(no subject)

[lasthugs]

WHO: Aunt Cass and YOU
WHERE: Heropa #16 + around town
WHEN: 6/04, and the following week
WHAT: Cass is going around greeting roommates and neighbors with baked goods and trying to destress by shopping and finding coffee shops
WARNINGS: none for now!

[1; the first day, at a GROCERY STORE]
[She did get told this was a war, so she's not quite sure whether she's surprised by all the tense paranoia and anger she's been dodging all day, but if this is a constant then it's sure going to be stressful living here. She can already feel it building up, but unfortunately the house she was dumped in isn't attached to a café, and if it's not attached to a café she doesn't have immediate access to sweet, savory, soul-healing cupcakes. Nor did she find enough ingredients in the kitchen to make them herself (besides, she didn't want to use ones that didn't belong to her). And while that's horrible, she was at least given enough to hold up until her first paycheck for that cat website.

The first thing she grabbed at the store was one of the reusable shopping bags they were selling on some racks near the entrance. Then the rest is easy. She doesn't need a list to know what she needs to buy, but she only hesitates a little to grab a box of gummy bears along with them. It's not long before her shopping basket is heavy and digging into her arm, and the shopping bags, once they're all packed and she's rung up, aren't any easier on her either. Gosh, maybe she over did the buying?]

Ugh, no, it'll be fine, [she grumbles, then hops a little to hoist the bag onto her shoulder better. Hopefully she didn't smack you with the corner of a milk carton at the bottom when she did.] It's only a short walk!

[Perhaps you care to help?]

[2; soon after, at HEROPA #16 - the kitchen]
[No matter, she gets that stuff home safely and the kitchen is stocked, various things in there labeled 'HOUSEMATES - FEEL FREE TO USE! :)' in neat handwriting if any of them care to look. And Cass is in there, too, if you can spot her behind the counter that is, crouched by the oven door and peeking in to check on the muffins inside. What, didn't you get drawn in here by the smell of them? They're blueberry.

Maybe you speak up, maybe you don't. If you do, she'll look over her shoulder in surprise. Or maybe you don't, and she only notices you when she takes the muffins out of the oven and turns to place them on the counter. Either way, her expression in the same: it brightens, a smile splitting her face as she steps over across the kitchen toward you.]

Hey! [She chirps the greeting, looking nothing short of absolutely delighted to meet you.] I didn't know you were there. Hi, my name is Cass, do you live here too?

[3; also at HEROPA, houses neighboring #16]
[There are more than enough muffins for everyone. Or enough for her neighbors, at least. For anybody living on the anywhere close to #16, they'll be getting a knock on their door. Should they open it, Cass stands there with a basket of muffins in her hands, smiling bright.]

Greetings! Hi, I'm Cass -- I just got moved into number 16. I thought I'd stop by to say hello, would you like some muffins?

[4; likewise, at HEROPA #16; closed to Tadashi and Hiro]
[But at the end of the day, later in the afternoon as it turns into evening, Cass is back at home again. This time she's on the porch, Mochi curled up on her lap as he pets and scratches his head absently. She busied herself and acquainted with some people, and that's fine. Overall, the day was fine. But now that she's out of things to do, the worries are creeping up.

Florida. Of all the places, Florida. There was a comfort in knowing she didn't get thrown out of the country or anything, but at the same time, this America is different from the one she knows. So maybe she's actually been thrown into another dimension. They sure made it sound that way, and if that were the case then it wouldn't really matter if she were in the US or Canada or even Japan. In any case, she was far away from home, and she has no idea what's going on with Hiro. For all she knew, she was alone here, and that's... scary. In ten years, no matter who she lost she was never alone, and she tugs Mochi closer to her as she wishes she bought a pack of cigarettes or something while she was out. But no, she quit that long ago didn't she? She threw them all out and cleaned up the house thoroughly so Hiro and Tadashi could grow up in a clean home. Maybe she should have brought out a muffin to chew on out here.

