I. We. We're galliards.
Saturday, 28 January 2012 16:00![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flint_garouSinging in the lobby.
28 January, 2012
The moon is in the waxing Crescent (Theurge) Moon phase (36% full).
It's Kavi's turn to be on watch, and he has the monitors from the office brought ought to where he can see them from the couch in the lobby. His own laptop is on the table, but whatever he might have been working on is set aside, and it's the guitar on his lap that has most of his attention, now.
The door from the stairwell opens to Flint coming into the lobby, a few water bottles cradled between his arm and his chest, and the cub makes his way over to the couch, pausing a small distance away. There's a nod to Kavi, and a smile, though the boy doesn't interrupt.
Kavi looks up as the cub arrives, but other than a nod and a small smile, he keeps his focus on the guitar. The melody is soft and smooth, but it halts at what might be a chorus, and the galliard stops and returns to the beginning. Over and over again, he works his way to the point of hesitation, and then returns to the beginning.
There is a BZZT at the front door. Iakovos is there, carrying a satchel slung over his shoulder, looking fairly relaxed.
Flint glances over at the monitors, halfway through putting the water bottles down on the table, and then the cub straightens, rather than sit down on the other couch. "I'll get it?" he offers, quiet, then turning to make his way across the lobby to let Kovo in.
Kavi looks to the monitors as well, and nods. There's something hesitant in that nod, and he sets his guitar back into the case at his feet.
Assuming Flint does as suggested, Kovo greets the cub with a polite smile. "Flint-rhya," he voices, nodding to the Walker. "May I come in?"
Flint looks back at Kavi a half-glance at the hesitantness, though the cub does get the door. "Hi Kovo," the boy says, holding the door open for the kin, and then making his way back over to the seating area, gaze flicking to the older galliard once more.
Kavi closes the top of the case, but doesn't snap any of the latches. He rises as Iakovos enters, and offers the kin a slight smile. "Hey," he says. "What— Can I help you?"
"Maybe?" Iakovos seems unsure. "I don't suppose the Tribe has anyone who can do electronics, does it?" Sure, that's probably like asking if the Fianna have any brewers, but he's being on the cautious side.
Flint doesn't sit, nor does he answer the question, another glance over at Kavi, but the cub does lean against the back of the couch, hands folded in front of him.
Kavi's smile settles into place and he gestures to the other seats nearby. "I. There are some of us. Mouse is really good with some things. What… What do you need?"
"Theron dropped his DS," Kovo admits ruefully. "I've tried fixing it, but something small and important has pinged, and won't un-ping. He's beside himself, and I thought rather than just buying him a new one and teaching him that he can be careless with his toys, it might do him good to watch somebody working to fix it for him, and get some appreciation of the skill involved."
Flint grins a little bit at Kovo's words, and then glances over to Kavi, then back to Iakovos. "The DS," the boy says, "is … I got pretty good at, at um, fixing mine over the years since I got it. Since, when I got it from my cousins it was kinda broken, and made it work again." Another glance at the older Galliard. "I could take a look at it, and such," he finishes.
Kavi nods at something in what Iakovos says, and again when Flint offers to help. "It's a good idea," he says aloud. "And. It. It would be good for him to start— to start learning."
"I hate to ask, and I mean no disrespect, Flint-rhya, Kavi-rhya," Iakovos voices, seeming uncertain again. "But my son is six years old, and prone to being annoying. While I am sure you're practiced at holding your shape, I would.. like it if you were not the only Garou present, sir." That is to Flint, the man perhaps understandably concerned about a cub being let loose unsupervised around his comparatively fragile son.
"Absolutely none taken," Flint responds, quietly, another glance at Kavi. The boy seems more relieved than not at Iakovos' words, really.
Kavi takes a step to the side, avoiding the guitar case as he approaches the kin. "It's okay," he says, and gives a slight shake of his head. "It's… It's better. And if. If Flint needs help? I'll be there. For that, too."
There is relief in Kovo's body-language and expression briefly. "Thank you," he voices quietly. "When do you think you will be free?" he then asks the cub. "And would you visit the hotel we're staying at, or prefer somewhere more local to here?"
Flint tilts his head to one side for a moment and thinks, looking up at the ceiling. "Whenever… whenever and wherever works for both you and Kavi-rhya," the boy says after a long pause, before nodding.
