[PRP] Soak Up the Sun [ Ofelia + Melvin ] FINISHED

[Rown]

For some reason or another Ofelia had grown tired of eating things that she knew. It wasn't that cooking or baking was boring (that was a ridiculous thought) but it was more or less that she wanted to try something she hadn't given any thought to before. There was always the chance at just making something up randomly on the spot, a pretty fun idea in retrospect, but the danger of making something that would land her in the medical ward getting her stomach pumped put that idea into a perspective that drove the teen to a place of dread.

A place where she would never find her way out if she didn't know where she was in the first place.

The library

The teen went in quickly, not making any eye contact with others just in case someone happened to be in there, and she shuffled her way towards the section where she assumed there would be cooking books. All libraries had to have a cooking section right? Even if they didn't she'd just wing it and read some non-fiction, trying to take from whatever she read a good idea of what to make.

The fact that something like that could also end with her getting her stomach pumped was overlooked.

She paused in front of a large selection of books, slipping one of her feet out of the flip flops she wore. Standing like a stork she browsed through what she hoped would be good, but the eagerness that had been on her face slowly started to fade.

MoonKitsune

 

[MoonKitsune]

Between spars and rebuilding, Melvin really didn't have much to do before bed. His ipod wasn't working which meant he was having a hard time sleeping. Luckily, if he exhausted himself enough, he could pass out with ease, but his hallway was quiet and he needed something to fill the time between work. Usually he'd be studying or doing lab work for his major, but not in college anymore, there was this void of time not being well spent.

So he found the library to get a few books. One book on biology and 2 science fiction novels just to pass the time. He'd been passing by through the isles for anything that might strike his interest, and had paused in cooking just to look at crafts as a last ditch effort to pass some time.

In move romance movies, finding a girl in a library would be taken with the care of having the camera do a crawling body shot, from her shoes up to her head, but this was not one of those moments. Flipflops to Melvin were rather dirty and unappealing to him, and he didn't like bare feet unless they were coming out of a bathtub. While her shorts were tiny and she was wearing a tank top, they were worn, and there seemed to be some stains of what he was trying to believe weren't blood but looked like it. It wasn't the first case he saw this as a few other people here seemed to have a few stains of a similar nature here and there. Still, it was no excuse. There was laundry detergent and bleach to fix those problems. The jacket seemed to be the only thing that wasn't worn, and he noticed the sun on it.

Suns. So far they carried massive weapons and liked fighting. However, she didn't seem to be bulging with muscles. In fact, she didn't even seem to smell bad considering her clothes. They weren't dirty, just very worn.

As for Melvin, his clothes were pristine, but he was new, and he regarding the crafts section with the sort of awkwardness of a guy who was silently admitting he wanted to do crafts.

Being bored had it's downside.  

[Rown]

The book Ofelia had in her hands was dropped to the ground with an angry frown, the teen's brows knitting themselves downward as whatever she'd hoped to find inside the cover wasn't offered. Another book soon joined, the contents hardly even being scanned over, and the teen groaned loudly at her apparent inability to locate whatever she was wanting. It was a hard thing to do when she didn't even know what she needed in the first place yet whatever it was certainly none of these things were it. A sigh followed on the tail end of the groan and it looked as though she was about to give up when she knelt back down, scooping the pile into her arms. As she rose to put them back in one happened to fall away, landing rather closely to the feet of someone she hadn't heard come in.

Ofelia took in this new person with her eye, peering at him up and down quickly as she shoved books back onto the shelf. Her appraisal was that he was new, not in her group, and therefore if she didn't know him she shouldn't feel bad at all about it. A thin and shaking grin spread over her face as she finished shelving the books and looking him over, both tasks done in rather good time (to her taste). "Sommin' Ah can help ya wit'?" And then she opened her mouth and spoke, her accent never a welcome post anywhere. This person was new, he was staring at her, and maybe just even saying a single sentence to him scared him off.  

[MoonKitsune]

Thack!

He jumped, looking over to see a book on the ground. At first he thought she dropped it, but she made no motion to pick it up. Maybe she was going to take that with her? He tried not to be nosy, and continued looking through the titles to see what he could do in his spare time. Origami was hard if he didn't have any paper. It also required scissors and he didn't know where the office supplies were.

Thwack!

He startled, then looked to see another book drop. He waited, then saw another. Then another.

I guess they are too heavy for her to carry, but she could just set them on a shelf to pick up. The floor isn't exactly clean.