She sighs, running a hand through her hair. All this thinking and stressing -- she hasn't done it in a long time, and she really, really wishes she could go back to her café. Maybe she should apply for a job at one. That would be a lot more distracting than sitting at a desk looking at cat pictures all day.]

[5; any other day, at a COFFEE SHOP]
[After the adventurous first day, Cass ventures out again, this time just to find a place to relax and get to know what the city is really like. There's no way all that anger can be a status quo, right? She hopes not. Just what could she have been brought into this place for anyway? She's no soldier. She's no fighter, or a researcher, or even a hero like those people that have been showing up on the news lately. But then again, even those heroes...

She shakes her head and smiles at the barista as they call her name and hand her her drink, not forgetting to thank them and making sure she didn't forget to shove some money in the tip jar before turning to find a seat. It's busy in here, so she can't find an empty table, but she does spot a chair right over there... with YOU!

She meanders over, squeezing between chairs full of studying college students and past a pair of old men playing chess. It takes a minute, but she manages to reach the table with the empty-looking chair and she taps on it to try to get the attention of the person already sitting there.] Hi. Would you mind if I sat here? It's full everywhere else.

Comments

4

[debauchewy]

[When he looks over to him, she'll see a man with blue lipstick, bright red hair, and a yellow and blue suit, holding a magazine with a very broody looking male model on the front. Though let's be honest, both the one reading the magazine, and the man on it aren't so bad on the eyes.]

[He sets down the slim book next to his drink which quite possibly is the sweetest most fruity drink this cafe sells, and looks over to her.]

[A studying, nearly bored gaze.]

[-Before he gestures his hand. Sure, sit down.]

[OOC: Oh right. Art by gyodragon on tumblr.]

[lasthugs]

[Well, that's one reaction. Rude, certainly, but she's the one intruding on his space and his table so she's not going to complain, smiling politely despite his bored look and sitting down without even a flinch. Mr. Primary Colors doesn't look like a chatter, but she can deal with that, too. She does spare a glance at the magazine he put down, though. Gosh, models these days. She wonders if that model is anything like the photo even before all the Photoshopping.]

Thanks, you're a pal. I'm Cass, by the way.

#4

[microbrobotics]

[ Think of the devils and they appear, huh? Hiro's voice is audible first as they come down the street; it carries pretty far when he's on about something, and he's definitely got something to say today. First his brother had mentioned stepping out to Heropa to check on someone - "a friend," whatever that meant. Of course Hiro was hardly going to just let his brother walk out of the house alone after the week they've had. The encounter with Pestilence's sleep plague would have been enough on its own. He is going to have nightmares about walking into his brother's room and finding him (apparently) dead in his bed. But there's also something else going around making people angry and/or terrified for some reason, and he's not sure if that's entirely cleared up yet. Hiro still has a faint bruise mark on his face from where Megaman hit him (and presumably Tadashi healed up as soon as Hiro had limped home).

So. No wandering without each other for a while. Probably the best for both of them. Which is why Hiro's being especially bratty about this one, scowling a bit as he walks. He does not like the idea of dropping by Jaime's or whoever's while Tadashi goes off to complete his mystery visitation. No matter how his brother may have tried to cover that one up, it still reeks of one thing: babysitting. Ugh. ]

Dude, I know it's not a date. Why can't I go with you the rest of the way? [ He scowls again, hitching his backpack a little higher on his shoulders. ] Who's gonna babysit you if I'm not there?

[tadeadshi]

[Everything the entire last month warranted a little extra brother-protection. But he'd been putting off a lot of things in light of everything and some things he couldn't continue to ignore before they went out of town for the month. But he also can't ignore how easily irritated Hiro was getting in the presence of one specific person. Who just happened to be the person Tadashi needed to meet with before they left. So he didn't want to risk them being in the same room just now.

His voice carries on after Hiro's as they walk, his voice nothing but that amused big-brother smartass attitude.]

Oh come on, you big baby. It's just a couple hours, be there and back. 'Sides, you like Jaime, he's awesome.