Kavi looks at Flint and almost smiles before he turns again to the kin. "It— We can come to you. Maybe in the afternoon, sometime? I… I think afternoons are better for us."
"Sure. I collect him from school at three-thirty, so say four?" Iakovos gives the address of a reasonably nice hotel where he's staying with the kids at the moment. "If you can pick a day, I'll arrange for the twins to stay out a little longer so you're not interrupted more than necessary."
Flint nods silently, though he looks over at Kavi, deferring once more on the subject of scheduling.
The mention of twins clearly startles the older galliard, and his gaze shifts away for a moment before returning with his nod. "I. I didn't know—You hadn't said, there were others."
"Twin girls," Iakovos acknowledges, regarding the older Galliard with a faintly —apologetic?— expression. "Both kin, and obviously remaining within the tribe. They're younger still, so definitely would be an inconvenience to have around while doing delicate electronic work."
Flint glances between Kavi and Iakovos, head tilted to the side, before the cub moves to reclaim one of the several water bottles from the table, cracking it open and then taking a few sips.
Kavi's gaze dips downward again, and he nods. "Good," he says, though his nod is slight. "That's. That's good." There's a brief pause, and then the galliard gestures again at the table and chairs. "There's tea," he says, looking up to the kin once more. "If you like? And. I think Mouse left some doughnuts?"
"Sure, tea is good," Iakovos agrees firmly, moving to sort himself out a drink from the tea-making stuff in the laundry room. "Can I get either of you one as well?" he asks as he does so.
"Yeah, there're still some left," Flint asserts, quietly. "I only ate a few of them earlier." There's a grin on the cub's face, faintly amused, before he looks at Kovo, shakes his head. "Thank you but no thanks, I'm good."
"You don't have to," Kavi says to the kin, his brow furrowing slightly. "I—" He swallows as he breaks off, but rather than follow, moves to sit again, and pulls the guitar back into his lap.
"Sure I don't, but it'd be rude not to offer," Iakovos agrees with a smile for the Adren, fixing one up for him anyway. "Milk and sugar?" He takes both in his drink, coming back out with two mugs and placing one down next to Kavi.
Flint watches the exchange with a faintly amused look, before the cub sits down on the couch across from Kavi, one knee pulled up to his chest and simply watching the older Galliard.
"Please," Kavi says, his voice soft and somewhat tentative. His fingers begin strumming, almost idly at first, but then with more clarity to the melody. He waits until Iakovos is near, and then asks, "Did you… Do you know any of the songs of our people?"
Iakovos cocks his head slightly towards Kavi. "Of the Nation in general? Or the Furies?" he asks simply, not wishing to completely put his foot in it. He takes a sip of the tea, then sets it down to cool before doing any more with it.
Flint half-rests his head on his knee, the cub listening and mostly watching, though his glance goes to Kovo at the question posed, curiosity evident in the cub's expression.
Kavi's melody continues, soft and subtle, but easy enough to pick out if one is listening. "The— Of all of us," he says. "I think… Just of all the tribes."
The Furykin shakes his head. "I'm afraid not, but if you start one I can probably pick it up after a few?" he suggests, sounding curious now. He glances to Flint, to see if the cub has any more of a clue than he does.
Flint raises his eyebrows a slight bit for a moment, returning Kovo's glance, before the galliard cub's attention returns wholly and entirely to what Kavi is playing, fingers keeping silent time on his knee.
Kavi's smile is soft, but he nods, and as he does he picks up the melody in earnest. His voice joins the guitar only a moment later, the clear tenor singing of the duty of Garou.
As it turns out, Kovo has at least heard this one a few times before. He lets Kavi go through the chorus once before joining in, skipping the verses since he doesn't know all the words but keeping good pitch and timing with the choral bit. His voice is less clear and strong, but he's obviously had at least a lesson in how to breathe and project.
It seems that the cub recognises the song and remembers most of the words as well, smiling a little at Kavi and Iakovos both before he joins in. The boy's voice is clear and bright with youth, although he sings quietly.
As both kin and cub join in, Kavi smiles, and it changes the sound of his voice ever so slightly. Eventually, however, the song draws to a close, and he sets the guitar aside to take up his tea.
It is to the sound of singing that somebody coming into the lobby might be greeted. Kovo and the other two are just finishing an impromptu rendition of one of the (many) songs about the duty of the Garou Nation, accompanied by Kavi on the guitar. There doesn't seem to be any specific reason for having been singing—no dead bodies, war trophies or whatever to indicate this, but they all three seem to be in a good mood following it.
