[OPEN] and all the people that you made in your image

[flowerette]

WHO: Raina and YOU
WHERE: Heropa, De Chima, Maurtia Falls, and Nonah
WHEN: Month of November
WHAT: From stealing your shit for kicks to volunteering at a homeless shelter, join Raina on her wacky adventures.
WARNINGS: Possibly violence, probably some sexual innuendo. Will update if anything else comes up!

Heropa; Outside her home

[ Moving had never really been difficult for Raina in the past. She never stayed in one place long enough to collect the sheer amount of things she and Chilton had collected together. And so, they had to decide what would and would not make the journey with them to their new place. A couple pieces of furniture (a desk, dresser, end table, and chair) didn't make the cut. And so, Raina decided one day she wanted them out of the house and her sight.

Maybe someone happened upon her when she was struggling to drag that chair out the door -- or maybe they came upon the aftermath of the furniture at the end of the long driveway. But whatever the case, she wiped the perspiration off her brow, looking up with a weary smile. ]

It's free, if you're interested. [ It was November. This was Raina being charitable. ]


Heropa; Will's Shop (Closed to Will)

[ Raina had spent the better part of many months avoiding Will Graham. Hell, it was almost coming up on an anniversary since she stopped talking to him. But unfortunately, much the same way Chilton was the imPort psychiatrist -- Will was the imPort fish guy. There would be no one who would know how to maintain a koi pond better than him, no one who would know what she needed and how to keep them alive. Chilton might be allowing her to have that pond, but hell if Raina knew how to take care of any living thing. She could barely take care of Chilton himself.

So one day, she came storming into Will's shop -- entirely out of place with her floral print and heels. Raina approached him at the counter, slamming down the sketches for the fairly large pond she had drawn out and how it would fit into her garden. It was obvious she hoped to house a pretty large number of koi in that pond. ]

You're helping me with this. [ She wasn't asking. ] I want a koi pond. And I'd prefer it if they stay alive. So that's where you come in.

[ Maybe Will's like the last person anyone should ask to keep something alive. But if it's an animal, Raina figured she had a better chance than a person. ]


De Chima; Coffee Shop

[ It was during Raina's lunch break that she opted to leave the Cellular Research Center to head to a classy cafe nearby. She sat by herself with her laptop perched in front of her, a steaming cup of coffee in hand as she worked on typing up a few lab reports for the degree she was working on. Between work, her home life, and the Constellation -- it was amazing she had time to devote toward her doctorate at all. But Raina was, as always, motivated and driven. No rest for the wicked, as they said.

The cafe itself at this time was fairly crowded, each of those tables full of either med students studying away, couples talking intimately, friends enjoying a cup of coffee before work, or people like Raina who were on lunch break. So when she happened to glance up and spot someone in need of a seat, Raina gestured toward the one in front of her with a pleasant smile. ]

You can sit here if you want.


Maurtia Falls; Various Bars

[ Let it be known that Raina was not single. Anyone who paid even the slightest bit of attention to imPorts would know that. But the thing about a lot of men, and some women too, was that they often didn't care about those details. And so, Raina liked to go to these places from time to time just to see if she still had enough of her old spark and charm to get a few bites. And she would often wiggle out of those interactions with a few free drinks and numbers. Sometimes, these led to some great connections. But most of the time, it was just torn up napkins in the trash.

Tonight, however, Raina was feeling antsy. She had been for a while now. Her life had just gotten so lacking in excitement. Every day practically the same as the last. And it got to her, drove her mad with a need to break free from her boring little loop. So that night, after spending an evening flirting with someone, she caught the glint of something eye catching. Maybe a wallet. Maybe a watch or ring. Maybe a set of keys to some fancy vehicle. But when she saw it, suddenly she became drawn to that item. Having been homeless in Thailand during her youth, Raina knew how to lift an item off of someone -- usually without that person even realizing it was gone. And craving that same thrill, she quickly went for it and took off.

The adrenaline rush it gave her was so addicting, Raina decided to hit up a few more bars that evening to do it again -- targeting mostly those who appeared dangerous -- but any little trinket that was easily within her reach, she would grab and make a getaway, fleeing from one bar to the next and feeling so damn alive, she couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. ]


Maurtia Falls - Bridge

[ Maybe a few of those people had caught her at her little thieving game. Maybe they even got a bit rough with her -- something Raina might have even enjoyed. But mostly she would have returned that item with an impish grin and a 'I didn't mean any harm.' And even so, she still had a few souvenirs left when she was done. Raina laid them all out on the rail of a small bridge overlooking a river below -- admiring her little collection. But unlike her youth, she didn't actually need any of these belongings.