[Tadashi, maybe if you told Hiro that Jaime was your porter info source, Hiro would be more interested.]

3

[eastdetective]

[Conan opens the door of #17 and stares up at her suspiciously. The last few days had been rough, and he found it difficult to shake the lingering paranoia completely.

Because even though everything he had thought he had seen over the last few days had been nothing but a hallucination, it was far too possible for it to happen here some day for real.]

....I'll pass.

[kendo_taisho]

Heiji was almost as shaken from the effects of War, but his frustrations had been a lot more physical, if the bruises on his skin and knuckles were any indication. He had about a thousand apologies to make with various residents, but for right now he was making sure his best friend didn't sink into a paranoia coma and forget to take care of himself.

Which, sorry buddy, included being nice to the neighbors.

"Oi, who is it?" Here's this deliquint looking teen peeking out from another room before joining Conan at the door.

3

[khajidont]

[Jaime has the distinct honour of living next door and, for once, has completely forgotten about the flood of new people that usually rush in at the beginning of every month. He'd only managed to wake up the day before, and while it would have been wiser to go out and deal with whatever had happened...

He could take a day off, right? All those dreams had rattled him, and all he really wanted to do was stay home for a little while, watch some TV, do a few chores that were neglected in his absence. So that's all he did, up until someone knocks on the door.

Jaime's not altogether pleased to hear it (he'll have to talk business eventually, but he doesn't feel like it right now), but is happily surprised when he sees nothing but a pleasant face at the door and some frankly delicious smelling baked goods.]

Oh! Um, sure, thank you, [he says, smiling reflexively, though it's not a fake smile by any means of the imagination.] I thought we were the ones that were supposed to be welcoming you, though.

[lasthugs]

[Cass wasn't around for the Pestilence and has no idea about it happening. For all she knows, the entire city is having a horrible day, but it hasn't occurred to her that it could be something orchestrated by anybody. Superpowers aren't the first to come to her mind. But she's delighted to be greeted by someone cheerful when the door opens, and her laugh is pleasant as she waves her hand dismissively at Jaime's concern.]

Nonsense. I'm moving into your neighborhood, aren't I? [It may be a cultural thing, but for Cass, it's just a Thing. She wouldn't ever mind it either way, but she's already holding out the basket toward Jaime so he can take it; it's a small one with half a dozen muffins lined up in there, and she's got more back home.]

Actually, I just made some earlier to make myself feel better and I ended up making too much! I shared some with my new housemates, too, but why not share, you know?

2

[blondtactician]

[Since it seems his house is filling with people again, Armin makes sure to be wary of any signs of newcomers when he returns from his day. He turns off his music player and stows his headphones in his satchel, heading toward the source of industrious noises and mouth-watering smells. He offers the woman in his kitchen a smile and a nod. She looks friendly and she's made food - that's already a good sign.]

My name's Armin, yes, I live here. Mine's the room at the far end of the hall. Nice to meet you, Cass. Those smell delicious.

[Armin doesn't quite smile, but his voice and expression are friendly. He looks a bit sheepish.]

[lasthugs]

Hey, Armin.

[Quiet. Polite. Friendly-looking, but that lack of a smile could either be shyness, wariness, or both. It sounds like he's already settled in this house and she can only imagine what it'll feel like to have a bunch of stranger suddenly move in to his place. She can't blame him, and she makes a note to tone down her energy from what she would usually assault Hiro and his friends with. She's carefully removing the muffins from the tray, now, lining them up on a plate next to it.]

I'm sorry you've gotta deal with all this hustle bustle all of a sudden. But it's nice to meet you too -- go on, help yourself to one. Or two, or more if you're extra hungry. It's my peace offering!

1;

[beautstrength]

[ Thankfully, Reika manages to evade getting smacked with a bag and, as someone who's only carrying one bag of her own, she can't help but take note of the woman's load. She's already looking like this could be a burden. And because this is Reika... ]

Excuse me, miss. May I offer my assistance?

[lasthugs]

Oh!

