A New Town [ Open!! ]

[Guinevere Cassidy]

It was hard to find somewhere Guinevere hadn't called home at least once in her time of running. She had crossed state lines, boarded planes and ships to jump boarders. She had spent a month in Scotland, three weeks in California. She had lived two months in London, only to spook and move along once more. But in all her travels, Sydney, Australia, was somewhere she could not yet claim to called home. There was opportunity here, though; opportunity a young cook could latch onto.

Perhaps that was why she traveled there. Though she was just a human amongst Shifters and Weres, she was a human female with a talent. She could cook better than most, a talent she had both been born with and cultivated with her mother's aid. Bridget Cassidy had claimed that her talent with the kitchen was a hint to her Irish heritage. "All Irish women know how to wield a stove and magic," she had told Guinevere once, a little proverb she carried with her even now.

It was a proverb that had helped her keep her confidence in the one thing she could take freely from her home: her talent. Though Guinevere had been forced to leave Joseph's home with only the bare minimum, she had escaped knowing she could make herself a living with her skill in the kitchen. While others had to fight and scratch for a job in this market, chefs were in high demand. Restaurants were expanding, new bakeries were opening. And with the new influx of beasts in Sydney, more cooks were needed to feed their animal-like leaders.

Guinevere stepped off the bus onto her stop, hiking her bag onto her shoulder; as the bag wriggled, the sound of glass gently tinkled. What few things she had managed to steal from her home were packed into it. A few changes of clothes, some money; but most of all, Guinevere had wanted to bring with her the glasses that had been her mother and father's on their wedding day. They took up a lot of room, but they were hers. They were only hers.

Realizing that she was completely lost, unsure of where her new rental home was, the young Witch realized she had no choice but to ask a stranger for direction. Turning to the nearest one, she tried to grab their attention with, "'Scuse me."

WORDS ;; 397
THOUGHTS ;; New town? Well shit.
OUTFIT ;; [ CLICK! ]
TAG ;; Open!!
CREDIT ;; pretty funny in dogfight

[Kazara Sellars]

     Years ago, when she was closer to twenty than thirty, Kaz had made Australia her home. It was as far from home as she figured she could get without going straight to Antarctica, and she found she was actually rather fond of the wildlife. From koalas to dingos, to poisonous snakes: they amazed her with their strength and durability. Australia was an island of deadly things and yet somehow the creatures – and the people – thrived. In fact, so did she. Before the Pluses revealed themselves, before she realised there were others like her, she lived peacefully in the heat. At least, she lived as peacefully as one could while attempting to coexist with countless creatures that could kill you in mere moments.


     She’d only just returned, been there barely a day, but she must’ve looked the part of local to draw the attention of a woman who just got off a bus. Flashing a brief but sincere smile, Kaz greeted the woman with a raised hand. “Need a hand?” With what, she wasn’t sure. Perhaps the woman needed help getting a bag, or she was lost. Either one was possible, though she was thinking it was more likely to be the latter. She looked…new, lot at all like someone who came to Australia often, or even at all before now.


     “I’ll admit I’ve only just come back, but I do know my way around for the most part.” Since she spent the entire day yesterday re-familiarising herself with the area, seeking out places she recognised and finding those she didn’t, she had a good idea of where things were. “I know I sound a bit like a native, but I wouldn’t believe everything you hear.” If she was honest, her accent had always confused her. It was the only way she could recall ever speaking, but as far as she could remember she hadn’t spent any time in the Australia before her twenties, and no one in her household sounded anything at all like her. It was a puzzle she hadn’t been able to solve. Looking over the woman, her smile softened. “Lost?”



Words: [353]
Tag: Guinevere Cassidy
Mood: [relaxed, welcoming]
Outfit: Click!
Notes: [she senses a kindred spirit]

[Guinevere Cassidy]

To her great relief, the woman whose attention Guinevere was trying to grab noticed. She turned, giving Guin a smile, and the other woman relaxed, just a little. Perhaps now she could find a way out of the bus station and into a hotel. Or, even better, perhaps the woman knew of someone who was looking to rent a home -- or even a room. She would take even half a house if it meant getting a proper roof over her head, and a proper kitchen to cook in.

