maskormenacelogs | (no subject)

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Whoops. Did that fall flat? It's looking like it did if it took that long to even register. He can practically hear Natasha in his head: E for effort, Rogers, but next time try not to fall on your face. Still, she laughs, and that's really what he was after. His eyebrows raise in a friendly way. ]

Good point. I'll have to cycle that one out of my repetoir.

[ Which consists of maybe five articles, but hey, who's counting? He's not much of a flirter, anyway. Last gal he tried to talk up turned out to be a SHIELD agent put on detail to keep an eye on him; that'll sour a guy on trying for awhile. ]

How old are they, if you don't mind my asking?

[Cass isn't much of a flirt either, anyway, and the moment his smile started as he ate the muffin, he's been written into the category of people who won't be able to escape the mom-ing. Which is pretty much everybody she'll ever meet anyway, but that's besides the point. She's absolutely delighted to see him grinning, and she helps herself to her own muffin, too.]

Fourteen, [she answers, and without missing a beat she adds,] and nineteen. They're good boys -- I hope it's all right if they came over sometimes?

Huh.

[ Well, those ages sure don't seem to add up with what hers looks like to be -- but he's not asking, because it's none of his business either way. Instead he raises his eyebrows, as though surprised by the question. ]

Of course! It's as much your place as mine -- and I'd love to meet them.

[ They must be good kids, with a mother like this. After a quick check for approval, he grabs himself another muffin, leaning more comfortably onto the counter as he begins to relax. Her presence is remarkably soothing in a way he hasn't felt in a long time, bringing back memories of a cramped old apartment and meager meals at a battered old table by the window. Those weren't always good times -- but they could still be happy times, once in awhile. ]

[She supposes it is a weird thing to ask permission for. But sometimes, people don't like children, and that's a fact of life. But her eyes crinkle with with the grateful look she gives him at his answer, and as she straightens up and tucks her hair behind her ear, she's almost buzzing with excitement.]

I'm sure you'll like them! And they'll like you, too -- I mean, you know how teenage boys can get, and they're brothers too so they might get a bit rowdy but -- Oh what am I saying -- thank you, Steve.

And oh, by the way? Feel free to take as many of those as you like. That batch is just for the house.

[ He'd argue over her generosity -- but she just doesn't seem the type to do anything but bleed generosity, so instead he just laughs and shakes his head. ]

Thanks, Cass.

[ He's about to say more, but a thump of something heavy and solid against glass startles him enough that he spins around, reaching for a shield that's nowhere within his grasp. Still, it doesn't look like an attack -- in fact, the window is open and something is flopping around in a confused mess of curtain on the floor. ]

The hell-- Cass, stay back.

[ His hand goes out by her for good measure to encourage her to keep her distance as he approaches the squawking mass of fabric. Once he's in arm's length, he reaches out and yanks some of the battered curtain back...

...And a freaking eagle head pops out, staring right at him.

Today is a weird day. ]

[Cass gives like she was born to do so. She might as well have been. She nods firmly at his acceptance -- good! That's how it should be. Even if he argued, there's no way for her to finish all these muffins on her own anyway.

And she can see that he's about to say more, readying herself for further conversation, when she too is startled by that sound and she turns right around toward it. Was that Mochi? But no, Mochi's right there still sitting by Steve, too lazy to do more than narrow his eyes in the direction of the lump in the curtains. And it's definitely not Baymax this time.

And then there's an eagle this time and she's too startled to even be startled. A lot's happened today! She's been kidnapped. She's been drafted, in a way. She's been thrown into a new house and a new job and she's too tired to even scream about this weird avian intrusion. In fact she covers her mouth with her hand, then curls her fingers to chew on the tip of a nail and says, very quietly,]

... Oh dear.

[ What the hell is he supposed to do with this, anyway? He's left staring, frozen in place as he tries to figure out how to do this with the least amount of damage done to either bird or apartment -- but now that he's gotten the curtain off it, the raptor seems to have calmed considerably. In fact, it's cocking its head at him in a way that's almost... He can't place it, really. It's just not the sort of look one expects from a wild animal. ]

Alright, easy now...

[ Reaching out, he carefully begins to disentangle the bird from the cloth wrapped around it, assuming it stunned by how calmly it allows him to handle its wings. Once he finally pulls the curtain away, it moves again -- this time flapping its wings about until it rights itself onto its feet, while Steve backs up and gives it a respectful distance.

And then it just... stands there.

Looking at him. ]

....Uh.

[ He looks at the bird, then glances at Cass, then the bird, then Cass again, with a look that seems to imply a general sense of Okay, what now? ]

[As relieved as she isn't that they aren't about to get pecked to death by the national bird, there's... it's a bit unsettling, watching this grand bird stare at her new housemate like it's waiting for him to do something. Cass moves forward, coming to a stop next to Steve.]

That's-- that's a bald eagle, right?

[She's never seen one in person before! She peers at it, then looks at Steve when he turns to her, too.]

... Do they even live in Florida?

[ He's seen one at the zoo before, ages ago -- but sure as hell not this close. The bird shifts and makes a noise a bit like that of a seagull, getting Steve's eyes back on it just in case it panics and starts crashing around. ]

I guess they do, since we've got one in our living room. I guess it could be from a zoo?

[ The raptor has locked eyes with him, and the look he's getting is sort of throwing him off. Like it wants something. Maybe this is someone's pet? Can you even keep an eagle as a pet? His eyes dart to the window before he takes a slow step forward, hands open. ]

Alright, c'mon now, buddy... Let's get you back on out of the--

[ The eagle cocks its head, then opens its wings up and flaps in a mess of feathers and talons past them to land somewhat awkwardly on the arm on the couch, further from the window. Steve instinctively pulls Cass further back from the animal. ]

...Great.

Oh!

[That's a first. Whenever something like this -- like maybe a large dog suddenly growling at them -- happened, it was usually her that was pulling a tiny Hiro away, or shielding him and Tadashi. This is a change, and she's a little surprised.

Still, she's watching the bird curiously and maybe a little warily, but mostly calm.]

Do you think it's hurt, maybe?