[That's Cass turning in surprise and then nearly losing her balance because the boy at the cashier put all of her bottles in the same bag and that's a terribly unbalanced weight on her shoulder now. She stumbles a few steps, blinks, and she has to smile -- how sweet.]

Oh, thank you dear. But-- [excuse her a moment as she pulls the bag up onto her shoulder again] I'd hate to ask that of you! It's so heavy.

3

[governorkang]

[Cass must have made a lot of muffins, because she's somehow made it all the way over to #33. The person who answers the door, however, probably isn't anything like what she was expecting; he's seven feet tall, covered in dark bronze scales, and has wings and a tail. His body language is friendly enough, though.]

Ah, thank you. I'm not really - I'm sure my housemate would appreciate them, but he isn't home.

[lasthugs]

[The downfall of stressbaking is, in fact, that once you're actually done baking there's no way to get rid of them all. She did in fact make a lot of these muffins. We might be stretching reality a bit here but, really, there's no harm in having more muffins.

But that's forgotten momentarily as Cass, small and soft and squishy human that she is, blinks when all she sees is a scaly mass, then gasps when she looks up and realizes that the head is up there. Goodness, he's tall!]

Oh! There you are -- [She'll have to remember to look up at this house just in case. But what if his roommate is smaller?? Complicated.]

Well, would you mind if I left you with these for your roommate then?

1-ish.

[maglevflash]

[Everything hurt. Gogo was certain that there wasn't a single inch of her that wasn't bruised somehow from the fight. Her armor had protected her from the worst of the damage, she was going to have to thank Hiro for that one day, but even with the protection he had done a number on her.

It was a bit of a wake up call, and a reminder that as awesome as she could be, she wasn't much cut out for this. Being fast didn't do much of anything when the person attacking you was faster.

She'd tried to go home, desperate to crawl into her own bed, but her muscles burned and she didn't think she could make it that far. So instead she sits down on a bench and tries to find a good position to ease her ribs. She was only going to close her eyes for a minute...]

[lasthugs]

... Gogo?

[She knows the girl's given name. She knows that 'Gogo' is a nickname, but while she had hesitated to call her boys' friends by their nicknames at first -- was that weird for a parent? -- it slipped out once and then stuck. And even now, in a situation like this, that nickname slips out; she feels like she'd get a better reaction to that name, anyway.

For the sake of this situation, Cass isn't so heavily laden with luggage this time. Just a couple of cat toys for Mochi in one of her reusable bags and nothing more, so moving over to Gogo to check on her, and to check to see if it is her, is an easy enough task. Could this really be her?]

Gogo? Sweetie, is that you?

JUST SENDS THIS ON FORWARD TO THE FUTURE

[defensebonds]

[ It's a good while later when Steve comes home. He'd been in for a bit, talking with Cass, meeting the other new roommate that came with her (aka the fat cat he has somehow bonded with) before going out for his evening run. He runs a lot, really; helps clear his head. He gets the feeling he'll be needing a lot of that here.

When he returns home, he opens the door quietly, trying not to bother any of the roommates he knows or has yet to meet. Hearing no one milling about, he heads through the living room on the way to the bathroom with the intent of a quick shower... before he stops in his tracks, spotting someone from the corner of his eye sprawled out on the couch. A proper look reveals a young lady.

They don't have a young lady living here. ]

...Hi there?

[ Jesus, she looks like she's had the snot beat out of her. Surprise shifts to concern immediately. ]

Whoa, hey now -- you all right?

5

[lyingheart]

[ She doesn't head into Heropa that often. She has to take the train into town, but now that she's graduated from high school, with no fanfare, and no one invited to witness the process, she has more time on her hands. Her schedule is in the process of filling up once more when work gets figured out between StarkTech and ActiveGear, but for now, she has too much time on her hands.

A quiet apartment, aside from her dog. Rex is with her now, wearing the bandanna that labels him a service animal. Hunting dogs aren't a usual choice for this, but he has some semblance of the proper training. She'd needed the farce back when she had to take him on the trains all the time.

