ex-pat expeditions (open)

[cabins]

Fuel for Thought


The final bell had rung for the weekend, and good lord if there wasn’t anything that was going to stop Laura from a cup of coffee for her way home. Some genius had decided the optimal place for a Starbucks was across the street from her school, and Laura couldn’t have been happier. Given that it was a primary school, she didn’t have to really risk running into any students, more so their parents. Still, it was a a sacrifice she was willing to make, and most parents weren’t getting coffee after picking up their kid, anyway.


She pushes her way into the crowded cafe where a line was already starting to form with others that had the same craving for an afternoon coffee to start their Friday off right. Already knowing what she wants, she’s lost in her phone when she feels someone brush up against her, pushing into the spot ahead of her.

“Excuse me,” she begins, tapping them on the shoulder. “I believe the line starts behind me.”


Which Way?

Despite having been in London for a few months now, there was one thing that always managed to confuse Laura. The Tube. She should have been able to figure it out- DC had metro transit, and she’d lived in upstate New York most of her life. But being a politician, she’d never had to worry about getting anywhere, someone would drive her. So her knowledge of how to navigate the underground system was severely lacking.

Which is how she’s found herself on some track, looking up at the sign telling her the next train would arrive in 7 minutes. It had been at 7 minute for the last 10. She wasn’t even sure this one was headed in the right direction- but the color was right. Circle line. So… where was the train?


She sighs, and starts peering down the hallway toward the other side of the track where a train just exited in the opposite direction.

Wait.

“…was that the Circle going toward Monument?” Honestly, it sounds like gibberish to her.


Fun Den (For Ghoul)

"...Fun Ghoul, did I hear you say?" Laura isn't about to judge the youth for his colorful name, but it gets a slight eyebrow raise. She'd been in London for a few months, getting to know the city, but now it was time to truly get to know her pack. She thought she'd start with a tour of the den and was promptly put in contact with a Mr. Fun Ghoul. Something something Americans something, she figured.

Fine by her. she figured the younger man would be honest with her about the tour, and she liked being around younger people. probably why she was a teacher.

She extends a hand to her guide. "Laura Roslin- you can just call me Laura. I want to thank you for taking time out of your schedule to give me a tour. Would you like something to drink before we start? Coffee?" She had something of an addiction.


What's your rush? (For Joss)

the sun has set about an hour ago, but Laura was still out. She'd had a few errands to run before returning to her small flat for a glass of wine and a smoke before grading homework. Best way to do it, maybe with some trashy Housewives tv show on in the background.

really, that's all she was thinking about as she made her way through the neighborhood, purse over one shoulder, bags in hand. She should have been paying better attention to her surroundings, but all she was really thinking about was just how comfortable her slippers we're going to be when she walked through her front door.

write your own! or grab me for a starter.

Comments

on the Tube

[bellbound]

There's a cat sitting on one of the benches on the platform, tail tucked neatly around its paws. Its green eyes focus unblinkingly on the woman the moment it sees her.

Werewolf.

Mogget would know that scent anywhere. She might leave without bothering him or without going to the other end of the platform, which she most definitely shouldn't do, so he says nothing for now. But he's watching.

[cabins]

"Oh frak," she curses under her breath. At least the time on the sign had changed now. 6 minutes. Better than nothing.

With a sigh, she moves a bit further down the platform, toward the- cat.

She gives the animal a warm smile. "Oh, hello. Do you have someone looking for you?" Because that cat is going to answer you, Laura. Still, it was required by law that she say hello to the cat.

[bellbound]

"Not specifically," the cat answers.

It wouldn't be the first time he's had someone talk to him in cat form. Usually they're unsuspecting humans which means he's unable to reply. But since this woman is a werewolf, it's safe to assume that she knows something about the supernatural.

And she really does need to keep away from the other end of the platform.

[cabins]

"Oh-" She doesn't know why she's so surprised. It's not like he's the first talking animal she's ever come across.

She glances around to find the station nearly empty. So she'll keep talking to the cat. "Pardon me, I didn't realize." He probably thought it was terribly patronizing.

[bellbound]

"Most people don't." At least she didn't jump out of her skin. Although that would have been quite funny, even if only metaphorically. "Where are you going?"

They've got about five minutes before the next train.

[ghoulaid]

"Yep." Oh, he knows that look. He's seen and heard it all by now. Without missing a beat, he adds, "It's a family name," before he reaches out to shake her hand.

