[OPEN] [May 8th-10th] Busy Bees and First Impressions

[redshoerevenge]

 

a.  FISHING
Gipsy on the road again felt good, like she always did, with that purr and the hum of the open road.  It had been five years of the road in her blood, wild and free with a mission under her belt.  Mako might have been at the top of her class five years ago but the road had sharpened her to the finest of points.  But for now, she was leaving that behind and relaxing a little - or trying to, at least.  Fishing was one of those things that gave her a little breathing room, not to mention a good snack.  She had a nice fire pit lit and crackling behind her, the warmth at her back, a rod in hand and an empty bucket for her catches.

A sound, the rustle of bushes, that preternatural prickling at the back of her neck, told her she wan't alone as she pulled a decent sized fish from the water.

" If you are looking for lunch," she said quietly as she put the fish into a bucket, "let me catch another fish and we'll see about that.  Meanwhile, you may enjoy the fire."

b. COFFEE
It is difficult, sometimes, to get a cup of coffee that is truly good.  Mako stood in line at Cafe Poirot debating her choices.  It was like picking some sort of jewel out of a line up of the finest in the world.  The cappuccino was good, the machination was fantastic, the lattes were among her favourite and--  She turned to the person behind her at a loss.

"Which do you like from the menu?  I am debating on the latte but everything looks so good today."

c.  GARAGE
Far more than fishing, working with mechanics of any type makes Mako feel complete.  Anything with a motor, anything with gears, she knows how to put it together.  It's been like this her whole life.  Machines are an intrinsic part of her life, personal and professional.  Setting up her garage, her workspace, makes her stay official.

She's very much the newest member of Hillingdon House, now.

Mako even has a little sign that says: Gipsy Danger's Quick Fix.  Okay, so it's a borrowed garage and a borrowed workspace but it's off the road and she's had a shower - a long one.  It's real enough that she hopes it'll stick.  At the moment, Mako was working on restoring an old engine, which has been neatly disassembled and placed on a sheet as she went through each, cleaning them.  A noise makes her look up from her work and she stops what she's doing.

"Did you have something that needs to be fixed?"


d. WANDERING HILLINGDON HOUSE
New places are often difficult to navigate and getting the lay of the land is something that Mako had learned to do before truly settling anywhere.  She had been wary of it but in rather dire need as well.  She moved carefully, looking for the kitchen and hopefully some tea.  But mostly, she was just looking.  She turned the corner and nearly bumped into someone.

"I am so sorry!" she said quietly, backing up a little.  "I am Mako Mori and I am also very new to this place.  Is there somewhere that I may make tea?"

e. Wildcard; pick a situation and we'll roll with it.

Comments

B

[cabins]

Another day, another coffee, more stacks of hand-written essays on birds to grade. Thank goodness the holidays were fast approaching. She'd only been here a few months, but goodness, she needed that good old summer vacation.

"Hmm?" Laura's pushed out of her reverie by a young woman speaking to her. "Oh, I'm always partial to a chai latte myself. But you're right, everything is good here."

now I want a chai latte

[redshoerevenge]

"I do not think that I have had a chai latte in a very long time," Mako says, her soft, polite voice heavy with her Japanese accent.

She glances up at the woman and her blue-streaked hair swings back a little against her jawline. Speaking of hair, the other woman's is beautifully done and such a pretty colour.

"I enjoy this place, it is very much like a detective novel come to life. It is very...quaint, perhaps is the word." Mako smiles a little dipping her head a little as she does so. "Is this a place you come to often?"

I had one!

[cabins]

Laura nods, looking around. "It does- though no, I don't come here much. But I try to make a point of stopping in whenever I am in the neighborhood." She smiles.

"Besides, I like to support local businesses."

me too, it was tasty mm oregon chai

[redshoerevenge]

"That is a good reason to come, both of them are. I could, maybe, not come here so often but it is difficult to not go where they make your favourite drinks just right," Mako says, enunciating her words clearly without losing her thick Japanese accent. It comes out as earnest as she is.

"Is home far from here?" she asks curiously as the line moves up, finally. Maybe she will get a chai latte. It is sounding very tasty about now. Would it be gluttonous to get both a latte and a chai? It is a difficult choice.

I live on Nordstrom's chai. it keeps me sane.

[cabins]

Laura laughs a little, "Yes- I can understand that completely." Her smile is warm, encouraging, almost. This girl was impossibly polite. It was refreshing.

"A bit- I'm in Redbridge." She gestures airily. She'd thought it was best to start her life in London living in East End Pack territory. Far safer that way.

a, obvs

[bellbound]

Mogget doesn't have free rein to wander the city, but he has been sent out on more scouting missions as of late. The fire catches his attention first, and then the fish, and then the young woman fishing. A shapeshifter, cat if his nose isn't mistaken, although there is something odd about her...

