Rina's Troubles

3/16/2005

11:20 PM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.

Currently the moon is in the waxing Half Moon phase (44% full).
It is currently 22:59 Pacific Time on Wed Mar 16 2005.
Currently in Saint Claire, it is a cloudy day. The temperature is 42 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the north at 12 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 29.83 and rising, and the relative humidity is 82 percent. The dewpoint is 37 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius.)

Elson Commercial District
In the intersection of Fourteenth and Elson, the center of this three-block area of Elson Street, an elementary school's playground sits in the one corner not occupied by small businesses. Fenced in by chain-link fencing with the top tilted in to discourage the schoolchildren climbing out, the playground seems fairly well-cared-for. Down towards Fifteenth, the 19th Police Precinct is located, amidst other small businesses - clothes stores, a small electronics store, and a deli and convenience store frequented by the policemen. Their nearby presence seems to make this area a little less dangerous than others, for there seems little evidence of criminal activity here. Even down towards Thirteenth, with its own small businesses and grocery store, is cleaner and more at ease than some of the surrounding areas only a few blocks south.
Contents:
Rina
Obvious exits:
Yellow River Medicine Shop  Brownstone  Police Station  North  South  East  

Yi makes her way down Elson, not uncommon for the Gnawer ragabash to head along this route, but also not as frequent since the acknowledgements of territory for the Get safehouse took place. Her cap is pulled down, hands slipped into her jacket pockets for warmth, she looks like any other person on a night's stroll to anywhere.

Rina comes out of the police station, looking vague and a bit tired, thinner than the last time Yi saw her. She ducks her head and crosses the street, avoiding the pools of light.

Anyone /trying/ to avoid light though, is bound to be noticed for such particular behavior, especially by the ragabash. Yi herself generally one to stick with the shadows, she slows in her stroll long enough to gaze in the general direction of the woman. Not until she gets a bit closer does she recognize the gaunt looking kin. "Rina?" she asks softly, directed towards herself before she quickens her pace to catch up. A wary glance is sent to the police station, but otherwise she focuses on catching up to the kin. Getting in earshot, Yi calls out, "Hey!"

Rina turns, a hand reaching into her jacket in protective reflex before she recognizes the woman. Her face is blank, the dark eyes empty of anything but a slight wariness and confusion--but her hands slowly drop to her sides, and the fight-or-flight tension eases somewhat. A faint furrow comes to her forehead, as she watches the Gnawer close the distance.

Yi slows her pace the closer she gets, not particularly wanting to appear like some kind of attacker. Closer up, though, her identification is a success. "Good evening Rina," she greets with an amiable enough smile. "What are you doing out here tonight?" Quirking her head slightly to accompany the question, it seems like the Gnawer's eyes notice a bit more than just the casual recognition of a friend.

Rina shakes her head dismissively. "Gettin' the hell away from the pigs," she says hoarsely, with a jerk of her head toward the police station. "Assholes."

Yi sends another glance towards the station, brow furrowing when she looks back over to the kin. "Why... something happen?"

The woman's expression turns cynical, dismissive. "Just bullshit. Picked me up for nothing, basically." She lifts a shoulder and forces a semblance of a smile. "Long time since I saw you."

Yi shakes her head, but in that shake sends a slight look over to the station again. "I could say the same," she replies quietly. "But you're looking... well..." It's a lie - a badly covered one.

Rina doesn't fall for it, either; a wry, dark look comes to her face as she slants the Gnawer a dry glance. "Oh, please. Don't fucking bother." Again that faint, broken attempt to smile--it's almost worse than nothing at all. There's a softness in her eyes, though, as she takes a tentative step closer. "You /do/ look good, though. I like the hair. And it's good to see you. I've... missed you."

Yi looks herself over, but shakes her head again. "Just a result of trying to look like everyone else," she notes in that particular way of dodging compliments she has. That last part though, she smiles warmly at. "I would rather we switch places, if it means you looking like you were eating well." She offers out her hand, an invitation for accompaniment on her night's patrollings. "Really, Rina, do I have to come to your studio every night and make sure you've eaten?" Truly, if there was anything asian women had in common with italian mothers...

