-Babbled a lot.- D:




As a social introvert, it was difficult to say exactly how Matrix would react to any given situation. She certainly was not shy, and she had no qualms talking to strangers or a random passer-by on the street. It was generally easy for her tell if somebody was upset, angry, or content. In the case of the Syemv house, though, she felt no inclination whatsoever to enter. She was working on her own project, anyway--which was coming along nicely enough. Armed with nothing more than an axe, a hammer, and a bucket of old galvanised nails, she had already built her wood-shed extension to the greenhouse. It was ready for the furnace, which she had the dolly to transport. She just needed someone to help her lift the furnace onto the dolly.
Her whole project had already been going on over a month, and she was reasonably excited. It was too bad that she was missing the most critical part. Once the furnace was installed, she could fix the broken panes of glass in the greenhouse and sow the seeds she was growing tired of looking at. Leafy, flowery plants would be so much better. Then she could tell Gabriel about her accomplishment, too. If there were any healers in Inferni, they could use part of the greenhouse for whatever it was they grew, too. Who knew? Maybe she could even spruce it up into some sort of zen-like garden.
As it was, she was currently looking for neat decorations for her greenhouse base that was located somewhere barely beyond Inferni's borders. The search brought her within Inferni territory, which she decidedly wasn't spending enough time in. After she had been accepted by Gabriel and met Lith, she hadn't really seen anybody else from her clan. The ends would justify the means, but perhaps it was best not to be a total recluse. And so, she found herself drawn in the general direction of the house, which she assumed was a commonhouse of sorts. Much like the young Lykoi, she felt no justification in entering, although she was as much a part of the clan as anybody else (maybe).
Since she knew she wouldn't be working, she was in her halfling form--a rare sight to behold (typically, hands and thumbs were mandatory, as well as arms that could lift or use human tools). Walking along slowly, the hybrid took a seat somewhere near the outside of the house. Somebody's scent was strong here, but she couldn't distinguish it from any of the other generally strong scents in the area--this was a popular joint, huh? She certainly did not notice the child hiding in the bushes. Her doggish tail curled over her back, and she tilted her head slightly as she peered intently at the large structure. There didn't seem to be a lot of movement inside. Dancing around on her front paws for a few moments, she offered a quick, questioning bark. Anybody home?

--




A slight rustling had sounded somewhere nearby, but Matrix had assumed it to be a squirrel or some other rodent. It wasn't until the squeak that she realised her error, and she calmly turned her head to look upon the younger girl. She offered an apologetic grimace for startling the other, then dipped her head in greeting. Once the coyote was close enough, she asked her about the house. She had a strange accent, but the hybrid could understand her well enough. It didn't seem like a childish accent, either--it sounded foreign. This intrigued her slightly, and she studied the other a little more closely.
"Yeah, I guess so. This is a common house of sorts?" She flicked an ear uselessly, then stretched a little before rising to all fours and sniffing around on the earthen path leading up to the main doorway. "I haven't really seen anybody in it, though," she said, with a slight frown. "It certainly seems a little different than the man-made houses everywhere else." That was one thing she noticed--this structure seemed newer, and possessed the clumsy charm of a building crafted without (m)any fancy tools or machines--much like her own shed.

--




It was a damned shame that Empusa was looking for answers about anything pertinent to 'Souls history--all that they needed was for Matrix to sprout twigs and leafy foliage, and then the younger coyote would literally be barking up the wrong tree. Matrix frowned slightly as the other spewed off a flurry of information that she was very clueless about. Wolves? Why would the wolves build themselves a fancy little resort only to abandon it? Kaena? Relative? Somewhat mournfully she offered an apologetic shake of her head, and a useless little shrug. Normally, it didn't occur to her that random strangers might be blood relatives of hers. For Empusa to assume these things, there must have been good reason. Poor Matrix--she was so out of the loop that she didn't realise that at least 70% of Inferni was related by blood or marriage.
"I don't think so," she offered cautiously, all the while hating the fact she was so unsure of herself. Situations like these were somewhat unsettling for the typically confident, well-informed girl. Blast it all--maybe there was a need to study up on current events after all, although she really would have liked to not be bothered. "I'm Matrix Thirteen. I'm pretty sure both of my parents grew up far from this area." The more that she thought about it, the more comfortable she became. It wasn't as though she expressed any of this on the outside, though--it would probably only make things more confusing or weird.
"Anyway," she continued, "you seem to know more about it than me already. I haven't been inside... maybe a closer look?" she asked, head inclining slightly to the left. So far, Empusa seemed alright in her book--she really had no idea how magnificent it was to be descended from Kaena Lykoi, but either way the younger 'yote didn't seem cocky about it at all. "Hm," she mumbled as she tiptoed closer to the elusive structure. Maybe if they both went together, it would be "more alright" for them to be there. Her nails clicked across the porch as she reared up on her hind legs to look inside a ground-level window, and she squinted into the building's bowels.

Haha, do you know OOCly what is actually in the house? >>; If you do, might be a better idea for Empusa to sort of lead around and discover things. xD; Matrix will follow, but I don't even know what's supposed to be in here except for Foal and Gabe's room? I think.




The hybrid's life had been fairly bumpy, and even now she wasn't sure that Inferni was anything more than a smooth spot in the road. Things here were so peaceful to her in the sense that nothing was horribly chaotic. In her youth she watched countless wolves, coyotes, and hybrids get slaughtered. She had been trained to take care of herself by her parents, both in combat and self-sufficiency. She had later fought to defend her brother's life--and murder was not the only of her sins. It was hard to find strong roots in anything when your world was constantly being turned upside down. Here in Bleeding Souls, boundaries weren't constantly changing. Quiet streets at night weren't teeming with cut-throats and traitors. Regardless, she was always somewhat grateful when things failed to remind her of her old life. Human cities as extensive as this one were rare, and for the structures to be in such good condition was almost unthinkable. She had passed through some very run-down places further away, and few that were significantly better.
The old Syemv house was sturdy and youthful, although not necessarily modern. Instead, it was rather quaint. Matrix nodded at Empusa's suggestion, as it was highly logical and it certainly gave them something to do. "Yeah, that sounds fine to me," she said. Well, this sort of dwelling was certainly designed for two legs, and not four. Glancing about quickly, she began the process of shifting, which she never found horribly pleasant. It wasn't as though it physically hurt, it simply mentally perturbed her. Glancing around, she waited to see if Empusa was going to shift or not (she didn't realise the younger coyote hadn't quite gotten that far yet). Placing a hand on the door handle, she pushed open the door and peered inside. Her eyes took several moments to adjust to the dimmer conditions within.