But when the other admitted having only just arrived herself, that thought went out the window. Still, she had apparently been here before, which meant she at least new of hotels. That was still a plus, and so Guinevere kept the smile on her face. She nodded, once, at her question, then explained, "I just got off my plane, actually... I'm looking for somewhere to stay. You wouldn't happen to know of anyone who's looking to rent out a room or... anything, really? I'm looking at staying for a few months. Maybe a year."

And that was the truth. Guinevere always planned on staying places. She wanted to stay somewhere and settle down, maybe adopt a few children. After her failure of a marriage, the Witch wasn't sure she could handle becoming intimate with another, whether physically or emotionally. She didn't know if she would be able to bring herself to open to someone, even if it was just for the hope of creating children. But adoption took no intimacy. It took no sexual acts. 

If she ever managed to settle down somewhere, the first thing she was going to do was find a way to raise children. She would either adopt or, perhaps, try to do it all herself. There were medical procedures for that now. You could have a child without a husband, or any man at all. Yes, that would be the best way for that. 

But that was neither here nor there. First, she had to find a place to live.

"I'm, um... I'm Guinevere, by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you, miss...?"

WORDS ;; 357
THOUGHTS ;; Someone? Friend? Maybe friend!!!
OUTFIT ;; [ CLICK! ]
TAG ;; Kazara Sellars
CREDIT ;; pretty funny in dogfight

[Kazara Sellars]

     When the woman mentioned needing a place to stay, Kaz should have recommended a hotel. There were enough around these parts: it would’ve been easy to point her in the direction of a good hotel and then disappear into the day and forget she met a new person at all. Before, she would have done exactly that. Even so, she didn’t think that much had changed but there was something about this woman that stole the words off her tongue and replaced them with new ones: “I have a place here, if you’re interested.”
 
     She hoped the woman didn’t realise how surprised Kaz was at her own words. “Of course, there are hotels but if you’re looking to stay awhile I wouldn’t suggest one.” There was something about hotels that made Kaz uneasy. Whether it was the idea of sleeping in a bed countless others had or the sheer number of people sleeping under one roof, she wasn’t sure. If she wasn’t so skilled at hiding her emotions she would’ve shuddered just thinking about it. “I wouldn’t be opposed to letting you take a look at my place, if that interests you,” she offered, shrugging as if this wasn’t completely out of character for her.
Realising that she hadn’t introduced herself, she laughed softly. “Kazara,” she said, holding out a hand to the woman – Guinevere. “Welcome to Australia, Guinevere.”

     Welcome, indeed. Regardless of how out of character it was for her to make the offer she did, she was completely serious about it. Her home here wasn’t large, it wasn’t fancy, but it was far too big for one person and though she would’ve rather sharing it with a child, this woman didn’t seem so bad. Not at all, in fact Kaz a feeling that they might have a few things in common.

     Tucking blonde locks behind her ear, she smiled again. “At the very least, I can show you around.”



Words: [321]
Tag: Guinevere Cassidy
Mood: [surprised, interested]
Outfit: Click!
Notes: [thinking to herself "what the hell. May as well give her a chance"]

[Guinevere Cassidy]

To Guin, it looked as if her luck was turning up.

In the last few places she had been -- New York, London, and Tokyo -- she had been forced to find shelter at a hotel for almost two weeks before someone finally showed up with a rental. It drained her reserves to stay in a hotel that long, a thought that this stranger also seemed to realize and share. Her biggest fear upon arriving to any city was not her husband, as many would have thought, but having no place in which she could live and cook. With the worry of homelessness out of her mind, Guinevere seemed to relax, even as the stranger continued to talk.

The physical effects of the stress she had been forced to endure over the past six years were too obvious, if one looked close enough. There were bags under her eyes, and her cheeks were too gaunt, even for an angular face like hers. She held herself too tightly, as though she was a rabbit tensing up in preparation for what might be a run for her life. She had once been so proud of her features, most importantly her eyes, but now wore clothes too big and left her face bare of makeup.

