I don't wanna be the center of anything [Open]

[dirtyredneck]

WHO: Daryl Dixon, Mako Mori + Open
WHERE: Porter Cities & The House
WHEN: All November
WHAT: Catch-All!
WARNINGS: References Zombies Walkers, Kaiju, Abuse, General Violence and Gore are likely in a few threads.


Convention Circuit - A porter city near you
Having finally said goodbye to his Government assigned job, Daryl now had the free time to pursue projects he wanted to. For the most part. He was, however, still a contracted spokesman for Bow-Man Hunting and Hunting Season was well underway. With it came a convention circuit.

Daryl hadn't given much thought to the clause in his contract that had to do with personal appearances. He figured that he might have to make two, maybe three in a year because how many conventions could there be? 70. There were 70 conventions that Bow-Man Hunting had booths at. Every. Year. 26 for just the hunting and fishing industry. Not the general populace and 'enthusiasts', just the industry. The other 44 were the 'fan' conventions for the rest. The people that liked to go out like Daryl used to, for a weekend or a week in the woods. Or who wanted to prepare for a disaster, called themselves 'preppers'. Or for the rich asshole 'survival enthusiasts' who treated it all like a game. Gun shows, even, since families were often dragged along and left to 'ooh' and 'ahh' at whatever was in the dealer's hall and they could make a quick buck selling older models there along with their knife lines.

The only good part about the personal appearance clause was that he wasn't required to be at any shows (barring health or other negotiated absences) that weren't at the Porter Cities. The bad part was that he was required to be there for conventions in the Porter Cities. Which was why he could easily be found (looking very uncomfortable and grumpy, with shoulders hunched and arms crossed) by his adoring fans (Dear Lord how the hell did shooting one guy in the ass and posing for a couple pictures get him this much attention?) as well as people who actually wanted to talk shop.

Please, please, please, for the love of whatever you find holy or sacred or just downright okay, give him a 'business' reason to walk away from those fans crowding the side of the booth, taking pictures, and generally harassing him with a barrage of half-shouted questions and attempts to get his attention.


Enchilada Night - The House - November 3rd (open party for The Group, tag around/threadjack as you like)
Official purchase date had been October 23rd. Keys were handed out starting on the 25th. Official move-in date hadn't really been decided, as Daryl was still figuring out if he wanted to live on the property 'full time' or stick to the De Chima place. Mako's increased presence in day to day activity was pulling him closer and closer to Nonah as they'd have an easier time working their own personal touches into a new place than one of them taking up space somewhere the other had already established. Plus the De Chima house didn't really have space for the ravens Daryl was only a week or so away from formally adopting. The House did. And more they could add on to, as well.

Hell, he had already decided to move and just hadn't emotionally accepted it yet. He liked his housemates. Clark was quiet, but friendly enough. Betty always showed an interest in him and he was going to worry about her like crazy with Bruce still gone and her not knowing what to do with herself. And Catherine? He'd made her one of his almost as soon as he'd met her. They were kindred spirits from worlds where life as it was known in this one had ended.

Daryl wasn't really able to do a 'clean cut', but he could try to make the move-in more concrete. No better way to do that than with food. And free food, to boot. His last day on the job at the Cantina he'd been assigned to became something of a welcome-home move-in party. The restaurant was sad to see him go, but the employees had liked him well enough to fudge a few numbers on the books with 'remakes' and 'expired product' to send him packing with a good two dozen fresh enchiladas, a pile of tamales, and a few elotes.

Made for a great mini-feast with the family that none of them had to do the work for.


Wildcard/OOC
Daryl will largely be around Nonah and De Chima during November. Heropa will become less of a haunt the further into the month we get. If you've got an idea for a thread, you can post it or PM me to work it out beforehand so we're on the same page. And if you'd like a specific prompt, PM me and I'll set it up in the comments.

Also, feel free to tag in whatever style is most comfortable for you, I have no problem matching!

Comments

[redshoerevenge]

She started to wash the pot again, her fingers turning it carefully as she breathed in, as she listened, as she let his words sink in, and then set tit down. The water filled the pot on its own as she turned and stayed, her fingers dripping water, spotting the floor, her feet with water.

A barely perceptible tremor ran through her but she stayed, quiet, a hitch in her breath smoothing over.

"I'm here," she whispered and her fingers curled closed so she wouldn't reach out. It was only be sheer force of will that she didn't. The strain of it was in her eyes, the wideness of them as they searched his face. She would be still, she would control herself.

Her bones ached as she drew a hollow breath.

[dirtyredneck]

He nodded. It was slow. His hair falling into his eyes, brow creased and jaw tight with the stress of holding the distance between them when they were so close. A shaky breath was drawn and let out. Something to steady him a bit more.

"I know you want to run to me," he started, forcing each word to come out at an even pace. He couldn't rush this. The idea had to be heard and not blurred by the need to get it over with. "And I want to run to you. But we can't. The first time didn't hurt us. Neither of us knew how it was working and it was... it was a rocky start. But it didn't hurt us. The second time... I think it did. I think we rushed too fast. Skipped a step. We need to go slower. We need to walk. And we need to walk out of it after, too. Figure out each piece before we let it fall into place. A bike can't run right if the engine's put together wrong."

Daryl sucked in another breath and let his hands drop to his side as he straightened up, no longer fighting the urge to hold a hand out to her, "We need to do this every day. Like one of your katas. Slow as we can 'til we both know the steps as well as we do each other. Okay?"

[redshoerevenge]

Her fingers found a towel and she wiped them dry with delicate care, keeping herself in place. Controlled.