So, one by one, she started to flick them into the water below. If one of the victims of tonight's petty theft strolled up, hopefully they would get there before their belonging hit the river and washed downstream. But otherwise, whether it was someone who just happened to wander on the scene and wonder why this crazy woman was throwing such valuable items away or maybe someone who had seen what she did and came to bring her into custody, this was where she would be found at the end of that evening. ]


Nonah - Homeless Shelter (Thanksgiving)

[ Considering Chilton couldn't eat meat and Raina wasn't American, she saw no reason to honor the tradition of Thanksgiving in her home. Instead, she decided to volunteer her time much the same as she had done the year before. Last year, it had been a big 'fuck you' to Francis Urquhart that she chose Nonah as her spot to volunteer, hoping to prove herself to be more beneficial to the community than he could ever be. This year, it was simply because they had asked her back that she returned to Nonah, even though it was the city she cared least about.

So Raina, for once, wasn't glamorous. Her hair was pulled back and covered by a colorful bandana. She wore a set of comfortable (non-floral) clothes with an apron over top and a pair of plastic gloves. Still, she smiled charmingly as she served up a good portion of mashed potatoes onto an awaiting plate. ]

You want some gravy with that?

[ Whether someone was getting served at the shelter or volunteering themselves, Raina didn't discriminate in the least when it came to striking up conversation. The most riveting topic was the upcoming elections. And she absolutely didn't hesitate to ask: ]

So which imPort candidate would you be most interested in seeing as your new ambassador?

Comments

Maurtia Falls, bar

[jacksonian]

[ Mark notices his missing cufflinks and watch right at the precise moment that one of those dangerous-looking targets stands up and blocks Raina's path. The man is clearly more perceptive than Mark is; it had taken him a good five minutes to realize that he'd been robbed, whereas this guy figured it out quickly. The man is also clearly more vengeance-inclined than Mark is; his face looks dangerous indeed.

Of course, the man isn't after Raina specifically - he hasn't figured out it's her. Rather, he roars out to the whole room that until his granddaddy's watch is returned, he's not letting anyone leave. At that announcement, Mark doesn't look at the man; rather, his eyes scan the room, trying to see if he can pick out who it was who robbed him. Searching people's faces for apprehension, excitement...something. ]

[flowerette]

[ It takes Raina's breath away when she's stopped and for a moment, she thinks the man knows -- that he's about to grab her wrist, maybe shake her a little bit until she returns the watch. But he doesn't. And so, high on the thrill of what she can get away with, Raina heads near Mark -- but Mark isn't the intended target. It's yet another dangerous looking man, and instead of taking something from him, Raina slips the watch into his pocket and saunters away.

The man eventually finds it in confusion and in that instant, the misunderstanding is made and he's taking the hit for Raina's little crime. Which, she definitely seems pleased about. Cal had once remarked that she thrives on chaos, and it's not really far from the mark.

Of course, Raina is getting further from the Mark in the room, as she navigates that crowd in order to get to the exit. ]

[jacksonian]

[ This time, Mark catches it. He's no thief, but an assassin's training isn't completely unlike a pickpocket's, and so his eye tracks the subtle movement as she slips the watch into someone's pocket. He doesn't call out or intervene - both men look like total pieces of shit, so they can fight it out to their heart's content; instead, he stands and leaves his glass of wine to follow her out to the exit.

Who is that woman? It's curiosity more than anything else that makes him follow her. He's not particularly concerned about recovering his property. He's more curious about why she's doing this - and, well, if she'd be recruitable. More contacts are always a good thing.

So when she slips out through the door, he takes a moment and then goes after her, scanning the parking lot to see exactly where she went. ]

[infomodder]

[Despite the advancement of time, she'll find Will very much the same, though with the makings of a beard that he'd never gotten to before. A silly hat that says REEL WOMEN FISH rests atop wild curls struggling to fight it off, wrapped all around it. It's like nothing has really changed on his end.