Who cares. It's the fish he's interested in and he pauses when the girl speaks, ears pricked.

"Lunch is always welcome." 100% true. "Who are you?"

The fact that he doesn't know her is the only reason he's keeping his distance. She might turn out to be hostile, but it would be good to snatch that fish...

[redshoerevenge]

"Mako Mori," she says as she hooks another fish before setting to work with a smaller knife to properly gut and clean them. The fact that she's quick about it says she's done it so often it's barely a bother. She brings her catch back to the fire and looks over her company.

"Who are you, handsome cat?" Mako smiles because cats are her favourite of animals. "And fresh or cooked? I know some cats have a preference."

[bellbound]

Handsome cat. How flattering. And she's offering him fish without a catch, so what's the catch? He takes another step forward, one paw raised in the air, bright eyes fixed on the fish.

"Fresh," he answers. "Well met, Mako Mori. I am called Mogget and I should be pleased to share your catch, unless of course you intend to poison me. Then I shall be less pleased."

[redshoerevenge]

"I would never," Mako says visibly distressed at the thought. "Besides, it is rude to poison a guest." With some fancy blade work, she debones the fish and slices it up into proper sized pieces. It was a very large fish, after all. He even gets it on a plate and she spreads her coat for him to sit on. She does the same for her own, though she has a pan over the fire with which to cook her own fish, some sesame oil and salt, but no pepper.

"There," she murmurs when done with hers which she puts into a mug she might have used for tea. It can be rinsed clear so she will get her tea later. Mako leans back against one of the trees close enough to the fire and smiles. "It is a good catch and it will make your coat shine. Supposedly, it is good for mine as well."

[bellbound]

It's rather a makeshift campsite but she is being considerate. Perhaps she is just someone who likes cats. He approaches the plate of fish, sniffing at one of the pieces with the utmost delicacy. It's with equal caution that he then bites into the piece of fish, chews, and swallows. It's delicious. And not poisoned.

He looks up at the girl leaning by the tree.

"And what does your coat look like?" he asks.

He's fairly certain she's a feline, but what kind he cannot tell.

D

[roddy_reinigen]

The mix of 'attractive woman' and 'terrifying scent' was sure to get Roddy's full and undivided attention the second she walked into the room, nearly bumping into him as she did so. Although any reservations he might normally have at the scent of cat seeming to invade the edges of his nose were quickly squelched by the woman's apologies as she backed up.

Of course, naturally, the second she asked for anything, Roddy was on it. "That's okay! I mean, I was standing way too close to that corner. No way you could have seen me. But yes, you were going in the right direction already, actually. Kitchen's right through...here, I can show you," he said, already starting to move toward the entrance to the kitchen.

oh no :x

[redshoerevenge]

"Thank you very much for showing me," Mako said quietly. He was so jumpy, nervous, even, that she did not wish to startle him further. "Do not worry yourself. It is just tea I am looking for." She offered a soft smile. "Would you like some with me? I do not mind sharing."

[roddy_reinigen]

Roddy returned the smile. "Yeah, sure! Thanks."

He was always up for tea, and part of him was curious about the new girl, anyway.

"I'm Roddy, by the way."

[redshoerevenge]

"Mako," she said in a soft, quiet voice that was thickly accented with Japanese. "I am Mako Mori." She dipped her head in a light bow. "I am pleased to meet you, Roddy."

She glanced toward the kitchen.

"I was hoping I could find tea, at any rate. It is that or I will have to go to find some. I ran out quite some time ago and have not been able to stop for more."

D of course!

[dirtyredneck]

The person she ran into turned out to be a much smaller person than perhaps expected. Half Mako's size with dark hair and wide brown eyes, just staring up at her. Dressed in a cheap sundress with a sweater over the top and leggings under to keep her warm. Shoes lost at some point and leaving her barefoot. She didn't say anything to the introduction, but after a couple of long moments of watching her, she put a finger to her lip and let out a soft, "shhhh" before she started to very carefully and over-dramatically tip toe her way past Mako.

[redshoerevenge]

Mako held in a laugh. What was she supposed to do with this? It was extremely overdramatic and it took a great deal for her to not laugh outright. So she put a finger to her lips and nodded, tilting her chin a little.

"Can I come too?" she whispered. Why not? It was not as if the tea was so important it could not wait.

[dirtyredneck]

"Shh!" the girl hissed louder than she meant to, causing her own eyes to go wide as she darted an almost fearful glance behind her before sliding behind the wall and pressing herself up against it.

In answer to her noise, from the furthest end of the hall, came Daryl's holler, "I heard that! You best get your ass out here if you know what's good!" A couple seconds later, he came into view, obviously sniffing at the air and squatting down every few feet to sniff closer to the floor.

"I caught your scent, girl. Can't hide forever."

