to say it's alright, so." She ticks off on her fingers: "Step one, talk to the other gals. Step two, talk to Emma. Step three, talk to my packmates. Step four...there is no step four."

Kevin shakes his head sternly. "Can't have a twelve step program for garou," he says, "if we can't work out more than three steps..."

Helen rolls her eyes. "How about a ten step program?" She pushes herself up off the chair. "I am going to go get looking for any one of those people I mentioned. And if I find Emma I will let you know."

Kevin remains slouched in the chair, but raises one hand to his brow in a kind of salute. "I'll be here for a while," he promises, "and if not, you can most always get me at my tribe's place in town."

"Cool," Helen says, smiling. "Seeya later."