Rina shakes her head minutely, and falls into step in the direction the Gnawer takes. She looks down to the sidewalk at her feet. "I'm f-- I'm as good as I get. And maybe you could work out a whole table of shifts, you and Cutter and whoever else."

"I might have to do that, yes," Yi agrees, half as a joke, half as an actual threat. "If I didn't know that Dakota was making sure Jeremy at least kept up with his kickboxing, I would say the Walkers were being very neglectful of their kin." A pause. "Again." The ragabash shrugs a shoulder, then pushes the brim of her cap back a little. As she walks, she slows enough that Rina can catch up to walk beside her. "What have you been doing? Aside from getting rooted out by pigs."

"Painting," Rina says hoarsely. "Jenny and the kid are keeping me alive. And-- a couple of other reasons." She lifts one shoulder and lets it fall. "Dakota's not a Walker. And Natalie's a crazy bitch who either hates me, or just likes to get pissy at me, not sure which." It doesn't sound as if she cares much, either. "I d'no if she gives a shit about Jeremy. I guess maybe. She let him work on the computer room at the new place, so at least she trusts him some. More than I got." None of it seems sullen--just matter-of-fact.

"Dakota is, fortunately, not a Walker." Bitter, no, matter-of-fact, yes. "Well, both of you are more than just computer knowledge and street knowledge," the ragabash insists, frowning slightly at the way Rina just happens to take this in stride. "But I guess that is what happens when you have in-laws, isn't it...?"

Confusion yields to a fragile, strained smile, half-hidden behind the fall of her unkempt hair. "There's some sort of good news. A Walker came back who's been gone for a year. Someone I-- at least there's someone in the tribe I feel close to, again."

Yi slows again with a glance over to the kinswoman, brow arching under the cap. "Oh? Who is it?" She continues on after, kind of running through her mental list of Walkers on the way.

"Thomas." She glances over, awkward. "I forgot. You and Salem kind of had a falling out, huh. I guess it--doesn't mean anything to you, then."

Yi doesn't really recognize the name of Thomas... but Salem, she remembers wholeheartedly. The curiosity poofs with less than an audible puff, and the ragabash continues on her patrolling/strolling with a touch more enthusiasm for the task than usual. After awhile's more of walking in awkward silence, she tacks on, "If I knew of a way to gain his forgiveness... I would do so. I do not blame him for his grudge."

Rina swallows, and nods. After a silence, she glances over. "Where... where are you staying? I came by the shop a couple of times, but I never seem to make it when it's open..."

"The Yellow River?" Yi asks, as if eager to shift subjects as well. But this doesn't exactly sit well with her either, as she gives a pseudo-helpless shrug. "Ever since Lyra went to New York, and Auntie Meiran to Singapore, the shop is not exactly... ours, anymore." The ragabash puts a hand to the back of her head, rubbing lightly in part embarrassment. "The shop keepers accept me dropping in some times, but, for the most part they don't like me. I am not entirely welcomed, but at least I am not chased out with brooms like some stray dog. Even if they look at me that way." Try though as she might to make it seem like water from a duck's back, the Gnawer conveys a sense of loss and regret. "You are better off dropping by my flat, on East Bridge." She looses a sigh, one filled with nostalgic longing.

Rina hitches a shoulder, and ducks her head. "Oh. Sorry, I-- I didn't know. Or maybe I did... I have a hard time remembering what's real, sometimes." Her voice is quiet, distracted. "What's the address? And d'you have a phone?" One hand pulls the Palm from her jacket pocket and flips it open.

Yi pauses in her walking again, turning partly over to have a look at the fancy palmpilot. About to make another sort of bewildered comment, the Gnawer decides against it and digresses to rattle the address and a local phone number. "I screen the calls when I am there, but I would say not to leave messages that are... 'iffy'." The usage of the slang word is accompanied with a sort of arched brow, in wonderment of whether she'd used it correctly. "But if it is urgent, there is always the Odeon. And if that doesn't work... you could use the Rat Signal." She smiles at the woman, her horrible attempt at comic culture humor showing like frayed wire.