"Okay," she said and moved slow, trying to stay slow. If she wasn't slow here, she'd just fall. She'd fall into him. A new kata. She could do that. Slow, easy.

Her fingertips brushed his and she half turned her head.

"Every day, slow," Mako murmured as if to focus herself on the words, what they meant, what she ought to do. Her eyes half closed and she couldn't help but twine her fingers through his, her thumb against his knuckle, brushing lightly, keeping her in the moment. Not where she wanted to be, just here. She didn't let it go, she didn't let it connect, not yet. Mako just let herself feel the warmth of his hand pull the cold from hers and lowered her head.

[dirtyredneck]

He closed his fingers around hers. Keeping it slow like he'd asked of her. She couldn't do this alone and Newt had told him to try to mirror her. He could do it physically. Maybe that would help him do it once she tried to initiate it. Maybe. Or maybe it would stay confusing. But it would help now, before they got that far. Control the speed. That's what it was about.

He brought his other hand to cover the entwined fingers as he stepped forward just as she had. Met her half way. The chill of her hand fading away slowly with the light pressure. Daryl's eyes slid shut and he concentrated on the pattern of her breathing. Counted each intake and exhale. Then set to matching his own to it. They weren't in the drift, but they could breath with the same breaths.

[redshoerevenge]

Mako stayed that way for awhile, just like that, no rush. It was quiet, but not in absence. They were there, right there, still safe, still connected. It wasn't going to kill either of them to just stay, neither of them needed to panic, this wasn't an emergency. It was just them, right here, in one piece.

She reached out delicately, keeping her mind fully wrapped around the connection still struggling to reestablish, and as carefully as if she were replacing one of Gipsy's neural nodes, let the connection slide into place. It wasn't blinding, it was like the sunlight pouring through the window as they sat on the couch, warm and safe and comfortable. It was tea in a cup offered on her fingertips, extended, the soft jasmine scent of it curling in the air.

It wasn't the aftermath of a violent separation, it was just coming home.

[dirtyredneck]

Daryl didn't accept the offering right away. He let it hover just out of reach. Wanting it, wanting to lunge for it and seize on it and wrap himself in it like it was his vest. Protective and almost so much a part of him that even in the heat of the summer he still wore near constantly. But he had to do his part, too.

He could feel it tugging at him... no. Not tugging. Being offered. A gift. One he had the choice to take when he was ready. His head dropped and his forehead met hers as he relaxed. Mentally reaching out to take the connection and hold it with her. Try to hold it with her. Share the load. She might have to offer it alone, but she didn't need to carry it alone.

Everything about himself and about her flickered through his mind as they slotted into each other, settling into the comfortable place they'd made for themselves in the previous weeks. His day from the moment the Drift had ended until no was an open book for her if she wanted to look through it. And he purposely thought back to his conversation with Newt.

Flying. That could be our Kwoon. We could try it and see. Because they both knew he had far too many hangups about hitting a woman. The few times he'd done it had left him feeling sick after, with one lone exception that had been more reflex than intention.

[redshoerevenge]

She made the softest noise of relief as they connected and the taut lines of her body finally started to ease leaving behind a dull ache. Her free hand curled against the fabric of his shirt and stayed there as she soaked herself in him. There was a space where he fit now, a space she felt as keenly in his absence as she might have a missing limb. He belonged there.

Mako saw it, the conversation with Dr. Geiszler and approved of it because it was logical, it made sense. They didn't have to run like their lives were on the line because they weren't. No jaegers, no kaiju to fight, nothing coming to kill them, no Walkers. Mako didn't hold back her day, either, not even the bit with the cold tea. It was there, all of it.

I've wanted to do that with you. Her eyes found his for a long moment and she offered a smile. Fly. We should.

[dirtyredneck]

He knew she had. He'd been busy and hadn't put much thought to the desire. Flying wasn't as freeing to him as it was to her. It was nice, but his freedom had long been found with an engine between his knees and the wind tearing his hair away from his eyes. Motorcycles and noise. And she hadn't pushed. No reason to. But with a new direction, a new reason to fly beyond getting from one place to another, he wouldn't let the excuses build up.

A thousand apologies for having let them prior to now filtered between them and ended with a promise to do better by her. He reached out to hold the side of her head, then tilt it forward. Just enough that he could bring his own forehead to rest against hers for a moment before pulling away. His fingers brushing through the hair at the back of her neck. The kind of touch Carol gave him when he needed a bit of quiet support.

Tomorrow. First thing.

[redshoerevenge]

He didn't need to apologize or make promises. He never would. Mako closed her eyes and smiled as his forehead touched hers for that moment. They felt solid again, good. His voice in her head clear as she tucked herself against him.

Good.

She'd join him on a ride one day, she knew she would. It was just one of those things. But first, Mako wanted to build her own just for the fun of doing it. There was nothing better than taking something that didn't work and giving it love and attention enough that it did. After all, she didn't have Gipsy to work on, not here. The more projects she had, the less she'd have time to think.

Eventually that was going to come back and bite her.

[dirtyredneck]

Not tonight, though. Tonight was just them. They could enjoy the quiet of the house and each other's company. And maybe a better meal than either of them had had all day with the knots from letting go churning up their stomachs.

Daryl breathed in deeply but couldn't find it in him to pull away from her just yet. Hell, they had all night, they could stand there for a while.

[redshoerevenge]

Her fingers found his hair and very gently worked their way through and she let the contact ground her. She didn't want to pull away either, content to just be for awhile. Mako could just savor the moment of being exactly where she wanted to be.