He'd been leaning over the counter to flip through a magazine when the door opened. Will stood up, careful not to be too quick, when he caught sight of heels, a whiff of her scent. A little too properly, really; his neck cranes back a bit, but not from some snooty superior feeling. No. This is surprise, surprise and confusion bordering on fear. Does he need to worry? Does he need to...is there a risk here?

Sketches. He looks down at them, blinks, looks back up at Raina. For a few seconds, he's frozen there, like a fish waiting for the thaw. A man waiting for the shoe to drop.

Oh.

Huh.

He leans back over, hands very, very gently picking at what she's brought. He lifts and moves her sketches with a respectful awe because he sure as hell ain't eating them.]

Aiming for quite a few. [Just an observation. Will turns a sketch over, appraising it like he's considering it for his own house.] Caring for fish changes with the season. If I may, building it over the winter and placing your koi in during the spring might be a wise course of action for your first time.

[He looks back up at Raina and offers a faint, thin smile.]

But if you really want them now, that's no problem. Just giving you my two cents.

[flowerette]

You're the fish guy. You would know what's best.

[ A disappointing thing that she couldn't have her koi immediately, but also probably best to keep them alive. Maybe they could have them indoors somewhere for the winter. Surely Chilton wouldn't mind a jacuzzi full of koi. ]

It will take some time to have it dug and set up properly the way I want anyway. I imagine we're looking at a couple of months. But I wanted to get the supplies and get an idea of the maintenance required and how to maintain them before I go ahead and toss them in the water. What should I do to keep the local wildlife from getting at them, for instance?

[infomodder]

[A jacuzzi full of koi screams wealth and a certain sort of weird taste. Chilton might be all over it...except for the caring aspect.

He watches Raina for longer than necessary after she finishes speaking. He looks down, finally, and runs a hand over his neck. A few silent seconds pass before he moves to squat.]

Depends on what predators you'll be dealing with. [His tone carries the near-groan of a man with aching joints and muscles being given a mild workout by the new position. There's the noise of paper being moved about, Will clearly looking for something. Ruffling, tsking, and then several magazines focused on koi ponds bound with strained rubber bands make an appearance on the counter. Only then does he ease back up.] Knew these'd come in handy.

[They're turned at the edges, frayed a bit, some dust around the edges. He is the fish guy. Raina said it herself. If he doesn't have the fish information in his head, he'd sure as shit better know where to find it. He starts to pull the rubber bands off, careful to keep them from Raina's sketches.]

You'll wanna make your pond deep and put hidey spots in it. That'd be a great start.

heropa

[unwiseheart]

It's what?

[ That's a weird offer to make in the middle of fighting a chair out through a door and Nicolas assumes it's to him, being the only one walking by right now. He's only out for a stroll to smoke, if only to save his own apartment from the seeping stench of cigarettes. He'll stop for Raina, though, if only to give her and her chair a puzzled look.

He's certain he's met this lady before, though not recently, definitely well before he'd been taken down to one eye (something he's still intent on using tan-toned adhesive patches to cover it rather than a big ol' eyepatch). A name escapes him. Something with an R?

He waffles a few seconds over whether or not to put his cigarette out, inevitably deciding to hang onto it. For now. There's always the chance he'll get to pick right back up where he's left off on his little walk. ]

Uh, no. No, thank you... but... Do you need help with that? You know, moving it. Out here.

[flowerette]

[ Free things normally mean a bit more willingness to aid her, she's found. But Nicolas seems to be doing so out of the kindness of his heart. ]

That would be great, thank you. [ She shuffles to the side so he can help in pulling it free from the entrance. ] There are a few more things inside, too. If you don't mind sticking around for a bit and helping out...

[ Raina tilts her head toward him and finally gets a good look at him. They had met before. Almost a year ago, in fact. Maybe pretty much exactly a year ago. ]

The Swear In. The one with the Thanksgiving dinner. That's when you first arrived, right? Well. Happy anniversary, in that case.

[unwiseheart]

[ What can he say? Sometimes he's a nice guy. Awkward, but nice. ]

Yeah, sure.

[ Though he'll take a second or two to put out his cigarette, only snuffing out the end to save the rest for later. To avoid throwing it on the ground, as well. Before he can get a move on to grab the chair, however, she mentions the last Thanksgiving swear-in. That earns her a second, closer look. ]

Uh, that's right. Right. You were there. [ Although he'll grimace at the "happy anniversary". ] But maybe not so happy. It means I've been here a year.