Iakovos picks his tea up again, grinning faintly. "You both have very nice singing voices," he ventures.
Flint ducks a nod at the compliment, gaze settling in his lap. The boy's hair falls a bit in his face, though there's no bother to fix that.
Kavi looks down at his tea and takes another sip before setting the cup back on the table. "I. We. We're galliards," he says, by way of explanation, and chances a glance upward toward Iakovos' face.
Kovo's expression is remarkably peaceful, pleased even. "It was good to hear," he affirms quietly. "I've never heard male Galliards singing before. It's.. it's good." Then he sips his tea. Warm, safe tea.
It rarely happens when there's a quiet moment, and yet chance would have this moment for the door buzzer to sound. And a glance to the monitor shows Devon staring, literally, into the camera.
Flint just nods once, gaze eventually coming up from his lap before the cub reaches for the water bottle. The buzzer, however, makes the cub jump slightly, and once again he pushes himself to his feet, then turning around to stare at the monitors. Flint looks over at Kavi, and there's a moment of pause before the boy speaks. "I'll get it," he offers once again, water bottle dropped unceremoniously on the couch so that the cub can make his way over to open the door.
Almost simultaneously with the buzzer, an odd look crosses Kavi's face. Fear, maybe, or something even stronger, but it only lasts for a second before he clamps down on it, and hides it away. "I." Even as Flint rises to get the door, Kavi rises as well. "I'm sorry," he says, generally, and reaches into his pocket for a phone.
Devon goes from staring to grinning when Flint opens the door, sidling inside and out of the way so the door can be closed again. His grin fades a little, edging toward neutral when he takes in Kovo and Kavi, though the latter of the pair earns a polite nod.
"Hey." Flint offers Devon a faint smile, closing the door and moving back towards the seating area, turning to watch Kavi with a faint furrow of his brow, though there is no spoken question.
Without apparently seeing Devon, Kavi moves toward the back of the room, hesitating briefly as he passes the laundry room. His voice is quiet, but clearly troubled. "Mouse-rhya? Are you— Is everything okay?" And a moment later, "Do you need me?"
Devon frowns faintly, gaze following Kavi briefly. A glance angles back to Flint, questioning though he himself shrugs out an answer. "What's going on," he asks the cub quietly, brows arching and head tipping vaguely toward Kovo and Kavi.
Watching Kavi depart on his phone, Iakovos then turns his eye towards Devon, offering a polite smile to the arrival.
"Dunno," Flint responds, equally quiet, watching Kavi for a moment longer before the cub leans against the back of the couch, leaning a bit to reach out and grab the water bottle he'd left there.
"Okay," Kavi says, and lets out a slow breath. "Just. Let me know. If you do?" The answer must come quickly, because he nods in response to whatever he hears. "It's… It's okay. Thank you, Mouse-rhya." The galliard takes in another deep breath as he closes the phone and returns it to his pocket.
"Hey," Devon offers to Kovo, tipping his head in a small nod. "Name's Devon." His gaze slants off toward the laundry room again, trying to catch another peek at Kavi. "Family here, with Flint and Kavi." The explanation comes almost as an afterthought, his attention returning to the kin.
"Iakovos Rosakis, son of the Black Furies," the kinsman introduces himself in kind, rising and bowing politely towards Devon. "I was just visiting with Kavi-rhya and Flint-rhya."
Flint glances over at Kavi one more time, but then the boy's attention turns back to Devon and Kovo, as he pulls the cap off of the water bottle and takes a long sip.
Kavi eases as he returns to the couch, but he doesn't seem to be able to leave all of the tension behind. "I'm sorry," he says again to the others, and gives Devon a nod in greeting.
Devon's brows now furrow with confusion, studying Kovo. His mouth opens to voice the question, then falls when Kavi returns. "What's going on," he asks a little cautiously.
"Quite alright, Kavi-rhya," Kovo assures the Adren, seeming quite relaxed despite the other man's tension. He leaves the question voiced by Devon to somebody else to answer, though.
Flint nods at Kavi's apology, the faint furrow of the cub's brow that had been there while Kavi was on the phone fading.
Kavi gives a shake of his head as he sits. "It… Everything's okay." He lifts the guitar and sets it back in the case, snapping the latches one by one. "I— I thought there was something, but. It's okay."
