[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *The pile of wood, and the box of wood screws had been left in the corner of Maija’s room. Even the wood carving of Red Horse the Hispo wolf had been forgotten by little Anya on the night Marcus had told her that her mother had been hurt.
Maija had seen Marcus briefly the night he’d helped her destroy evidence by burning the truck, and hadn’t come upstairs to finish the job then, in fact hadn’t said much to her at all.
So it may have been a suprise to the gnawer kin when there was a knock at her door.*
[Maija] The knock startles her – it’s a rare occurrence, after all, as she is certainly a loner. She had been napping when the knock comes, and her reply is groggy. “Jus’ a minute.” She lifts her head from the pillow, braced on her elbows as she scrubs her face with her hands and sighs. She pushed up to sit, and reaches to grab a ratty pair of sweats (Will’s) and pull them on. She tugs down the tank top with a half hearted pull, and shuffles on bare feet to the door.
She unlocks the door and opens it a little bit to see who’s there, then wider once she recognizes Marcus. “Hey.” If she’s surprised to see him, she doesn’t say.
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *Marcus gives her a slightl smile, and a nod.* “Hello Maija. Just thought I’d drop by to finish up those shelves. If this is a bad time I could come back tomorrow?”
[Maija] She drags her hand back through her hair, before she waves him in with one hand, stifling a yawn with her other. “Com’in. Was jus’ nappin’.”
She moves back to the bed, and sits on the edge, hooking her feet on the edge of the mattress, hugging her knees to her chest. The tools and wood and even the little hispo wolf have been stacked neatly in the corner, waiting for his return.
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He reaches down and picks up his Alice pack. Unlike most times right now it’s packed full looking like all his worldly possessions are in it. He’s got his tool belt slung over his left shoulder. He comes into the room, and sets his Alice pack against the wall.*
“Shouldn’t take me too much longer. I’ll finish up and then you can get back to your nap.” *He takes his tool belt off his shoulder, and hooks it around his waist.*
[Maija] She makes a gesture, though she eyes his pack briefly. “Take ya time. Was gettin up soon anyway, otherwise I ain’t gonna sleep t’night. Ya get kicked out?”
A nod to the full pack.
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He picks up a shelf and puts it on the brackets he already put up.* “Sort of. Long story but it’s just time for me to be moving on.” *He says plainly as he pulls out his electric drill with a screw driver head.*
[Maija] She watches him, quiet for a long minute, than two. “Oh.”
She doesn’t seem to have anything to really add to that, as she drags her fingers through her hair again, until she just nods. “Well, yeh th’only one that’s tellin me before disappearin.” A brief smirk of amusement.
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He smiles a bit and looks at her.* “Well I told you I’d put up these shelves for you. Can’t leave without finishing them, and break my promise now can I?” *He goes back to working on the shelves.*
[Maija] “Guess not. Yeh ain’t never broke one yet.”
She watches him work, for a while, resting her chin on her knees. “Why ya leavin?”
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He exhales a bit, and doesn’t say anything for a minute, clearly not comfortable talking about this.* “Because I don’t belong here.” *He says plainly.*
[Maija] She isn’t one to push, even though it’s quite obvious that she would like to know more. He’s uncomfortable, and she hates when folks push for more information than she’s willing to give out herself. So she just nods, slightly. “oh.”
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He shrugs.* “Yeah so… It’s just time to move on.” *He goes back to finishing up the shelves using this eletric drill to mount the brackets into the wall.*
[Maija] She knows the feeling, though she’s so tired of running, she’s still trying to make it work here, in Chicago, where Ryan died, where Will met, liked, fucked, and left her, where she turned 18, and hopefully things will change.
She nods, slightly. “Yeah.” Always eloquent, the streetrat.
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *Marcus doesn’t say anything more and goes about finishing up her shelves in a precise order, not rushing, but not taking time to shoot the shit with Maija either, or at least start any conversations.*
[Maija] He’s still distant, he’s still pulled away, and for her part – she’ll blame herself. Then again, she tends to do that anyway so it can’t be any great surprise. He doesn’t want to talk, and she doesn’t push him to do so.
She simply watches.
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *Once the shelves are up, and sweeps up the shavings with his hand. He smiles a smile he doesn’t really feel, hiding whatever is on his mind.* “Well there you go. Should be sturdy enough.” *He throws away the shavings in a waste basket, and then opens up his pack to put his tools away.*
[Maija] “Thanks. They look good…”
She studies him, catching the fact that he’s not feeling that smile, but not bringing it up. She don’t push, ever – but does ask… “Where ya headed?”
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He loads up his pack, and puts it around his shoulders.* “Don’t know. Thought about heading south. Maybe to South America. Fenrir are fightin’ down there with the natives against the corporations and the corrupt governments. Might see if they need a hand.”
[Maija] She nods, slightly. “Yeah, alright.”
She lifts her hand and rubs her palm against the length of her jaw a moment, then nods. “Well. Thanks. An’ be safe, n’ all that shit.”
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He cinches down his straps and nods to her.* “Goodbye Maija. Stay strong.” *And with that he turns to leave heading out the door.*
[Maija] She just watches him go, without saying anything else. Only after he crosses the hall, to head down the stairs does she unfold from where she’s sitting, and walk, quietly, to the door. She pushes it closed, and the lock clicks a moment after that.
She leans back against the door for a while, watching some spot on the floor, until she pushes off with a sigh and goes to unpack the boxes of books and arrange them on the shelves – alphabetical order, seperated by subject, just as William had them.
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] ((and fade… Thanks for the scene.))
[Maija] (thanks!)