Yeah, she's going to be dealing with a smartass today.

Once he pulls his hand back he smiles at her in a friendly enough way, nodding at her question. "Coffee sounds pretty good." People tend to tell him that caffeine is the last thing he needs, but fuck those people because they're not here right now, are they? He gestures for her to go on ahead first, figuring he might as well get to know her a little more before the tour officially begins. "So is it just you, or...?"

It's worth asking. She seems like the type who would have one of those cute, picture-perfect families. The kind that would totally have an Escalade and a pretty dog, if the entire family itself wasn't already made up of dogs.

[cabins]

She takes his hand and gives it a good, firm shake. She's really good at handshakes. The joke gets a laugh, and she nods appreciatively. She already liked this Ghoul kid.

Gosh, they were all so young.

"Alright. We'll stop in anywhere you like in the area and get something to-go. You'll have to pardon me, I've got a bit of an addiction." She was trying to cut back, but was actually just starting to switch to decaf.

Laura nods. "Yes, just me." She gives another warm smile. She was a confirmed bachelorette, fresh off a break-up. With a married man. Who was running the United States. At least, the supernatural side. Still, it's a bit awkward- she knows she's probably ancient to him and still single. Whatever.

Maybe she should get a dog.

[ghoulaid]

Oh, he gets coffee-picks? Excellent. He knows just the place. It's not too far from here, and not too far from the den, for that matter. He'll lead her right to it.

Hearing she's alone is a bit of a surprise. It shows on his face, which might be a little rude, but he doesn't mean anything malicious by it. "Really?" Huh. If anything, he'd be impressed by her... dating history. If you've got to pick one person to go after, it might as well be the guy running the country. Aim for the fucking stars, Laura.

"Are you gonna live in the den, then? You can, but you don't have to. It might actually drive you kinda fuckin' crazy if you're used to bein' by yourself."

[cabins]

Laura nods, her lips a little tight. "Yes. I'm afraid so." She'll give you a break this time, Ghoul.

Oh, she'll aim for the stars. And rule them all.

"I don't think so- I need some peace and quiet when I grade papers, I'm sure you understand." She smiles again. She follows him toward the coffee shop.

[ghoulaid]

Grading papers. He truly can't think of a worse way to spend his evenings, so he ends up cringing in sympathy... although it doesn't seem like she's even bothered by homework hell.

It's called a career, Ghoul. Try one sometime.

"What classes do you teach? And are they, like... regular students?" Human students, he means. It's not that he has a strong opinion about who she teaches either way- even if her interacting with humans did bother him, it'd make him a huge hypocrite considering he was bitten and not born the way he is now. But it's just a part of the getting-to-know-you game.

As they make their coffee pit-stop, he'll even hold the door open for her whenever they enter the building. Because, shockingly, he can be nice and polite too. She'd better not tell anybody.

The Tube

[roddy_reinigen]

"Yeah...yeah, that was," he answered, knowing how annoying it was to realize that you just missed your train. "But these trains run pretty often. It shouldn't be too long a wait for the next one."

She might recognize the boy's scent as being distinctly rodent. Roddy certainly hadn't missed the whiff of wolfishness about the woman's own scent, but despite what Rorschach had pointed out about werewolves, Roddy figured Party was pretty okay, so he wasn't too worried about it.

[cabins]

If she was being honest, the rodent smell wasn't even noticeable. They were, after all, in an underground tunnel, and she was quite sure she heard the scurry of rats along the rails. Still, she looks up when he speaks.

"Frak. One of these days, I'll get the hang of this thing." She gestures at the area around them. "Can you tell I'm new in town?" Not like he wasn't American, too.

[roddy_reinigen]

"Yeah, but I'm sure you'll catch on pretty quickly. At least the trains come by pretty often."

It meant less time spent kicking yourself over a small mistake.

"Are you going to have to catch another train when you get off, or will this take you where you need to be? I could go over where you need to be next, if you like."

It wasn't like he had anything else to do while waiting for his own train, after all, and at least that would save her needing to wait extra at the next stop, if there was one.

[cabins]

"That's what I've been told," she says, a bit grimly. nodding toward the sign.

"Oh, no, there's no need for that, young man." Laura smiles at him. "But I appreciate the offer." Idly, she had to wonder if he could collect a boy-scout merit badge now: offer to help a little old lady across the street. Or across the tube system.

