"The ranks we use, dear boy, aren't just like labels you stick on a jar of jelly jam."

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 in the Safehouse Commons, looking quite happy at the moment, watching the TV as he munchs on some chips and dip.

The safehouse doorbell chimes. Well, actually, it plays the riff from Chuck Berry's "Johnny B Goode". One of those roachwolves must have tweaked the chip inside.

Mathias pauses a moment before he mutes the TV. Standing up, he puts the bowls on the little table as he brushes himself off. Bad to awnser the door with crumbs on you! None the less, Mathias goes to answer the door, peeking through the peephole first to see who it might be.

Through the peephole, Cedric is plainly visible, neatly groomed and immaculately dressed as ever, fidgeting quietly on the doorstep.

Mathias only peers through for a moment, before he opens the door and gives Cedric a bow, steping aside to allow the Fang in. "A pleasure to meet you Cedric-Rhya."

Cedric makes to move inside as soon as the door's opened. "Mathias," he says in a quiet tone. "I need a quick word. Just a quick little word."

Mathias closes the door behind Cedric, as he looks to him. "Yes Cedric?" he still seems pretty happy.

Cedric looks at Mathias. "Have you spoken to Vera-rhya since our last conversation?" he asks his tribemate, coming right to the point.

Mathias shakes his head. "No? Umm, Blackriver warned me away from her. I...wouldn't go back to the farmhouse, because she just might kill me, even if it was something as slight as not wiping my boots."

Cedric allows a faint smile of amusement to spread over his face. "Do you happen to know, Mathias, whether any garou round here, in the city say, knows the Satire Rite?"

Mathias gives a look to Cedric, and shakes his head. "No? Why?" he asks, not making the connection, "Don't one of the Philos have it? Like, Blackriver?"

"If they do," Cedric says, "it's not a well known fact. Been askin' round, some. Nobody I've spoken to knows it. Nobody seems to recall it bein' performed here for years. I've yet to dig the Ritemaster out of whatever Vikin' hole in the ground the madman lives in, but it's lookin' a fair bet that the rite's not known hereabouts. Which makes any attempt to knock you down a rank back to cub an... interesting issue."

Mathias looks to Cedric, well, he's out of his element here. He could tell you about spirits non-stop...but philo issues? He looks to Cedric, then asks after a moment, "Why's that? Can't I just say it and let it be so?"

Cedric shakes his head slowly. "The ranks we use, dear boy," he grins, "aren't just like labels you stick on a jar of jelly jam. They're spiritual tags. And the spirits aren't goin' to scratch one label off and stick another on, if nobody knows the rite to get them to do so. Hell, you're the theurge and I'm lecturing you about spirit-stuff?"

Mathias looks down after a moment, and scratchs his neck. "We never covered stuff like this in cubhood 101 Cedric-Rhya." he pauses, "Supposedly, the philodox hold punishment rites, and if we ever screwed up bad enough to have one done on us...well, bad things would happen."

"Well," Cedric says, looking slightly askance at the evident gaps in Mathias' knowledge, "if nobody knows the rite, the rite can't be held, and so far as the spirits are concerned -- the spirits which grant us so many of our powers and gifts," he stresses by way of reminder -- "you're still cliath, and Vera-rhya can go piss up a rope for all the spirits care."

Mathias gives a soft ahh and looks to Cedric, before he just flops himself back on the couch. "So, if she can't do it, then it means that I can't rejoin the sept..." he trails off, now looking depressed.

"No," Cedric barks vehemently. "If she can't do it, then more fool her for makin' a plan of campaign she can't carry through. Is it your fault if the rite can't be done? No. Is it my fault?" he challenges Mathias, making it clear what answer he expects from the young theurge.

Mathias looks up to Cedric, and scratchs his head a second, then quickly says "No, it's not your fault." he seems to brighten, "And, if it's not my fault, and not your fault, then it'd be her fault, right? Which means I'd be accepted because of her own mistake." he pauses and looks to Cedric, "People are gonna be pissed Cedric, they will feel cheated."

Cedric's eyes gleam. "Let 'em feel cheated," he says in bellicose style. "For once the cards look like they're fallin' our way. I'm not goin' to fold my hand when I'm drawin' to an open straight. I'll keep you posted on this, Mathias. Course, if Gunnar shows up and says, yes of course I know that rite, it all goes back to plan A... so don't get too excited. Yet."

Mathias ahhs and gives a simple nod. He has that happy look again, then says "I guess I shouldn't say a word of this to Gunnar then?"

"The chances of him turnin' up at this house," Cedric assesses, "are somewhat less than those of Vera dancin' a naked can can on top of the caern stone. He's not a city type. Reason I can't find him is probably that he's gone for a bathe under some icy Umbral waterfall... But yes, best keep quiet about this just for now, m'lad."

Mathias gives a simple nod. "Aye Captain, my captain. It will be as you say." his expression is better then Cedric has seen it in a long long time.

Cedric's own expression is still animated, and not in an entirely pleasant way, but he too seems pleased with the present position of things. "Okay. Stay here if the roachwolves are cool with it, and I'll check back soon as there's news." The fostern pats Mathias lightly on the shoulder. "Osric says that Falcon will always provide for His children, and that means us two..."

Mathias just gives a happy grin and waits, smiling. He'd be wagging his tail if he could. "Could I get you anything to eat Cedric-Rhya? And, the locals aren't up in arms yet."

Cedric checks his watch. "What the hell, I'm in no hurry to trudge round over the bawn on four legs playing hunt the Viking."

Mathias gives a smile, and is already in the kitchen by the time Cedric would blink. He pokes his head out, "Burgers? Sandwhichs? Something else with a whole bunch of meat in it for ya?"

"What the hell you like," Cedric says genially. "Surprise me."

Mathias chuckles and smiles, and disappears again. After a few moments, you can heard some chopping noises and squishy moist noises. Still, it begins to smell really good as he cooks up a storm in there.