Devon looks at Kavi, then back to Kovo, and finally Flint. "Yeah," he says, askance still lingering in his tone. His gaze returns briefly to Kavi, then slides past to the stairwell. "Okay." He starts for the stairs, hands going into his jeans pockets, though he slows after a few steps. "Oh, Mouse wants us to stay off the bawn and out of the Caern. If you haven't heard it from her yet."
"I'll head off now; Kavi-rhya, you have my number? We'll arrange that thing," Iakovos replies, cheerfully vague. He then bows to the three Garou and turns to make a swift exit.
Flint ducks a nod at Iakovos. "Seeya, then," the boy says as the kin leaves, before his glance goes back to Devon, and swings to Kavi. "Hm?" It's more of a faint sound of question than anything else, though, followed by a small shrug.
"Iakovos," Kavi says, moving toward the door. "I. Yes. We can… I'll call you, tomorrow."
Devon glances over his shoulder, offering just a small wave to the kin before he leaves. Returning his hand to his pocket, he crosses the remaining distance to the stairwell. "Sorry," he says quietly. "Didn't mean to interrupt or scare him off. Just go get what I came for and get out again."
Kavi closes the door after the kin is gone and for a moment, rests his head against the frame. "It wasn't you," he says to Devon as he turns. "It just… It was time."
Devon pauses at the doorway, half looking back. He pulls up a shoulder, shrugging slightly. "All the same. Good seeing you again, but I'll keep it short."
The cub's brow furrows down at the exchange between Devon and Kavi, but Flint doesn't say anything. Just looks at Devon with a look that might or might not be a question.
Kavi's brow furrows as he regards Devon, and he stops moving. "Are you— Is everything okay?"
Devon looks up the stairs, possibly considering going on without answering. He doesn't turn back immediately, in any case. He shakes his head after a moment, turning to half face Kavi and Flint. "No, everything's fine. Just… Sorry, Kavi-rhya. For harassing your cub, causing conflict. Already apologized to Flint, but…" He shrugs slightly.
Flint looks over at Devon, again, and frowns ever so slightly, a brief glance to Kavi and then the cub just watches the Ahroun. The boy stands up ever so slightly further from leaning on the couch, though he doesn't move from there.
Kavi watches Devon, the furrow still present in his brow. After a long moment, he nods. "Red Hands Wield the Knife," he says, and pulls a bit straighter, the furrow easing. "You're my family, too. I… I accept your apology, and. I just. I want you to know that. You're not a cub, anymore, but you're still my family."
There's just a shadow of a flinch, an echo of being called by his full name as a child. Devon's gaze angles toward Kavi, wary for just a moment. Finally he nods, offering an almost whispered, "Thanks, Kavi-rhya."
Flint watches Devon, and nods, nearly imperceptibly, before busying himself for the moment with removing the cap from the water bottle in his hands.
Kavi nods to the monitors as he returns again to the couch and to his guitar. "Do you—" he says to Devon, and then pauses to pick up the instrument case. "Do you want to take over? Kevin is supposed to be here, and. I told Rina I would go home, that we could all eat dinner, together, tonight."
Devon looks up the stairwell again, and lets out a subtle sigh. "Yeah, I'll take over," he says, taking a backward step then turning. He doesn't quite face the other two, but crosses the room to sink into a chair facing the monitors.
Flint lowers himself back down onto the couch finally, one knee coming up to his chest and chin propped up onto his knee.
"Thank you," Kavi says to Devon, and then looks to Flint. "Stay safe," he says, perhaps to both, and then slips out the door, guitar in hand.
"Any time," Devon answer, slouching into his seat. "Have a good night, Kavi-rhya."
"Seeya, Kavi-rhya," Flint says quietly, nodding to the older galliard, and then Flint looks over, not quite at Devon. But close enough, though the boy doesn't say anything further, yet.
Devon glances toward the door after it closes, then returns his gaze to the monitors in time to see Kavi moving away from the building. He lets out a slow breath, kicking one foot out in front of himself so only his heel rests on the floor.
The cub remains on the couch, screwing and unscrewing the lid of the water bottle in a rather fidget-y manner, before he finally looks over at Devon again, a faint smile offered to the Ahroun. "So…" The word has the weight of something said more with the goal of breaking awkward silence than any real meaning, though, and the rest of the time before the cub leaves the lobby is spent in relative quiet.
