[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He gets off the bus looking at the little restaurant in on South Racine avenue. It looked like a place he might like to eat at but he wasn’t here to eat. Maija has left suddenly, and he’d asked around as to where she’d gone. There were not Bone Gnawer Garou in the city, well at least none that he was aware of, and Marcus didn’t know of anyone looking after Maija so he was here.
He’d gotten her address from Jenny and so made his way up to the apartment above the storefront next to the restaurant and knocked on her door.*
[Maija] Actually, he made his way to the door on the street next to the storefront with dirty windows and a sign that proclaimed it ‘for lease by owner’. There’s an buzzer there, though nothing that suggests there might be a camera – this is Lake View, after all.
The restaurant next door’s doors are closed, the lights are dimmed, and there’s no movement inside, but the scent of bbq still hangs thick in the air. For a small family restaurant, they do a booming business – and Maija was lucky to find the apartment/job combo. Sometimes things do go right. Rarely, but sometimes.
When he buzzes – there’s a few moments of silence, before her voice comes over the intercom, tinny and distant. “Yeah?”
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *Marcus is dressed in street clothes, a t-shirt, faded jeans, and tan combat boots, ALICE pack over his left shoulder.
He leans down to touch the intercomm buzzer.* “Hey Maija. It’s Marcus. Jenny told me where to find you. Just came by to see how everything is going.”
[Maija] Silence again, for a beat, and then her voice once more. “Yeah, alright. Come on up.”
The door next to him buzzes, and she holds it long enough to make sure he has time to open to door. The hallway is clean, and painted, though dingy and not very well lighted. As he gets closer to the top, he can hear the locks being flipped open one by one by one, and then she waits a moment to look through the peephole before the last lock is undone and she pulls the door open. She’s in a pair of boxers that barely cling to her non-existent hips, and a tanktop – and thick socks, because her feet, as well as her hands, are almost always cold.
She pulls the door open enough for him to enter, and gestures down the hall. “Hey. Com’on in.”
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He nods and smiles a bit.* “Thank you.” *He comes into the apartment and takes a look around.* “It’s a nice place. Much more quiet compared to the Brotherhood.” *He says casually.*
[Maija] She locks two of the 4 locks behind him, and makes her way to the living room. She pauses to ask. “Wanna somethin to drink? A beer or somethin?” She leans down to grab her almost empty bottle from the floor by the couch, and moves to the kitchen to get one for herself, then whatever he asks for – she’s got Beer or Water. Gathering whatever he wants and popping the top off her beer, she makes her way back to the living room.
There’s a pile of blankets on one side of the couch that smell like – well, like dog. only wilder. She ignores them and settles on the empty side with her blanket, pulling it over her legs as she folds herself into the seat, and takes a swig of her beer, gesturing toward the chair. “Make yaself at home.”
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He runs a hand through his hair.*
“Ah beer is fine thanks.” *He sits down in the chair that’s offered placing his ALICE pack on the floor next to it.* “So you doin’ alright?” *He takes a sip of the beer*
[Maija] The tv is on, but muted. It’s warm in the apartment, the heat of the day still hanging heavily into the air, the air conditioning turned off to conserve energy. It’s not a bad place, the floor is hardwood, the paint job relatively new, though there aren’t many windows and it’s a bit dark and dingy for all of that. The furniture is old, and worn, but it works. The TV is on, but she’d muted it when she buzzed him up, so the pictures merely flicker silently in the background.
He asks how she’s doing, and she shrugs slightly – just the barest lift of her shoulder. “Guess so. Workin’ jus’ as much as I was at the ‘hood. Quieter here though. Finally sleepin again.”
Quieter – and with a lot less Rage.
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He nods.* “That’s good. It’s good you’re sleeping again.” *He smiles and sips his beer.* “You should’ve told me you were moving I could’ve helped you out with the heavy stuff.”
[Maija] She takes a swallow of her beer, a slight smirk dancing briefly across her features. She’s more at ease here, but still so carefully guarded. Expressions are at least there long enough to be recognized.
Of course, she’d also finished a Joint not to long ago too. She’s likely more relaxed than he’s ever seen her, despite that ever present guard.
“Danny carried th’shit to the cab, an’ th’boss helped bring it up. Ya was..” a beat, a briefly amused smirk. “busy.”
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He nods and shrugs.* “Well still I wouldn’t of mind helping you.” *He takes a sip of his beer.* “So you like your new job?”
[Maija] She covers her smirk with a swallow of her beer – as likely whoever the girl he was with would have minded. She doesn’t tease though, she just lets it drop and nods. “Yeah, I know. Danny said he’d help an’ I jumped at th’chance t’get out right then. Likely woulda had a fuckin’ breakdown if I stayed another night.”