[redshoerevenge]

Mako watched Daryl for awhile and folded her arms. Now that was some fuss. Actually, it was a great deal of it and the little girl was definitely the centre of it. Why may have been any number of things, quite possibly the lack of shoes for one thing.

"I am going to guess you have lost someone," she said, not bothering to raise her voice. She was right here, after all, and he wasn't going to miss her. It would be really silly to dart away like a fish when all she was out for was tea.

D

[moralabsolutism]

Rorschach's been manifesting more as of late. He can't figure out why it's suddenly become easier but he's glad it has. Standing there in silence watching everyone in the house go about their business was dreadfully dull. At least when he manifested, they occasionally paid attention to him.

He's so used to just going through people that he doesn't give it a second thought when a girl nearly bumps into him. (Woman, he supposes, but old as he's become, everyone looks young to him.) He stares at her from behind his distinctive mask, blots moving slowly around in parallel streaks across his cheeks and eyes. Even though he's short, between the mask, trench coat, hat, and general looming presence, Rorschach manages to seem bigger than he is.

Being new, it's possible she hasn't heard about the resident ghost yet. He could make a good first impression. He's never been good at those. Or talking to people in general. But Ghoul's idiotic words have been rolling around in his mind. He needs to start forming connections with people if he ever wants to interact with the world again. He doesn't speak, but one hand encased in purple leather motions for her to follow him. He'll lead her to the kitchen.

<3

[redshoerevenge]

Oh!

A ghost with manners. Sometimes ghosts have them, sometimes they're stuck in their own routines. Growing up with ghosts in Japan had taken the fear out of her and her further travels had made her fascinated by them as much as anything. He has got an odd sort of shifting face mask but it doesn't bother her, she has seen stranger things in her travels.

"Thank you very much," she murmurs and is pleased that she didn't go through him because that would have been really impolite of her. "I will be more careful when I walk. I cannot imagine it is a comfortable thing for you when people walk through you."

[moralabsolutism]

Rorschach looks behind him as he leads her into the spacious kitchen. He spends a lot of time here. Smell is one of the few senses he has left that has never dimmed. Though he can't eat anything, he likes the scent of food cooking. Especially the baked goods. Oh, he'd sell his soul for just one taste of something like a cookie or brownie.

"Used to it." The gravelly voice that comes out of the ghost is deep and raw, rusty nails and sharp glass coated over a throat. He points out the kettle sitting on the stove and then takes a seat. What comes next in an introduction? Oh yes, names. Right. She's already given him her's, so he should do the same. "Rorschach. Resident Hillingdon ghost."

[redshoerevenge]

"Rorschach?" Ah. The mask. She nods in understanding and heads toward the kettle with a smile. Mako moves delicately but she also moves like an athlete and a skilled fighter. "In Japan," she says, "there were many ghosts. Old ones, young ones. Some of them never said a word. It's sad to be so lost."

She turned the stove on and moved to sit next to him, two cups in hand, her hair dark hair swinging and settling around her face where two bright blue slices of hair skimmed her jawline. She studied him for a moment and put the cup down in front of him.

"I'm glad you found a home, Rorschach." Mako bowed a little toward him as she would any guest sharing her table. "Please tell me how you like your tea and I will make it."

A

[injectablefame]

Wandering through the woods is definitely one of Party's favorite outdoor activities. Even when he's not a wolf, he loves wandering through nature and just letting it surround him. Much as he appreciates the city and its culture, nature calls to him and it sounds like freedom.

Sometimes he comes upon a camper or hiker or even a strolling couple and it's a great opportunity to practice his stealth. This time, he's less than successful, but lunch is hardly a bad consolation prize.

"Okay." He mumbles with a laugh in his voice as he steps out of the shrubbery and settles on the ground to dig through his pockets. "Hi. I'm Party. I might have a flask in my jacket if you want a drink."

[redshoerevenge]

"I am Mako and thank you for the offer but I have some tea for drinking," she says just as she hooks another fish. Cleaning them is easy enough and she is very good with her little knife, deboning with a skill that says she's done this often. She has a small frying pan, a touch of oil, a little salt, and some pepper, and before not too long the scent of frying fish is in the air. Mako offers him the first finished fry on a plate and begins her own.

"Party," she says with a tilt of her chin, "is an unusual name but one could say Mako is as well."

[injectablefame]

"Oh... yeah, it ain't the name my momma gave me, but it's all I got now."

Party's a little transfixed by her cooking skills. Living the incredibly messy and generally lazy bachelor life that he does, he rarely puts much effort into cooking anything fresh.

"Sometimes you just gotta give yourself a soft reset or whatever. Like not all the way back to your factory settings, but cleaner than you were."

He says it like it's a completely normal and casual thing to say and to him it is, but he knows that people don't always understand his rambling.

Then he takes the first bite of his fish before mumbling out a "Thanks," his mouth half full.