Finally, she reached down and then SHOVED ALL THE BOOKS BACK IN ONE SPOT!

Speechless,he watched her ram the books together with no regard for order into a spot she cleared. When she turned to him, he just looked in disbelief back before she seemed to huff at him.

"What are you doing?!" He said, moving in to grab the pile of books she just forced into a spot. "Someone had to organize that. You can't just shove them any place. They need to go back in the order you put them." He huffed, looking at one book and seeing it was for BBQ before finding the open spot and putting it in. "If someone needs those books and don't see them in the right spot, they'll think it's just missing or signed out. You shouldn't drop them on the floor either. You don't treat your things like that, do you?" He grumbled before putting another book back, and then another.  

[Rown]

Truth be told, Ofelia did treat her stuff like that. She blinked at the newcomer, bewildered, and took a step back as he went at the books with some form of impassioned anger-zeal. "Ih...considerin' the lack'a culinary efforts in this place, Ah dun think anyone much is gonna haunt this section." She spoke, raising her hands up and backing up slightly to prevent him from knocking into her in whatever book quest he was on. She was going to say more on the subject when she mentally kicked herself that arguing with a person right out was a surefire way to burn her hands and ruin a friendship; the end result of that was her clearing her throat and forcing an apology into her mouth. "Sorry." Her words whispered out as she did her best to look sheepish though mostly she looked confused.

This was just awkward. Should she say something else to maybe help with the situation? Common sense would tell her to shut up and just let him finish but Ofelia didn't have common sense.

"Was there a book over here ya were lookin' fer? Ah didn' think anyone else here at Deus was inta the cookin' scene like Ah am." She asked, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. So awkward.

MoonKitsune

i am so sorry this took so long omg

 

[MoonKitsune]

Rown

"Just because you don't know anyone who is, doesn't mean there isn't someone who might someday become interested. Someone here still had to make sure all theses books are in order. If not, then you couldn't stand in this section and know that it was for cooking books." Common sense and common courtesy, never that common as he hoped.

Setting the last book back in it's proper place, he went over to pick the pile he placed on the shelf that he hoped to check out. "Cooking is next to crafts. I was hoping for something productive to do in my spare time. Just browsing really." He glanced at her and the section she was in. She seemed like a messy person, and that made him cringe at the idea of her handling food. "You cook here? Does that mean we have free access to the kitchens?"  

[Rown]

So he...wasn't angry at her? It was hard to tell with this guy and Ofelia already had enough issues telling if people liked her or not. Still she kept on keeping on, staying silent unless a question really came up and instead just standing there taking the miniature verbal remarks as though nothing too troublesome was being said. Who cared about being organized? This guy was new, he didn't know that half these people probably wouldn't be living long enough to even give a s**t about food after too long. "Hmm....free access in'a manner'a speakin'. Cookin' comes up on chore rotations sometimes but Ah kinda took it all over so mostly anyone who dun wanna eat what the cafeteria makes gets sommin' Ah made b'for." Ofelia shrugged and rubbed the back of her neck again. "Ah've never been good wit' mah hands 'cept at cookin', so that's how Ah past the time. Ya got any kind'a craft work ya like best?"

She paused, then thought. "Or are ya askin' 'bout the kitchens 'cause yer interested in givin' cookin' a try? Ah was here today tryin' ta find sommin' new ta make, am gettin' a bit tired'a the same things over an' over."

MoonKitsune

 

[MoonKitsune]

"I have no particular craft I'm good at. Once did origami when I was younger, but no real crafts. Seemed a waste of paper." Those there was something fun about cutting into construction paper or folding colorful paper into some crude, abstract bird. Still, the fun was usually very short lived and he grew bored quickly. That and the scraps of paper were just annoying to clean up. A lot of waste for something that wasn't that spectacular. In the end, it was more about consuming time than the actual end product.

"I'm not good at cooking. I usually stayed out of the kitchen back home. I can read instructions on a box rather well through, but I never went and made things from scratch." He tended to just pop something in the over or microwave, set a timer, and that was that. When he did visit home from college, he'd be happy to eat his mother's cooking again and feel at home.

I'll never have that.

He felt overwhelmed by this simple thought, and rushing to stop something that might dramatically change his mood, he dived into another distraction in their conversation. "I guess with you taking all the kitchen rotation, there isn't a lot of cooks?"  