She lifts a hand and runs her fingers back through her hair, pulling it back from her face briefly before letting it fall again. She isn’t hiding, exactly. Not here, not in her space, her place. “S’allright. buncha screamin kids an’ idiot parents, but ya get that no matter where ya go. Had a big block party for th’ 4th. Worked bout 18 hours. Boss is alright, ain’t a tough job, an’ he don’t ask no questions.”
The last something of great importance to her when it comes to employers, of course.
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He leans back.* “Well that’s good.” *He takes sip of his beer.* “I got a job to do the drywall up at this new McDonalds they’re putting in Cabrini-Green. Good pay and the job is supposed to last two weeks so that’s good. Pay is nice too on this one. Best job I’ve had since I got to Chicago.”
*He drinks some more of his beer.* “It’s good you live right next to your job though. Save on money that way not having to travel that far and you can work some good overtime too.”
[Maija] “Yeah – Couldn’t work at th’hood no more. Woulda took longer than an hour t’jus get there. Ain’t expect this apartment t’be available, but jus’ got lucky n shit.”
One lucky break since she got here – it was time for Karma to like her at LEAST once.
“Boss ain’t a bad sort. Ain’t know nuthin bout th’Nation far as I kin tell. Which’is jus’ fine by me, o’course.” There’s that little bemused smirk, again.
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He nods.* “Well that’s good. Probably be a lot less stressful that way.” *He finishes off his beer, and then stands up.* “Well thanks for the beer. I need to be getting back. Work starts early in the morning.” *He picks up his ALICE pack.* “Good to see you again. Let me know if you need anything Maija.” *He heads into the kitchen to look for the trash can to throw away his empty.*
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] ((brb need to reboot.))
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] ((I officially hate my messengers. Fuckin’ Trillian.))
[Maija] He stands, and makes ready to go, and she just watches him a moment, two, before she answers the unspoken question. “under th’sink.” The trashcan, apparently.
As for the rest, she just nods, slightly “Yeah, alright.” which is her standard reply to everything really. He always seems to come and go, quickly, to check on her but then disappears again just as quickly. She doesn’t get it – doesn’t understand him at all, but she don’t ever push anything either. She’d yelled at him once, and since then has kept herself carefully under wrapped, still somewhat shocked that he didn’t hit her when she dared speak that way.
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] “Thanks.” *From the kitchen.* “Oh right. Almost forgot.” *He comes out of the kitchen.* “Whole reason I came down here.” *He pulls out a little pendent from his pack, similar to the one she had before.* “Same deal as before. Get in trouble break it little sparrow comes to get me, and then I come to find you.” *He holds it out for her to take.*
[Maija] She blinks, and looks up at him, and then reaches to take the pendant with a brief little grin, and slides it over her head. “Thanks.”
A pause, slight. “Yeh know Wahya? He stays here, sometimes. He got hurt pretty bad th’other night, been couch surfin while’e healed up. Ya know, so’s if ya ever come visit an’ find him here, ya ain’t surprised or nuthin.”
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He smiles.* “Wahya’s a good… lupus.” *He chuckles.* “I was about to say guy, but at any rate he’s a good sort. I’ve fought along side him before. He’ll look after you.” *He exhales a bit and gives her a little wave.* “Don’t be stranger Maija. I’ll see you when I get a chance.” *He turns to leave heading for the door.*
[Maija] “He’s weird.” she says, but it’s with something that almost might decide to be fondness. He don’t scare her like the others do – he doesn’t force anything, not opinions, not ideas, not himself, not other folks.. and he never suggests that she has to be more, or that she’s actually less than the little she is. It’s weird. He’s weird.
“Calls money ‘frog skins’. An’ his skin ‘monkey skin’. Odd.” But she stands, and nods, wrapping her blanket around her skinny frame, as she follows his lead to the door so that she can lock up behind him. “Ain’t like I got no wheres t’go. Come by the restaurant sometime – they ribs ain’t half bad.”
[Marcus Schwarzkopf] *He chuckles.* “Yeah he’s lupus born. They tend to talk like that. See the world in very simple honest terms.” *He turns to look at her.* “I’ll drop be then. It looks like a nice place to grab a bite. Maybe when there’s no moon.” *He opens the door.* “Take care Maija.” *He steps out to head down the stairs.*
[Maija] She nods, and takes the door when he steps out. “Later, Marcus.”
She waits until he’s about halfway down the stairs, before the door closes again, the distinct sound of the four locks being put back into play once again echoing down the stairwell.