Still, Guinevere smiled. The stranger -- Kazara, she told herself, and repeated the name over and over again in her mind -- offered up a solution, and quite kindly at that. After all, it wasn't as though she was demanding Guin stay with her; she had simply given her the option of touring and taking a look. That would be for the best, perhaps for both of them. Hell, if luck was really on her side, they might even get along. They might even become friends.

"I... I would appreciate it, actually. The chance to look around your home, I mean. And-- And the tour, of course, but..." She shut her mouth, immediately realizing how incredibly stupid she sounded. Her eyes fell to the street. That rock there looked incredibly interesting.

"Sorry."

WORDS ;; 340
THOUGHTS ;; Relief. Perhaps no homelessness for her today.
OUTFIT ;; [ CLICK! ]
TAG ;; Kazara Sellars
CREDIT ;; pretty funny in dogfight

[Kazara Sellars]

     Having homes around the world came in handy when you were on the run, and during her eight years of running she had acquired quite a few, whether by her own means or through the kind donation of her long-time benefactors: Kirk and Elva Tadghan. Without the two of them Kazara knew she wouldn’t be where she was now – if she had been left to her own devices at seventeen, relying on the resources she could scrounge up by snagging a few babysitting jobs, her adoptive father would’ve found her and dragged her back ‘home’ within a few months’ time. Thankfully, they’d found her and saved her years of abuse. Unfortunately, they’d also saved her so-called father from getting his just desserts. There were no more murder attempts on the horizon. She just couldn’t risk it.

     Seeing the leftover suffering on the other woman’s face stirred something in her she really should be more familiar with by now; it was the same thing she felt all those years ago, cradling her siblings to rock away their pain and fear. Kazara didn’t need to look past the dark circles, tight face, and loose clothes to see the beauty the woman was (perhaps unconsciously) hiding, and she wondered if that beauty might have had too many consequences. It didn’t take a genius to see that Guinevere had been through something hard, something no one should ever go through.

     Kazara didn’t care what it was, but she did plan to do what she could to help make her stay in Australia easier and her day a little brighter.

     “It’s not a problem. It’s the home of an old friend and it’s much too big for one person,” she said, hoping her smile could help ease some of Guinevere’s nervousness. It felt good to smile like this. It was freeing to be genuine. “Really, you’re not messing up any of my plans. Though I will warn you now that the house isn’t in the best shape – I haven’t gotten around to washing up the walls and floors, and the bathroom could use some –“she broke off with a short laugh. “What I’m trying to say is that you don’t need to apologise for anything.”



Words: [370]
Tag: Guinevere Cassidy
Mood: [friendly]
Outfit: Click!
Notes: [nah]

[Guinevere Cassidy]

"Oh! Oh, no. No, a messy house doesn't bother me. Not-- Not that your house is messy; I'm sure it's quite fine, actually. But I'm quite a good housekeeper, and an even better cook. If you need someone to work on it while you're out, I--" she broke off then, immediately dropping her eyes. She was getting ahead of herself, and now the other woman probably thought she was crazy. As if she just wanted to have an excuse to get into Kazara's house and murder her.

Dammit. Dammit all. She really needed to learn to curb her excitement.

"Sorry. I, um..." Her eyes kept falling to the ground, only to flick up every once in a while, like a schoolgirl trying to give a speech, "No, I can cook and clean, if you... if you need that done. I have a little money, but I don't know if it'll be enough for a first month's rent, so I mean..." Great. Great, she was sounding worse by the second. Might as well blurt it out now, if she could. "Just until I can find a job, of course. I'm not planning on freeloading forever."

And that was the truth. Even when she was a housewife, Guinevere had always been doing something. Whether she was cleaning the house, cooking dinner for her husband, planning parties, or cooking for the parties, she had always been on her feet. She had always been trying to please Joseph in a way that he would, for once, just be proud of her. She had hosted parties that had been talked about for weeks, with food that many called to order. 

It had been that money she had used to run, the money that Joseph had never seen and had never missed. He was, after all, one of the wealthiest men in the entire county. He had no need for her extra grocery money, especially not when it had come from her labor. 