[ But onward to the chair, which he'll take the other side of and re-angle it some, getting the corner that kept getting caught around the door's siding. ]

bridge

[oceanthief]

[the items may be launched into the river, but they don't stay there very long. a long, thin tendril containing all of the discarded loot suddenly rises up, as if the water itself is rejecting this gross display of careless littering.

it slinks through the air towards a spot on the bridge maybe twenty feet down from Raina, where the culprit of this aquatic rebellion is revealed: there's Lapis, tiny bare feet balancing on the guard rails to allow her an actual view of anything else.

the tendril breaks seamlessly into individual spheres as it reaches its master, each one containing a pilfered item. Lapis reaches up to pull one towards her and inspect it, brow scrunched lightly in faint confusion. after a moment or two she looks up, addressing Raina for the first time.]

I don't think any of these are water soluble.

[nor do they look anything like the various probing or construction equipment that Homeworld used to employ during their preliminary explorations of a new planet. it's a bit strange to find them being intentionally tossed into any body of water.]

[flowerette]

[ Well. That most certainly is a surprise. Raina glances over and takes note of Lapis. And rather than addressing her little fun activities, she opts for a more normalized conversation. ]

Lapis. You're out late, aren't you?

[ But she supposes a sea wielding gem goddess from some other planet doesn't necessarily follow Earth-like timelines. And then she also remembers that water is strongest in the glow of the moon. ]

But I suppose it makes a certain amount of sense now that I think about it. Do people ever throw coins into the water back in your world to make a wish? It's one of those silly human things.

[oceanthief]

Gems don't need to sleep.

[she offers this helpfully despite Raina's assertion that she's puzzled out some sort of rationalization, just in case it ever becomes relevant again in the future. it's easier to head off explanations at the pass when it comes to humans, she's found.]

We don't really have enough water to be throwing anything in it.

[I'm assuming anyway since Peridot didn't know what fucking rain was, SU please stop making life so difficult for me.]

Why do you think that water will grant you a wish if you pay it enough? It can't think.

Bridge, early in the month

[dun_moch]

[Count Dooku has been meaning to confer with Raina, and opted to arrange a nighttime meeting at one of Maurtia Falls' more secluded bridges instead of using the Network. It's easier to gauge what's going on in her serpentine mind when he is face-to-face with her... besides which, he really has come to enjoy her company, on some mild level.

However, a good part of that enjoyment comes from the expectation that Raina is more sensible than most other imPorts. What Dooku finds her doing when he approaches her on the bridge does not appear sensible.]

Feeling a little bored tonight, are we?

[He asks as he watches somebody's gold ring fly off into the dark waters below.]

[flowerette]

[ Her head cranes toward him, almost as fluid as the waters below. With one sweeping motion, the rest of her little collection all tumbles down into the river and she places her hands on the rail to watch them in their journey. ]

You would think in a city as steeped in crime as Maurtia Falls happens to be, these people would be a little more careful with their valuables. No wonder there are so many thieves here.

[ But what she's been up to is hardly as important as what they will be up to. ]

I managed to talk Dorian Gray into working with us. The man is a moron, but he does have his uses. I wouldn't trust him on a more sensitive mission, of course. But he is pretty suitable as a shield, if need be.

[dun_moch]

[The Count watches the collection vanish without lifting an eyebrow. Trinkets like these are beneath his notice.]

Predators would never be able to survive without prey. Perhaps the gullibility of the people is what makes Maurtia Falls what it is.

[All of which is beside the point, of course. They have far grander things in mind than petty theft.]

Gray has power and experience. I am sure we will be able to find a use for him.

[Immortality has its benefits. And the thought of using someone as annoying as Dorian for a meat shield is not without its charms.]

Tohru Adachi is now one of us as well. His foolishness conceals great potential, which I have invested in. I am confident he shall serve us well.

coffee shop;

[grimreaping]

[ Kid's been spending more time in De Chima because of work at the Watchtower, but even he needs a break to regroup from time to time. Having gotten his drink, he's about to deem finding a place to sit as a lost cause, when he hears the offer and turned to find Raina at a table. It's been a while since they've run into each other, but Kid perks right up. ]

Thank you. How have you been?