Lies serve a purpose and function. So does her tea, and the half-picked apart muffin that she hasn't managed to eat. Annie glances up from the wreckage of muffin she's been staring through, listening to the people at the coffee shop. Cass isn't a face she recognises. It means nothing, as does sharing - there is no meaning to it from where she sits. ]

The chair's free, if you want it.

[ It's more odd to her that people refuse to share available spaces here. She doesn't comment on it out loud, but it's a thought that's rattled around in the back of her mind. ]

Rex won't bother you.

[ His tail thumps on the ground, hearing his name, seeing another person potentially entering his lick-zone. He'll behave, but only because Annie asks him to with a touch of her foot to his side, and a snap of her fingers that point downward. ]

[lasthugs]

Thanks, dear. I appreciate it. [The endearment slips out before she can stop it, but, really, Cass wasn't about to actually stop it. She smiles brightly at her as she slips into the chair, setting her coffee down carefully so she doesn't knock it all over the place. The dog gets a smile too, and while she doesn't reach out to pet him since she notices his bandanna, she leans over to greet him anyway.]

Hey buddy, [she chirps at him.] Nice to meet you! Hope you don't mind me taking up some space -- oh you're so cute.

[And that's a greeting. With a tiny wave toward Rex she straightens again to face Annie, not intending to drag her into a conversation if she doesn't want to, but she likes being friendly and introducing herself.] You too. Nice to meet you. My name's Cass.

2

[defensebonds]

[ It's been a bit of a day for Steve.

Getting pretty much kidnapped was just the start, it seemed like -- because everything was just downhill from there. Learning about multiverses, about people that were looking for a Steve Rogers that wasn't him; meeting his best friend all over again, but not the one he really knew; helping a man in the street that thought he was someone else; getting recruited for police work by someone that knew him but didn't; he'd had some crazy days before, but he's starting to think this one is crawling to the top of the list.

When you've seen the sky literally rip open and spew out an attacking alien army, that really says something.

It's evening by the time he makes his way back into the apartment, drained mentally and emotionally from everything he's seen and learned. He's planning on just making his way to what he was introduced to as his bedroom, but when he opens the door he's greeted by the smell of baking. His shoulders sag. Right: roommates. Can't very well just skulk into his bedroom like a child without saying hello, can he? With a slow and steeling breath, he schools his expression into a friendly sort of neutral and rounds the corner into the kitchen...

Where he's greeted by a cat on the counter. A really fat cat.

The creature is distracting enough that Steve is actually a bit startled when Cass straightens up, jumping a bit and blinking at her. Realization sinks in slowly: These are co-ed buildings?! He knows things have changed, but... For God's sake, the last woman he shared a living space with was his mother. ]

Uh.

[ Right. Okay. No helping this, right? He'll... get used to it. She looks like a nice person, at least; the brightness of her smile is the most genuine thing he's seen all day, and it's a bit infectious. After a moment he manages a smile of his own. ]

Steve Rogers. Nice to meet you, Cass. [ A beat. ] Sorry. Long day.

[lasthugs]

Oh.

[That slips out almost at the same time as that "uh" slips out from Steve, and Cass is a bit stuck, staring. Oh. Oh. Oh, goodness. Her eyes widen round like saucers and she almost knocks the tray right into Mochi's butt as she sets it down a little too quickly, staring a little too long, though it only lasts a moment.

Goodness. Did they recruit a man or did they manage to get a hold of gods or something? Stop, she tells herself, stop staring! Don't be rude! She blinks twice and shakes her head and the surprise quickly melts away into a smile.]

Oh, don't worry about it! I mean, gosh, you don't have to apologize. We all have long days, you know? I just got here this morning too so I've been so stressed out! [So she says, but she's absolutely chipper and talking quickly. And a lot. She gestures to the muffin tray as she bounces back to make sure the oven is closed and turned off, then pulling out a plate from a cabinet to start lining up the muffins -- still warm, freshly baked! -- on it.] Stress-baking, you know! Would you like one? It's blueberry. Just be careful because they're hot and just out of the oven [there is a mumble here where she can't help but add "but not as hot as you if you know what I mean" but she says it quietly and faster than the rest so maybe Steve didn't catch that but she laughs as soon as she says it and is moving again, this time moving to pull a cup out from another cabinet.] Do you want anything to drink, Steve? I stocked up the fridge this morning!