28 January, 2012
The moon is in the waxing Crescent (Theurge) Moon phase (36% full).
It's Kavi's turn to be on watch, and he has the monitors from the office brought ought to where he can see them from the couch in the lobby. His own laptop is on the table, but whatever he might have been working on is set aside, and it's the guitar on his lap that has most of his attention, now.
The door from the stairwell opens to Flint coming into the lobby, a few water bottles cradled between his arm and his chest, and the cub makes his way over to the couch, pausing a small distance away. There's a nod to Kavi, and a smile, though the boy doesn't interrupt.
Kavi looks up as the cub arrives, but other than a nod and a small smile, he keeps his focus on the guitar. The melody is soft and smooth, but it halts at what might be a chorus, and the galliard stops and returns to the beginning. Over and over again, he works his way to the point of hesitation, and then returns to the beginning.
There is a BZZT at the front door. Iakovos is there, carrying a satchel slung over his shoulder, looking fairly relaxed.
Flint glances over at the monitors, halfway through putting the water bottles down on the table, and then the cub straightens, rather than sit down on the other couch. "I'll get it?" he offers, quiet, then turning to make his way across the lobby to let Kovo in.
Kavi looks to the monitors as well, and nods. There's something hesitant in that nod, and he sets his guitar back into the case at his feet.
Assuming Flint does as suggested, Kovo greets the cub with a polite smile. "Flint-rhya," he voices, nodding to the Walker. "May I come in?"
Flint looks back at Kavi a half-glance at the hesitantness, though the cub does get the door. "Hi Kovo," the boy says, holding the door open for the kin, and then making his way back over to the seating area, gaze flicking to the older galliard once more.
Kavi closes the top of the case, but doesn't snap any of the latches. He rises as Iakovos enters, and offers the kin a slight smile. "Hey," he says. "What— Can I help you?"
"Maybe?" Iakovos seems unsure. "I don't suppose the Tribe has anyone who can do electronics, does it?" Sure, that's probably like asking if the Fianna have any brewers, but he's being on the cautious side.
Flint doesn't sit, nor does he answer the question, another glance over at Kavi, but the cub does lean against the back of the couch, hands folded in front of him.
Kavi's smile settles into place and he gestures to the other seats nearby. "I. There are some of us. Mouse is really good with some things. What… What do you need?"
"Theron dropped his DS," Kovo admits ruefully. "I've tried fixing it, but something small and important has pinged, and won't un-ping. He's beside himself, and I thought rather than just buying him a new one and teaching him that he can be careless with his toys, it might do him good to watch somebody working to fix it for him, and get some appreciation of the skill involved."
Flint grins a little bit at Kovo's words, and then glances over to Kavi, then back to Iakovos. "The DS," the boy says, "is … I got pretty good at, at um, fixing mine over the years since I got it. Since, when I got it from my cousins it was kinda broken, and made it work again." Another glance at the older Galliard. "I could take a look at it, and such," he finishes.
Kavi nods at something in what Iakovos says, and again when Flint offers to help. "It's a good idea," he says aloud. "And. It. It would be good for him to start— to start learning."
"I hate to ask, and I mean no disrespect, Flint-rhya, Kavi-rhya," Iakovos voices, seeming uncertain again. "But my son is six years old, and prone to being annoying. While I am sure you're practiced at holding your shape, I would.. like it if you were not the only Garou present, sir." That is to Flint, the man perhaps understandably concerned about a cub being let loose unsupervised around his comparatively fragile son.
"Absolutely none taken," Flint responds, quietly, another glance at Kavi. The boy seems more relieved than not at Iakovos' words, really.
Kavi takes a step to the side, avoiding the guitar case as he approaches the kin. "It's okay," he says, and gives a slight shake of his head. "It's… It's better. And if. If Flint needs help? I'll be there. For that, too."
There is relief in Kovo's body-language and expression briefly. "Thank you," he voices quietly. "When do you think you will be free?" he then asks the cub. "And would you visit the hotel we're staying at, or prefer somewhere more local to here?"
Flint tilts his head to one side for a moment and thinks, looking up at the ceiling. "Whenever… whenever and wherever works for both you and Kavi-rhya," the boy says after a long pause, before nodding.
Kavi looks at Flint and almost smiles before he turns again to the kin. "It— We can come to you. Maybe in the afternoon, sometime? I… I think afternoons are better for us."
