"Attaboy! You know, I think you're finally growin' a grain of sense."

Safehouse: Common Area(#2947RAJ)
The foyer of this house is set off from the living room with its octagonal bump-out by a four foot high halfwall. Stairs lead up from the foyer, turning and disappearing to the right, and a wooden door with a keycard lock claims the wall opposite the living room. The rest of the main floor is taken up by a small bathroom across the hallway from a dining room which is separated from the kitchen at the back of the house by another half-wall. The decor is decidedly sparse - white walls, beige carpeting in the living and dining rooms and down the hall, unremarkable vinyl in the foyer and kitchen.
A used couch and a pair of recliners are grouped around a coffee table in the living room, with a foursome of wooden chairs claiming the bump out for quieter conversation. The dining room boasts a white laminate table with four aluminum and vinyl-upholstered chairs - too new to be 'vintage', too old to be trendy. The appliances and cupboards in the kitchen are new - or at least refurbished to look like it - and a door leads out to the backyard from there.
Up the stairs are a number of empty rooms where anyone affiliated with the Sept can crash and an office for private meetings. The Glass Walkers have their own area accessible via a locked door off the foyer. The main doors themselves lead back out to the front porch of the house.

Mathias is sitting on the couch of the safehouse commons, looking depressed. Though, that's not a new thing for him, more so since recently. Almost looks suicidal.

If the sound percolates through Mathias' depression, there's a racing engine drawing up outside. And whether it does or not, hopefully the shortly following buzzing on the doorbell gets through to the theurge.

Mathias tilts his head to look at the door, then glances about. He dosn't want to get up, he wants to just sit there. Alas, noone else is about, so the Theurge picks himself up as he opens the door to look out. "Yes?" he says in reflex.

"Here you are," greets the theurge as he opens the door. Cedric is on the other side, a frown on his face and a businesslike attitude in his body language. "May I come in?" he asks. "There's important news, Mathias."

Mathias glances and sees Cedric, and he draws himself up, at least to stand at attention. It's the little details about his body that claim he's not been like this, but none the less, he gives a small nod then steps back, "Please enter Cedric-Rhya. It's not my place to invite you, but, I believe the situation will be fine."

Lightning walks inside regally, with the air of a king visiting the house of a commoner of his domain. "Mathias," he begins without preamble, "I spoke to Vera-rhya regardin' you and your recent... failures. We came to a mutual agreement."

Mathias looks up to Lightning, taking a moment before he says "How long do I have to pack? I could manage it in about three hours I think." He keeps his back stiff, eyes level though he dosn't look directly at Cedric.

"Your suitcase can stay where it is," Cedric responds with a thin smile. "Don't you recall, dear boy? Falcon sent you here. You're needed for... some purpose yet to become clear. You're stayin'. But on one condition. That for the time bein', you surrender the rank of cliath, return to cubhood and are re-rited in due course."

Mathias blinks as he hears Cedric, before he stammers for a few moments. Finally, he collects himself and says "But...why would Vera agree to that? What have you promised her Cedric? Your Klaive?" he really seems more dumbstruck then anything else.

Cedric compresses his lips. "Should you fail in regainin' the rank of cliath, I have vowed to surrender somethin' of worth or value to Vera-rhya. But Falcon has spoken to me through Osric and told me not to fret and that I may trust you to succeed. You may not have heard," he adds, "that Blackriver has formally passed eldership of the tribe to me, by the way. So it's now I and not she who gets to make the final call on all this jazz."

Mathias clenchs his eyes tight. "And...you didn't add in a clause to allow you an out?" he says, then looks to Cedric, "I...don't really know what to say. Right now, I'm an anruth with no future. Nothing. No family, no pack, no rank. Nothing ever."

Cedric gives Mathias a long look, before his hand reaches out to rest on the smaller Fang's shoulder. "Mathias, you are of the First Tribe, and that you have always. Your blood and your birth will always go with you. Falcon will always fly over you. Now, I respect the Shadow Lords far more than the vast majority of we Fangs," he goes on, "but I'll be damned if I'll let one of them turn you out of the Sept while I stand by and do nothin'. Particularly that grinnin' no-moon bitch of a Vera." He gives Mathias a wink. "That statement was off the record, natch."

Mathias holds his hands up, then says "What? My ears musta been ringing from something. I didn't hear a word of it."

Cedric grins. "Attaboy! You know, I think you're finally growin' a grain of sense. Now! Tonight is Moot. Am I goin' to give you a ride out in my car, so we can announce things to the sept as a whole, and make it all official-like?"

Mathias looks over to Cedric, and gives a soft 'uhh', He looks down, "Do I have a new cub name I suppose? Or will it stay as is? Think there are a few who will be happy to see the name gone."

Cedric smiles wryly. "I'm severely tempted to rechristen you Last-Chance or somethin', but perhaps that's less than dignified."

Mathias ducks his head slightly, and looks down. "Yes Cedric-Rhya." is all the comment he gives on that.

"Yes you'll go with that, or yes it's less than dignified?" Cedric asks.

Mathias holds his hands up. "One would claim that it's possibly to the latter. Many might not take it seriously. Just another chance after a string of chances."

"We needn't set it all in stone yet," Cedric points out. "Better to take a little time over things and get them right than rush headlong in where angels fear to tread. Besides... it's not as though you're goin' to be keepin' it more than a month or two." He gives Mathias a meaningful look with that.

Mathias gives a simple nod, then says softly "Yes Cedric-Rhya, it'll be as you say." he's rather...much more submissive then last Cedric met him?

Cedric squeezes Mathias' shoulder and then withdraws his hand. "Moot's in a few hours," he says. "I'll leave you to... come to terms with things, and decide if you can face bein' there. I'll drop back in my car and check up on you later, and give you a ride out if you're comin' along. OK?"

Mathias gives a simple nod, but at least he just looks and seems happier.