5

[cassassin]

[Cassandra feels the movement before the older woman says anything. She looks up, pausing the audiobook she was listening to and pulling an earbud out.]

Oh, um - yeah. It's fine. [gesture. go for it.]

[lasthugs]

[Oh, no. She hopes she didn't disturb her too much -- the reply is short and rather curt but she hardly minds it, perfectly content to let the girl keep on reading if she so wishes. But she smiles, enthusiastic as ever, and sits herself down.]

Thanks dear, I'm so glad. It's very kind of you.

wild card!!

[dormition]

[Over at De Chima #004, Minato has his homework spread out across the kitchen table and he's emotionlessly plodding through it. He'd finally left Ken-kun's house after a week or so of staying with him, and after the days off he's been taking right and left lately, he has a lot of school work to catch up on.

It's not really difficult for him. The trickiest part is that he keeps trying to do it in English without the translator, since that's good for practice. But it's not like it matters to Minato what his grades end up being, anyway.

He's also the only one home at the moment.]

[lasthugs]

[You know what would make life a lot easier? Having a car. She's realizing now how much she relied on that thing to get around San Fransokyo now that she has to lug things everywhere on foot. But then again, she wouldn't be able to get the car through the Portal and she'd hate the drive all the way up anyway, so this probably works better. And there's also nothing wrong with exercise.

She got the address from one of the kids. She's been worried about Gogo since she found the girl beat up in Heropa, and she's here today with a canister of soup, some bread she baked just an hour before, and what else she could fit into a lunchbox that she remembers Gogo ordering at the café. It's got to be something, right? She gnaws nervously at her lip as she steps up to the front door of #004, raising her hand to knock.]

3!

[earnedmystripes]

[There's nothing quite as delightful a surprise as sudden, free muffins. How does Kotetsu always have such good luck with his neighbors man, first Jaime and now this. Kotetsu beams at her, opening his door wider and steps to the side, in obvious invitation.]

I'd love a muffin. You should come in, I'll get you a drink or something. I'm Kotetsu, welcome to Heropa!

[lasthugs]

Oh, thank you!

[Oh man, look at that enthusiasm! His smile's so bright it prompts her to smile wider, almost bouncing as she accepts that invitation in and steps inside.]

Man, you guys are too great, this is such a good reception. If you're all this friendly I can definitely get used to this.

COMBO PROMPTS (1, 3, 5)

[nockpoint]

[ it takes a few encounters to really strike up an acquaintance, or even a conversation, with archer. cass gets all three, in short order.

first, she smacks him with her grocery bags as he's on his way out of the store as well, his own bag filled and slung over a shoulder as well. (not that he has trouble with it, being a bullshit magical meat ghost with super strength and whatever.) if she tries to apologize, he will politely wave it off without a word, and go on his way. bye felicia.

THE SECOND TIME. the second time, he says no to the muffins. no! can you believe it? it might have had something to do with the fact that when he answered the door, he was drying water from his hands with a kitchen towel and wearing an apron of his own. there's the smell of something cooking, too, and again, this annoying tall guy with the stupid anime hair politely(?) refuses, thanks her for her offer, and closes the door before whatever he was frying starts to burn the house down.

third time, there's coffee. and this time, there's no reason not to say yes, so, here he is, looking up from his book and nodding. ]

Feel free.

[lasthugs]

[Cass hails from a pretty big, pretty busy city. She's used to some pretty reserved, even stand-offish people. She didn't mind his silence when they bumped into each other, and she didn't think much of how he refused the muffins. But perhaps third time's the charm, or it's some sort of fate, how they keep happening on each other.

She doesn't actually realize it's him until he responds and she looks at his face and--]

Oh, hello.