[roddy_reinigen]

"Yeah, that's not always accurate." But still, the sign was generally right on the frequency of the trains, even if it was a little off on the exact time of their arrival. "And I figured there's not much else for me to do while waiting for my train. Besides, I'm good at figuring my way around tunnels."

Which was amusing to him, even if most people wouldn't know why that made perfect sense, unless, of course, they knew what he was.

[specifiercity]

Arthur's checking the charmed watch Eames gave him when Laura speaks to him, pulling him out of his own thoughts.

"Hm? Oh, yeah..." he looks in the direction of the train that just left, pressing his lips together in sympathy. "Should be another one soon, though."

He's waiting to go the opposite direction, which should be a few more minutes yet.

[cabins]

She lets out a sigh of relief.

"alright, thank you, young man." She glances at the timer again. "I'm sure, but it feels like they're taking forever." She's sure she's not alone in that feeling.

"One day I'll get the tube system. Though you know what they say about old dogs..." a private joke between herself and herself.

[specifiercity]

Arthur smiles politely at her joke. He's never been one to have much trouble with any kind of system, even one that seems as convoluted as the London Underground, but he can kind of sympathize with the struggle.

"You're new in town?" he asks, tilting his head. He can tell she's American, but so is he and he's been here over two years.

[cabins]

"What gave me away?" She replies sarcastically, because yeah, accent.

"But you'd be right- I just moved, been getting my bearings. It'd a big change." So was being a werewolf.

[specifiercity]

Arthur shrugs. "It's like anything else. With a bit of practice it's like second nature."

He's talking about the train system, of course, but it could also apply to being a werewolf.

[dredefulchilde]

London is so boring now that Joscelin can't hunt.

He's promised to be good and not kill any humans while Jean-Claude sorts things out, but it's very hard. It's not just getting fresh blood--Islington Nest being on the ascendant means that there's no end to willing donors lately--it's the thrill of the chase, the fun of closing in on his quarry, and now that he's on the wagon he can't play with his food like he used to. It's frightfully dull now. Maybe it's time for a holiday, a trip over to the Continent where he won't have to worry about minding his P's and Q's and can engage in a bit of good, old-fashioned mayhem for a change. Surely Jean-Claude wouldn't begrudge him that.

He smiles as he walks through the streets one evening, imagining the fun he could have and wondering how Bruges has changed since his last visit in the mid-1850s. Quite a bit, probably. There'd been a fellow child vampire there, a pretty girl named Agnes with golden curls and a kill count that rivaled his own. Maybe he'll look her up and see if she's still alive...

An unpleasant smell cuts into his reverie. He looks up sharply, trying to find the source. A wolf. He knows he's practically in wolf territory right now, but they're close enough to Islington territory that there shouldn't be any werewolves in this area. Joscelin grins. He swore not to kill humans, but made no such promises about the wolves.

"Careful," he teases, sidling up close to the preoccupied woman. "Let me help you with those bags."

[cabins]

Honestly, the boundaries are still a bit fuzzy to Laura. She's learning, and London is a confusing, wandering sort of town. So she doesn't realize the danger she's in, finding herself so close to Islington.

The second the boy speaks, she knows what he is. She can smell him. "Oh, I'm quite alright," she says, keeping her voice as neutral as possible. But they both knew what the other was.

"But thank you for the offer, young man."

[dredefulchilde]

"Oh, but I insist."

Joscelin pulls on a strap and breaks it, sending groceries spilling into the street. "Oh dear. How clumsy of me. Here, allow me to gather up your things and see you home."

This is fun. Poor little wolf, so far from her pack. Don't worry. Joss will take care of you.

[cabins]

He did that on purpose and they both know it. Laura stays still, watching her groceries spill. Eggs crack, and a bottle of wine is broken. Frak.

"That's quite alright," she repeats. "I'm not far. I can walk myself. I'd like to thank you for your help." Now leave. Please. Get out.

[dredefulchilde]

Joscelin lets his fangs descend just for a moment, to show her the barest glimpse of his true nature. "Oh, but you are far," he says quietly. "You're very far from your pack, and they're not around to help you, are they?" It's really too bad he hasn't got any wolvesbane on his person; it's all back at the flat. Oh well, he'll make do.

"Or are they your pack? You don't sound local. An American Werewolf in London. How terribly cliche."