[Rown]

Ofelia had no idea what origami was and therefore she wasn't going to comment on it. Whatever it was took a lot of paper and it was a waste, or so this new person happened to say, so she filed that back in the recesses of her mind where it would likely be forgotten within a week. Rue snorted, but the conversation moved onward.

"Hmm, ta be honest Ah've never seen a cook since Ah started here couple'a months back. S'always been jus' kinda fend fer yerself, or jus' eat from the cafeteria? Ah prefer ta make food Ah've eaten mahself since Ah know mah tastes better'n anyone else, heh." Ofelia grinned and her cheeks flushed again, either feeling really awkward to be talking about herself like that or else just feeling like a normal idiot. Her little chuckle at the end of it did nothing to allay that feeling, instead just being. . .well, Ofelia.

She stood silently for a moment before a high pitched whine and grumble errupted from her stomach, indicating the current status of how her body felt. She'd just been looking for something to make but apparently even just looking at pictures was more than enough. "Actually, Ah was 'bout ta head on back an' make sommin'. Yer welcome ta tag 'long if ya want, Ah can show ya were it is. Also if yer hungry ya can make sommin', or Ah'll share whatever it is Ah end up makin'." Ofelia had no idea if this person would even eat her cooking, as meticulous and clean and . . . .well, picky as he looked. Still it didn't hurt to be friendly and her greatest joy was seeing others eating her meals, even if they didn't like it and only pretended to say to her face that it was good. "Ah could even make sommin' jus' fer yer tastes if ya wan', seein' as Ah wanna try sommin' new."  

[MoonKitsune]

He had noticed that aside from the cafeteria and the vending machines, his options were rather limited as to what was there to eat. There were no restaurants or fast food places on the island as the place was guarded off from others, and if there was a portal that went near a restaurant, he was sure he'd see a lot more carry-out or fast food bags around here. The alluring smell of that food would have traveled in any building. As it was, the kitchen seemed to be a new alternative, and he was sure even he would get tired from cafeteria food.

Setting a hand to hold his chin, he looked around, looking the girl over. It was a good opportunity to see where the kitchen was, what ingredients it offered, and if he could make something basic. Cooking and baking was chemistry and math in the end, and he had always planned to learn it after college.

"Okay, I'll tag along. You can cook what you want. I'm not picky."

Tell her to make spookies!

What the hell are spookies?

You don't know what spookies are? *Gasp* You must have had a rough childhood. No wonder you're always grumpy! They are like little circle uh....cakes..but denser....and they sometimes have chocolate chips or frosting on top or -

Are you talking about cookies?

What's a cookie?

Melvin took the hand on his chin to rub his brow. Saliva was going to make him run out of aspirin at a record pace if she kept these dumb conversations up.

"Just let me check these books out real quick." He picked up the small pile he had and walked over to check out the books he had, then coming back to her to wait if she was going to check any books out, he gestured for her to lead the way. "Ladies first."  

[Rown]

Ofelia didn't say follow me, instead she motioned it with her hand after she waited for the newcomer to finish checking out books. Who the heck checked out books from a library, let alone a library in a place where everyone lived? To be more honest Ofelia hadn't even thought of taking books so the newcomer was entirely in the right. She should really learn some manners from people eventually but it was a hard work in progress.

After she was sure that she was being followed Ofelia kept her pace nice and slow, taking her time to get from the library to the kitchen. It wasn't that she wanted to talk, or wasn't in a hurry - it was more or less that she enjoyed the stroll and her companion had some books. It was only polite of her to be considerate of how he was walking and carrying things, right?

Totally.

"Oh. . . mah name's Ofelia, by the way. Ofelia Tanner - but most 'round here jus' call me Ofie." Come to think of it, everyone called her Ofie, even sometimes the enemies she fought after she went and told them her name. She held her right arm up idly, showing off the charm bracelet that graced her wrist. "This 'ere's mah partner, Rue. Her weapon form Ah'll show ya sometime if yer ever interested in'a duel." She grinned at the thought of a spar since spars were wonderful and probably one of the few times Rue was not unhappy.

. . . .well, not too unhappy.

"What's yer name, if Ah may ask?" Good to get to know one another if they'd be working together, right? They still had a little bit to go to the kitchens anyway, might as well get the pesky bit about introductions outta the way.

MoonKitsune

 

[MoonKitsune]

"Oh, you can ask. My name is Melvin Wood. Now do you like being called Ofie, or would you rather I call you Ofelia?" Sometimes he had people shorten him name and hated it, and tended to call everyone by their full first name. It was why he tended to also hate people who gave themselves nicknames as they always seemed ridiculous or forced.