Rina gives her a bemused look. "The Odeon?" She's not even touching the Rat Signal.

Yi laughs softly, if a bit more than embarrassed. "Yes, ah, down town. The old adult theatre. It is where Olga and Joey stay these days, with Benny ... and Squeaks." Mentioning Squeaks brings the ragabash's voice down for that one name. Then it resumes a normal volume. "It is a bit farther walking from where the church was."

Rina nods minutely, ducking her head. "You've... you've been okay, though? Just... busy doing your own thing?" Her voice remains soft, a little uncertain.

Yi slips her cap off to comb her fingers a bit through her hair. "I've... been getting by, yes. Ever since Reggie asked me to come with him on his challenge, I decided perhaps, I am not quite ready for the second rank still. Perhaps not ever." But this too, she laughs off. "Which is well and good perhaps. The end of the world might come if I am the one leading, no?" She chuckles more to herself than anything.

Frowning, Rina murmurs, "You're good at what you do. Nothin' wrong with recognizing your own strong points. But there /is/ a leadership part of it, yeah." She shivers, and gives a quick shake of her head.

"Olga is doing a better job that I could," Yi says with a bobbing nod of her head. "And what I do... is pretty much what you have seen me do." She shrugs at this. "I have to say, I do not envy the elders for their responsibilities at all. But beside that... I may decide to ask after it. Patrolling can only do so much." The ragabash looks back at the kin, giving the woman a quirked half-smile. "And I do have more free time than I should, sometimes. Maybe I will use that free time to come knocking on your door."

Rina swallows. "I'd like that," she answers softly. Her brow furrows, and after a moment's uncertainty she asks, "Did you and... and John have a falling out, before he left? Was-- was everything okay, with the two of you?"
The glance she gives the Gnawer is almost cautious.

Yi blinks at the question, caught offguard by it, but not taken off her mental feet. "John..." she starts to say, trailing in thought. Then, with that same, small smile she shakes her head. "I could proudly say, John and I were perhaps as close to friends as one from my family and one from his could get and not make any of us look bad for it." She looks off and down at the concrete, thinking. "He and Salem, were even my packmates at one point. I won't forget that."

Rina nods minutely. "Maybe-- maybe it'll be okay, then," she whispers.

Yi glances back to the kin, that querying arch of her brow rising again. "What will be ok?"

She only answers with a tiny, distracted shake of her head, and then looks to the Gnawer with a fragile smile. "I'd-- really like to see you. And, and you can always call. If you need anything."

"Hah?" Yi utters the small query, but guesses that this is just some ramble not to delve too deeply into out in public. Instead, she smiles back and dips her head. "Of course. I apologize for not doing so more often. Calling, or dropping by, that is."

Rina nods, ducking her head. "It's okay... I haven't been-- around, much, really." Vaguely, she looks up with a kind of distant curiosity, to see where they are.

Yi clucks her tongue lightly, but it's not like she can be one to scold. "I'll be sure to come by again soon. I want to make sure you're eating better." Waggling a finger at the kin, the ragabash smirks off to a side. "And I think... we should perhaps finish patrol here. Havoc takes the territory further on I think, so I would rather not intrude. Would you like me to walk you back?"

Rina shakes her head, pausing to look at the Gnawer and give her a strange, unsettling smile. "It's okay. I'll be fine."

Yi combs her fingers one last time through her hair, and then slips the cap back on her head. "Ok then," she tacks on with a short bob of her head again. "I will see you soon. Have a good night, Rina." There's a moment's pause, awkward at first, before the ragabash shrugs and decides to offer out a friendly departing hug.

It startles a smile from the woman, genuine, and she slips her arms around Yi for a brief embrace. No words; only the space of a breath, and then Rina draws away and turns to head down the street.

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