"Sure. I collect him from school at three-thirty, so say four?" Iakovos gives the address of a reasonably nice hotel where he's staying with the kids at the moment. "If you can pick a day, I'll arrange for the twins to stay out a little longer so you're not interrupted more than necessary."
Flint nods silently, though he looks over at Kavi, deferring once more on the subject of scheduling.
The mention of twins clearly startles the older galliard, and his gaze shifts away for a moment before returning with his nod. "I. I didn't know—You hadn't said, there were others."
"Twin girls," Iakovos acknowledges, regarding the older Galliard with a faintly —apologetic?— expression. "Both kin, and obviously remaining within the tribe. They're younger still, so definitely would be an inconvenience to have around while doing delicate electronic work."
Flint glances between Kavi and Iakovos, head tilted to the side, before the cub moves to reclaim one of the several water bottles from the table, cracking it open and then taking a few sips.
Kavi's gaze dips downward again, and he nods. "Good," he says, though his nod is slight. "That's. That's good." There's a brief pause, and then the galliard gestures again at the table and chairs. "There's tea," he says, looking up to the kin once more. "If you like? And. I think Mouse left some doughnuts?"
"Sure, tea is good," Iakovos agrees firmly, moving to sort himself out a drink from the tea-making stuff in the laundry room. "Can I get either of you one as well?" he asks as he does so.
"Yeah, there're still some left," Flint asserts, quietly. "I only ate a few of them earlier." There's a grin on the cub's face, faintly amused, before he looks at Kovo, shakes his head. "Thank you but no thanks, I'm good."
"You don't have to," Kavi says to the kin, his brow furrowing slightly. "I—" He swallows as he breaks off, but rather than follow, moves to sit again, and pulls the guitar back into his lap.
"Sure I don't, but it'd be rude not to offer," Iakovos agrees with a smile for the Adren, fixing one up for him anyway. "Milk and sugar?" He takes both in his drink, coming back out with two mugs and placing one down next to Kavi.
Flint watches the exchange with a faintly amused look, before the cub sits down on the couch across from Kavi, one knee pulled up to his chest and simply watching the older Galliard.
"Please," Kavi says, his voice soft and somewhat tentative. His fingers begin strumming, almost idly at first, but then with more clarity to the melody. He waits until Iakovos is near, and then asks, "Did you… Do you know any of the songs of our people?"
Iakovos cocks his head slightly towards Kavi. "Of the Nation in general? Or the Furies?" he asks simply, not wishing to completely put his foot in it. He takes a sip of the tea, then sets it down to cool before doing any more with it.
Flint half-rests his head on his knee, the cub listening and mostly watching, though his glance goes to Kovo at the question posed, curiosity evident in the cub's expression.
Kavi's melody continues, soft and subtle, but easy enough to pick out if one is listening. "The— Of all of us," he says. "I think… Just of all the tribes."
The Furykin shakes his head. "I'm afraid not, but if you start one I can probably pick it up after a few?" he suggests, sounding curious now. He glances to Flint, to see if the cub has any more of a clue than he does.
Flint raises his eyebrows a slight bit for a moment, returning Kovo's glance, before the galliard cub's attention returns wholly and entirely to what Kavi is playing, fingers keeping silent time on his knee.
Kavi's smile is soft, but he nods, and as he does he picks up the melody in earnest. His voice joins the guitar only a moment later, the clear tenor singing of the duty of Garou.
As it turns out, Kovo has at least heard this one a few times before. He lets Kavi go through the chorus once before joining in, skipping the verses since he doesn't know all the words but keeping good pitch and timing with the choral bit. His voice is less clear and strong, but he's obviously had at least a lesson in how to breathe and project.
It seems that the cub recognises the song and remembers most of the words as well, smiling a little at Kavi and Iakovos both before he joins in. The boy's voice is clear and bright with youth, although he sings quietly.
As both kin and cub join in, Kavi smiles, and it changes the sound of his voice ever so slightly. Eventually, however, the song draws to a close, and he sets the guitar aside to take up his tea.
It is to the sound of singing that somebody coming into the lobby might be greeted. Kovo and the other two are just finishing an impromptu rendition of one of the (many) songs about the duty of the Garou Nation, accompanied by Kavi on the guitar. There doesn't seem to be any specific reason for having been singing—no dead bodies, war trophies or whatever to indicate this, but they all three seem to be in a good mood following it.