[flowerette]

I've been well. You?

[ She takes her eyes off of the computer screen to give Kid her full attention, her smile growing all the more. Kid had always been interesting to her because of the sheer scope of his powers. The god of death in the form of a teenage boy. That certainly seems like the sort of person you want to befriend. ]

[grimreaping]

Well enough... I don't think anything's exploded this week.

[ The joke, sadly, is only about 70% truth, because things really do like to explode when imPorts are around. He opens the lid of his takeout cup, steam escaping from within, and nods at Raina's computer. ]

I'm not interrupting your work, I hope.

coffee shop

[acclimatized]

[ john doesn't usually come here on his lunch break, but a new arrival left him with little time to get organised for work. the result was him standing around looking lost with a coffee and sandwich until raina beckons him over. ]

Cheers. I almost didn't see you behind that laptop.

[ John smiles. their meetings are few and far between, but he's always pleased to see her. ]

[flowerette]

This is how I hide from my adoring fans.

[ Raina chirps playfully -- as though people were lined up at the door to meet with her. But she can't help but warm at the sight of him. Seeing John is definitely a welcome sight. It's always nice to know that some of the people who have been here for so long haven't drifted off into the porter, never to return again. ]

How have you been since -- gosh, was it February when I last saw you? No, we talked after that. About your bathrobe. I'm glad to see you're wearing suitable clothes today.

[acclimatized]

It almost worked.

[ john seems to be a constant in this world. he's lost count of the amount of people who have come and gone while he's remained here. he'd hope chilton would have the decency to let him know if raina ever left, but she seems to be another person permanently rooted in this world.

at her comment, he points at his shirt. ]

Oh this? It's just something I had lying around the house. I can't say it has the same sex appeal as my bathrobe, but I think I scrub up pretty well. I think it was July we last had a chat. Before Crane's mate crashed the party.

[ as gothamites tend to do. ]

How are you doing, Raina?

[CLOSED to Alison Hendrix]

[flowerette]

[ The place of choice was some sort of vegetarian grill in Heropa. Raina might be moving away from the Floridian city, but there are still places here she enjoys enough to visit. It's not like the city of Nonah, which she barely goes to after her election loss to Urquhart.

Raina had set a time for them to meet, and then figured that Alison is the type to probably get somewhere early (she seems to have that personality type), so Raina arrives about a half an hour ahead of schedule, getting out of her car and tossing on a pair of sunglasses as she searches over the parking lot for her lunch date. ]

[subourbon]

[Sure enough, Alison is already waiting inside, furiously texting to a potential client about how their expectations are unrealistic given the parameters she has to work with. When Raina enters, she looks up and smiles, waving cheerfully at her.]

Raina! I didn't expect you so early!

[OOC: SO SORRY, I have been so busy this month with various things!]

[CLOSED to Frederick Chilton]

[flowerette]

[ Finding the thrill in it, Raina's petty thieving continued on for roughly a week after it began. It was the same pattern of innocently lifting items off of her victims and then dumping them into the river. But one night, she wasn't as careful as she should have been and the security footage had caught her little slight of hand tricks. Unfortunately for her, this ended up with the police being called.

Fortunately for her, it was one of Baelish's corrupt cops that intervened in the call and instead of bringing her to jail, he was instructed to bring her to Chilton's hospital. Of course, she didn't appreciate being forced into one of those holding cells. But then again, once Frederick got there, she knew he would let her out. So for now, she sat like an irritable cat, glaring at the staff with her invisible tail twitching.

And when the psychiatrist finally entered the room, her demeanor changed as she stepped closer to the bars, coiled her fingers around them, and oozed with an outpouring of seduction. ]

Baby, can we put an end to this show? Maybe go upstairs, to your office...

[slightlyoffchilt]

Raina, my god.

[Luckily the hospital had only the out-patient facility up and running; it would have been outright undignified to meet his girlfriend and loving companion soaked in glass walls and padding that the in-patients would soon meet come January. Raina had been stashed in something of a panic room for a patient who might be suffering a psychotic breakdown amidst observation; it was bright, airy, and heavily protected. The bars might appear unseemly, but they were simply for the security of unhinged individuals.

It unnerved Chilton to see her there.]

The officer who had delivered you to me made mention of petty theft. Raina? What on earth?