"But I would," she said, smiling, "I would like -- love, actually -- to see your house."

WORDS ;; 347
THOUGHTS ;; Self-hating. Relief.
OUTFIT ;; [ CLICK! ]
TAG ;; Kazara Sellars
CREDIT ;; pretty funny in dogfight

[Kazara Sellars]

     “It’s a bit messy,” she said lightly, trying to keep the mood light. “It’s been empty for a while, so I won’t take it personally if you see that it needs some work. I see it too, don’t worry.” Kaz grinned suddenly, tucking a bit of loose hair behind her ear. “You know what? I think you and I are going to get along just fine.” She didn’t mind Guinevere’s excitement. In fact, it made her excited as well. That and the fact that the woman knew how to cook and wouldn’t mind doing a little cleaning – not that Kaz would take advantage of her. There was a fine line between letting someone do their share and taking advantage of their kindness. She had a feeling the latter would be too easy for some.
     
     It was a good thing she was far too independent to let someone else do all the work.

     “Guinevere, I have one suggestion for you, and I realise it might not be so easy yet, but just listen. You don’t have to apologise to me.” She knew how hard it could be. Apologising was a habit it had taken a good long while for Kaz to get out of, but everyone had to start somewhere and she didn’t feel comfortable being the one apologised to. “Come see the place, look around and get a feel for it. Ask questions.” Shrugging, Kaz chuckled. “Even hard ones. I’ve got nothing to hide.” Not too much, at least, and nothing about the house.
 
     Until the woman brought up money Kaz hadn’t been thinking about it at all. Knowing that she didn’t pay for the house herself – or any of her houses, not directly at least – meant that the idea of making the other woman pay hadn’t even crossed her mind. Even if she was paying for the house and all the bills involved with it she knew she wouldn’t be comfortable asking for this woman’s money. She reminded her of her younger self, on her own in the world with little to her name. Anything she could do to help, she would do. But they could talk about the details once she’d taken a look around.

     “Come on then, if we take a bus we can be there in about five minutes. It’s more like ten if we walk, but I’m fine with either,” she said simply.


Words: [398]
Tag: Guinevere Cassidy
Mood: [friendly]
Outfit: Click!
Notes: [she’s feeling a little motherly]

[Guinevere Cassidy]

If anything, Guinevere seemed to perk up at the thoguht of being able to help this woman. To be fair, though, Kaz was doing far more to help Guin than the other way around; she was, after all, a woman on the run. She was scared of her shadow and afraid for her next move. To have just a bit of a piece of mind, the Witch would have traded anything, and so to get what she needed for just a handful of chores...

It was practically a steal.

Cleaning and cooking was what she did best, after all, though cooking came in an easy first. And so, when Kaz offered to let her see the place, she was quick to jump on it, nodding and offering a smile. "Of course. Of course, I completely understand. You wouldn't want to buy a house without seeing it first. I suppose the same goes for renting it." And that was the truth. She had to know the house well, had to make sure there were enough hiding places.

Just in case something happened, she told herself. Just in case, somehow, he found her. She had to know where to hide, where to peek. She had to know, if Joseph was in that house, how could she get out. Could she even get out? Older places tended to have a lot of crawl spaces, she reminded herself. If anything, an older house was the perfect place for a woman on the run. 

Shrugging on her bag, Guinevere turned to the direction of the bus stop, then hesitated. It would take longer to wait for a bus than anything, she figured, so perhaps walking would be better. That, and she had just spent hours on a plane and half an hour on a bus. She could afford to stretch her legs and work out the kinks in her system. So she bobbed her head and, meakly, suggested,

"Perhaps we could walk? And along the way, we could possibly even work out some of the details. I'm not one to go into things unprepared, at least not usually, so maybe we could..." Guinevere trailed off, unsure of what to say, "...discuss arrangements, or...?"

WORDS ;; 368
THOUGHTS ;; fuck yea, got a home, homie
OUTFIT ;; [ CLICK! ]
TAG ;; Kazara Sellars
CREDIT ;; pretty funny in dogfight