Iakovos picks his tea up again, grinning faintly. "You both have very nice singing voices," he ventures.
Flint ducks a nod at the compliment, gaze settling in his lap. The boy's hair falls a bit in his face, though there's no bother to fix that.
Kavi looks down at his tea and takes another sip before setting the cup back on the table. "I. We. We're galliards," he says, by way of explanation, and chances a glance upward toward Iakovos' face.
Kovo's expression is remarkably peaceful, pleased even. "It was good to hear," he affirms quietly. "I've never heard male Galliards singing before. It's.. it's good." Then he sips his tea. Warm, safe tea.
It rarely happens when there's a quiet moment, and yet chance would have this moment for the door buzzer to sound. And a glance to the monitor shows Devon staring, literally, into the camera.
Flint just nods once, gaze eventually coming up from his lap before the cub reaches for the water bottle. The buzzer, however, makes the cub jump slightly, and once again he pushes himself to his feet, then turning around to stare at the monitors. Flint looks over at Kavi, and there's a moment of pause before the boy speaks. "I'll get it," he offers once again, water bottle dropped unceremoniously on the couch so that the cub can make his way over to open the door.
Almost simultaneously with the buzzer, an odd look crosses Kavi's face. Fear, maybe, or something even stronger, but it only lasts for a second before he clamps down on it, and hides it away. "I." Even as Flint rises to get the door, Kavi rises as well. "I'm sorry," he says, generally, and reaches into his pocket for a phone.
Devon goes from staring to grinning when Flint opens the door, sidling inside and out of the way so the door can be closed again. His grin fades a little, edging toward neutral when he takes in Kovo and Kavi, though the latter of the pair earns a polite nod.
"Hey." Flint offers Devon a faint smile, closing the door and moving back towards the seating area, turning to watch Kavi with a faint furrow of his brow, though there is no spoken question.
Without apparently seeing Devon, Kavi moves toward the back of the room, hesitating briefly as he passes the laundry room. His voice is quiet, but clearly troubled. "Mouse-rhya? Are you— Is everything okay?" And a moment later, "Do you need me?"
Devon frowns faintly, gaze following Kavi briefly. A glance angles back to Flint, questioning though he himself shrugs out an answer. "What's going on," he asks the cub quietly, brows arching and head tipping vaguely toward Kovo and Kavi.
Watching Kavi depart on his phone, Iakovos then turns his eye towards Devon, offering a polite smile to the arrival.
"Dunno," Flint responds, equally quiet, watching Kavi for a moment longer before the cub leans against the back of the couch, leaning a bit to reach out and grab the water bottle he'd left there.
"Okay," Kavi says, and lets out a slow breath. "Just. Let me know. If you do?" The answer must come quickly, because he nods in response to whatever he hears. "It's… It's okay. Thank you, Mouse-rhya." The galliard takes in another deep breath as he closes the phone and returns it to his pocket.
"Hey," Devon offers to Kovo, tipping his head in a small nod. "Name's Devon." His gaze slants off toward the laundry room again, trying to catch another peek at Kavi. "Family here, with Flint and Kavi." The explanation comes almost as an afterthought, his attention returning to the kin.
"Iakovos Rosakis, son of the Black Furies," the kinsman introduces himself in kind, rising and bowing politely towards Devon. "I was just visiting with Kavi-rhya and Flint-rhya."
Flint glances over at Kavi one more time, but then the boy's attention turns back to Devon and Kovo, as he pulls the cap off of the water bottle and takes a long sip.
Kavi eases as he returns to the couch, but he doesn't seem to be able to leave all of the tension behind. "I'm sorry," he says again to the others, and gives Devon a nod in greeting.
Devon's brows now furrow with confusion, studying Kovo. His mouth opens to voice the question, then falls when Kavi returns. "What's going on," he asks a little cautiously.
"Quite alright, Kavi-rhya," Kovo assures the Adren, seeming quite relaxed despite the other man's tension. He leaves the question voiced by Devon to somebody else to answer, though.
Flint nods at Kavi's apology, the faint furrow of the cub's brow that had been there while Kavi was on the phone fading.
Kavi gives a shake of his head as he sits. "It… Everything's okay." He lifts the guitar and sets it back in the case, snapping the latches one by one. "I— I thought there was something, but. It's okay."