"Now, I can't really tell by the way you've hanged your coat. What division are you in?" He titled his head just slightly to see the insignia on her coat, but the way her coat was hanging on her hips had the back part folded across the back. blocking the image. "I'm still figuring out this division breakup, and like to keep track."

Rown

 

[Rown]

"Yer welcome ta call me whatever ya please, Ah'll respond ta pretty much anythin', dun really have'a preference fer it." That was very, very true. "Ah dunno who even started callin' me Ofie - probably mah brother. Most people Ah guess jus' find it easier ta shout at me than mah full name." The teen grinned. "Usually Ah only hear mah full name when Ah'm in trouble." She paused there. "Though it's really nice ta meetcha Melvin, welcome ta Deus - if someone hasn' said that ta ya yet. S'kinda a weird place ta be, but Ah like it well 'nough." Sometimes she missed her home, most times she didn't. People treated her decent here that she didn't want to go home. Often.

They were almost there, and Melvin asked her another question. "Mah divi - oh, Ah'm a Sunnie. Er...Sun hunter, intermediate level. Means Ah'm a rank 'bove ya if yer new but a step b'low someone like. . . er...Jerry? Yeah, Ah think Jerry's in full hunter now." If the jacket she saw him sporting at that last outing meant anything then yes, he was. "Yer a. . . Life?" She glanced at this jacket as she walked, careful not to step into anything.

MoonKitsune

 

[MoonKitsune]

Rown

"Then I'll call you Ofelia." He wasn't into nicknames, and she seemed to have no strong preference either way. "I've been greeted to Deus in plenty of ways, but I do prefer the way you say it. Better than a axe to the face." Considering she was also a Sun, he had to guess she had a massive weapon as well. Thinking of the slender woman holding a massive blade seemed logically impossible, and he had yet to see a woman Sun show their weapon. Thus far, it had always been men with large blades coming to test their instruments of death on him.

"Is there a way to tell ranks?" He asked, before he paused a moment. "Jerry? Jerry is a high ranking Hunter? The skinny guy with the glasses that looks like a janitor that slept in a dumpster? THAT guy?" How did that guy become high ranking??!! That alone had him instantly skeptical of the requirements of what it took to become a "full" hunter. To think a drug addict was higher ranking than him just made his skin crawl.

"Yeah, I'm Life. I guess my jacket has been saying more to people about my station and rank than I thought." Apparently he had the new guy suit on.  

[Rown]

"S'not really jus' yer jacket, s'the fact no one's really seen ya 'round b'for." She paused to take her own jacket into her hands, spreading out the base for Melvin to take a better look at. "See this stripe here? Let's ya know mah rank up, that Ah'm Intermediate. After that kinda the more stripes ya have, or the more color's on yer jacket, ya can tell there." Ofelia figured that was how it worked since that was how it was explained to her. Perhaps she should know more about the place she'd been living for the past half year but part of her felt like the more she knew the more in danger she could have been.

Or the more afraid she would become of those around her, if she wanted to get super technical about it.

Her thoughts on fear and others came to a halt the moment Melvin voiced his opinion on Jerry and Ofelia, doing her best to stay calm, had to purse her lips before finally giving in and laughing. It wasn't just a nervous chuckle, it wasn't just a laugh of polite agreement, it was instead a full on belly laugh that her had cupping her hand over her to mouth to block out the snort that accompanied much of the noise. "The dumpster, really? Yeah...yeah, Ah can see how ya'd think that but - " She snorted again, wiping her eye where tears were leaking out. "He's been here twice as long as Ah have, Ah know that much, an' apparently his current state is 'cause'a all the stuff he's seen." Was that pity in her voice, or questioning? Hard to tell, but Ofelia pressed on. "Either way he's strong, his weapon's strong, an' Ah'd want 'em in mah corner 'cause he's a Sun. Ah'd trust any'a the Suns wit' mah life."

There was a long pause. ". . . 'cept maybe Rep. No, well, maybe even Rep. Would really depend if Jordan an' Harrison were there." She looked at him. "Ah take it by 'axe ta the face' ya've already meet 'em? Sorry yer introductions had ta come from him, he's not really a good example'a what we can do here." There was the apology in her voice, as if she was really sorry that Melvin encountered Rep this early in.

Anyway, they were at the kitchen now and Ofelia motioned for Melvin to go in first, her steps going to take her over to the sink to wash her hands.

MoonKitsune