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

Entry tags:

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

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.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

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."

"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?"

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...

Edited 2017-05-09 21:09 (UTC)

"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."

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.

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.

"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."

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.

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."

"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."

"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.

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.

The girl shot Mako a worried look while she scooted her butt along the wall very carefully, attempting to make her way to the next open doorway before Daryl caught up with her.

Daryl's eyes shot up. Of course he knew she was there, but she wasn't the one he was tracking. So he'd mostly ignored her presence. Tried to, anyway. Only now he had his senses shifted over, his nose a bit more cat-like, eyes slitted, and the edges of his ears where they poked out of his hair covered with just a hint of fur. Much as he wanted to, it was hard to ignore the scent of feline rolling off of her just under the normal human smells.

He stood and sauntered over to her, pace slow and measured. Almost lazy. Very much a cat at home in his territory. He came right up to her and got in her physical space. Leaned in. Sniffed at her.

For a moment or two it probably looked like he was a little entranced by the scent. If not for the way his arm shot out, finger pointing at the girl, followed by the slow roll of his head to the side to cast an annoyed glare at her, anyway.

"Stay right there. You run and you can kiss your stickers goodbye."

The threat seemed to work as the girl gave a horrified gasp and violently shook her head 'no'.

Daryl let his eyes slide back to Mako, "Looks like you found who I lost."

She didn't move, though her chin tilted a little as he leant in. Mako was fascinated by the half shifting that was going on. Just little, needed, bits of it here and there. If it struck a little pang in her own heart, it was natural that she would want to do such things.

One day.

"I guess I did," Mako said, laughing softly. "And here I was just looking for a place to make tea. May I extend a cup or two? Or is this one in that much trouble?"

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."

Daryl snorted and shook his head slowly, the features he'd shifted blending away, back to human. He turned and moved past Mako, exposing the back of his vest to her. It was covered in dozens upon dozens of stickers and hanging from the very bottom - obviously sewn into it with brightly colored embroidery thread - was one half of a pair of cheap cloth sneakers sized for a kid just about the girl's age. The other shoe stuck out of his back pocket just under it.

He bent down to pick up the girl. She wrapped her arms around his neck despite clearly being scared of being in trouble over her actions. There was no resemblance between them, but she was clearly his kid. He got her situated on his hip before turning back to Mako and lifting his chin toward the end of the hall she'd been ready to turn away from, "Kitchen's that way."

Whether or not the girl was in so much trouble she wouldn't be allowed a cup of tea (she wasn't and would never be), he didn't indicate. Just held her firmly so she wouldn't try running away again.

"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."

Oh.

Oh.

Yes. That constituted trouble. Mako had to duck a little so she wouldn't laugh. Parenting could be trying for sure but wow that was dedicated work. Once she was sure she wouldn't burst into laughter, she nodded and started walking.

"If you need some help with, ah, restoration," she offered gently, "I have two hands and time." The sewn shoe was honestly impressive. Make washed, swirled, and put on a kettle before moving to find some tea.

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.

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."

"Nice to meet you, too," he said, grinning. "So I'm guessing you're new to the country, and not just to Hillingdon?"

Judging by the accent and the mannerisms, though she could have been here for a while for all he knew. Sometimes it took some time for those things to fade, after all.

"There should be tea. I mean, there's usually tea." Although with so many people eating out of this kitchen, he never knew when they'd be out of something for sure. "Here, let me look."

He checked the pantry, digging around a bit before finding a tin of loose leaf Earl Grey.

"Here's some."

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.

Daryl followed her into the kitchen, the girl held firmly on his hip with one arm while he moved to pull out a chair with the other. Said chair got spun around and he straddled it. The girl got moved to his lap so he could keep her effectively caged in between the seatback and his arms. Not that she was trying to squirm free or anything at this point. She wasn't being berated openly so she was mostly calm even though she knew she was in trouble.

"Nah," he answered, letting the girl fidget in his lap and try to find a comfortable way of sitting before deciding to stand up instead. "She's gonna take it out. Gotta learn to fix her own mistakes."

Edited 2017-05-11 03:28 (UTC)

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."

"That is a sensible thing," Mako said as she dug around for some tea that wasn't too strong. "My father did the same when I was still young. I learned quickly that way. It was not always the easiest thing but it was the right thing."

She found cups quickly and pulled in a small jar of sweetener and poured a small pitcher of milk, it was like the kind of pitcher that was in every restaurant. Small but just enough. Mako watched him out of the corner of her eye as she set little spoons out for stirring.

"How old is she?" Mako asked. "I did not get a chance to ask. I am not very good with ages when it comes to children." She shrugged a little, looking a touch embarrassed. It was strange, considering her combat skills were so high and yet she could not tell a five-year-old from an eight-year-old. "I was always studying."

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 4

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

B

now I want a chai latte

a, obvs

no subject

D

D of course!

oh no :x

no subject

I had one!

no subject

me too, it was tasty mm oregon chai

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

D

<3

no subject

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

no subject

no subject

no subject