Devon looks at Kavi, then back to Kovo, and finally Flint. "Yeah," he says, askance still lingering in his tone. His gaze returns briefly to Kavi, then slides past to the stairwell. "Okay." He starts for the stairs, hands going into his jeans pockets, though he slows after a few steps. "Oh, Mouse wants us to stay off the bawn and out of the Caern. If you haven't heard it from her yet."
"I'll head off now; Kavi-rhya, you have my number? We'll arrange that thing," Iakovos replies, cheerfully vague. He then bows to the three Garou and turns to make a swift exit.
Flint ducks a nod at Iakovos. "Seeya, then," the boy says as the kin leaves, before his glance goes back to Devon, and swings to Kavi. "Hm?" It's more of a faint sound of question than anything else, though, followed by a small shrug.
"Iakovos," Kavi says, moving toward the door. "I. Yes. We can… I'll call you, tomorrow."
Devon glances over his shoulder, offering just a small wave to the kin before he leaves. Returning his hand to his pocket, he crosses the remaining distance to the stairwell. "Sorry," he says quietly. "Didn't mean to interrupt or scare him off. Just go get what I came for and get out again."
Kavi closes the door after the kin is gone and for a moment, rests his head against the frame. "It wasn't you," he says to Devon as he turns. "It just… It was time."
Devon pauses at the doorway, half looking back. He pulls up a shoulder, shrugging slightly. "All the same. Good seeing you again, but I'll keep it short."
The cub's brow furrows down at the exchange between Devon and Kavi, but Flint doesn't say anything. Just looks at Devon with a look that might or might not be a question.
Kavi's brow furrows as he regards Devon, and he stops moving. "Are you— Is everything okay?"
Devon looks up the stairs, possibly considering going on without answering. He doesn't turn back immediately, in any case. He shakes his head after a moment, turning to half face Kavi and Flint. "No, everything's fine. Just… Sorry, Kavi-rhya. For harassing your cub, causing conflict. Already apologized to Flint, but…" He shrugs slightly.
Flint looks over at Devon, again, and frowns ever so slightly, a brief glance to Kavi and then the cub just watches the Ahroun. The boy stands up ever so slightly further from leaning on the couch, though he doesn't move from there.
Kavi watches Devon, the furrow still present in his brow. After a long moment, he nods. "Red Hands Wield the Knife," he says, and pulls a bit straighter, the furrow easing. "You're my family, too. I… I accept your apology, and. I just. I want you to know that. You're not a cub, anymore, but you're still my family."
There's just a shadow of a flinch, an echo of being called by his full name as a child. Devon's gaze angles toward Kavi, wary for just a moment. Finally he nods, offering an almost whispered, "Thanks, Kavi-rhya."
Flint watches Devon, and nods, nearly imperceptibly, before busying himself for the moment with removing the cap from the water bottle in his hands.
Kavi nods to the monitors as he returns again to the couch and to his guitar. "Do you—" he says to Devon, and then pauses to pick up the instrument case. "Do you want to take over? Kevin is supposed to be here, and. I told Rina I would go home, that we could all eat dinner, together, tonight."
Devon looks up the stairwell again, and lets out a subtle sigh. "Yeah, I'll take over," he says, taking a backward step then turning. He doesn't quite face the other two, but crosses the room to sink into a chair facing the monitors.
Flint lowers himself back down onto the couch finally, one knee coming up to his chest and chin propped up onto his knee.
"Thank you," Kavi says to Devon, and then looks to Flint. "Stay safe," he says, perhaps to both, and then slips out the door, guitar in hand.
"Any time," Devon answer, slouching into his seat. "Have a good night, Kavi-rhya."
"Seeya, Kavi-rhya," Flint says quietly, nodding to the older galliard, and then Flint looks over, not quite at Devon. But close enough, though the boy doesn't say anything further, yet.
Devon glances toward the door after it closes, then returns his gaze to the monitors in time to see Kavi moving away from the building. He lets out a slow breath, kicking one foot out in front of himself so only his heel rests on the floor.
The cub remains on the couch, screwing and unscrewing the lid of the water bottle in a rather fidget-y manner, before he finally looks over at Devon again, a faint smile offered to the Ahroun. "So…" The word has the weight of something said more with the goal of breaking awkward silence than any real meaning, though, and the rest of the time before the cub leaves the lobby is spent in relative quiet.