ArchivedLogs:Chiller

Chiller
Dramatis Personae Kaori, Melinda, Tess	2013-12-08 '
Location <NYC> - Helping Hands Homeless Coalition - Chelsea
The Helping Hands Soup Kitchen is a very large, white room with linoleum floors, rows upon rows of tables, and sturdy but cheap chairs. Toward the back, away from the entrance, is a shortened wall that divides the servers from the patrons, not to keep one from the other, but to help facilitate the distribution of food. Kitchens lie behind with several openings where food is passed out to the dining hall. Along the walls, there are announcements, calendars, and pockets filled with pamphlets for those who can read that describes all the services available at Helping Hands and where they take place. Near the entrance is a desk that controls access to the staircase that leads upstairs to the rest of the shelter, beds, bathrooms, and beyond. THe Soup Kitchen is not really back to its normal bustle, but the cold weather is driving people inside. The people who have come are either skiddish and scared - afraid that the offer of food and shelter is a trap -- and those who are chipper and helping with clean up. Apparently, the 'end' of the world seemed to have inspired people to steal all of the supplies from the kitchen and leave the rest of the shelter a wreck. Long term guests and volunteers are working very hard to get the place up to its former glory - or at least sanitation levels. Melinda is in the back near the exit, helping to carry in new supplies while the meager ones gathered over the last week or two are cooking on the stoves. She's working with a group of five or so, unloading supplies from the dock, carrying boxes in, and opening them to shelve the containers. When Mel finds a box of spices, she lets out a little squeak of joy and shakes a container of mustard seed high where everyone can see it. The small beads inside rattle while she says, "Our tastebuds are saved!! We don't have to scrounge donations for flavor anymore!" Victory! Kaori did her homework this week and finally homed in on the Soup Kitchen. When she decided to drop in, she texted the phone she got for Tess, and went out in her little smart car. No snow means she can still get around in her tiny car. When she pulls up in the back, she pulls off to the side to be out of the way of any incoming deliveries and then hops out. The famous athlete has switched to fire-engine-red hair, and wears it as a beehive up-do. Otherwise, she's in black cargo pants, matching red boots, and a black parka with a black and yellow RockstAr t-shirt underneath. When she sees Melinda scurrying about she hops up to the loading dock and asks, "hey, do you know who's in charge here? I'd like to help out, if I can?" Tess got the text, of course. She wasn't even too far away, but she's not going into the place, just hanging outside and responding to Kaori's text with a simple message. "I'm outside. I'd rather not go in." She doesn't elaborate, just sends the message like that. "In charge?" Melinda looks up from handing bottles of spice to someone standing beside her, the other woman putting the spices on the rack in alphabetical order. She frowns a little as she starts to straighten up, her form far more stiff than her youth should allow. "Ah, if you want to sign up for a volunteer shift, you can check in at the front desk. There's some basic training involved, and a waiver to sign. Standard protocol. Don't want you starting something when we're not sure you're making a fully informed decision." Her hands rest on her lower back as she moves around her box to greet Kaori, a small wrinkle of almost recognition marring the space between her eyebrows. "Oh, ok, thank you. I'll do that too. But actually I was hoping to make a donation, and I wanted to see what would be the most help." Her accent marks her as a non-native english speaker, but she's obviously pretty fluent. When her phone chimes, she barely pauses speaking to send her reply to Tess, one-handed --No problem, I'm out back.-- She pockets the phone again and extends her hand to Melinda. "Hi, I'm Kaori, by the way. Have you been with this shelter for a long time?" Tess carefully starts walking around the place, to the back where she does in fact notice Kaori. It looks like the other girl is busy, so instead of getting closer Tess just softly calls, "Hey Kaori." She's pretty obviously homeless. "I'm Mel. I've been working with this shelter for a number of years now. I don't run it. I'm just a volunteer." Melinda's handshake is strong and firm, but her hands are a little cold and clammy. She pulls her hand back a moment later and wipes it on the side of her thigh. "As far as donations..." The question causes her to pause, turning on one heel slowly to look around the room. "Well, things have been slow. Food donations are low because we don't always get our food at its freshest and because the city is just barely on its feet once more, they haven't really had less than fresh food to give away lately. We can live without it, but everyone's belts are going to be a little tighter depending on the fresh stuff. I can make a list of pantry supplies we still need when the shipment is unpacked, but that won't be for a while yet. Upstairs, we're low on blankets and pillows. Some mattresses even went missing. I guess people appreciated that they could build insulated walls out of them that the living dead couldn't really chew through easily and they didn't hurt when they fell on top of them." She pauses once more when someone calls out Kaori's name, her head tilting to one side. She glances back at Kaori afterword, giving her leave to pause the conversation. "Ah ok," Kaori says, listening to the laundry list of things the shelter could use. "I did some research before finding a shelter, and I heard you guys don't kick out mutants. Or well, not for being mutants, anyway. Has that-" Kaori's eyebrows go up when Tess calls her name, and she turns to wave at Tess. "Hey Tess, what's up? C'mon over. I was just talking to Mel here. I think they have open beds." Tess shoots Kaori a look as she's being put on the spot like that. "I told you I don't like shelters." The teenager reminds Kaori, taking a few steps back. The homeless teen is clearly a minor, "And I just told you I wasn't going in." She keeps a fair distance away from the back entrance, glancing between Kaori and Melinda. Melinda stands quiet as Kaori and Tess speak, her hands clasping in front of herself. "If it's any consolation, we do accept everyone here, and only kick out people who break the rules. Rules are fairly simple. I'll go get a flyer if you want, while you're talking to your friend." She takes a step back to give them space. Kaori's face plays host to several expressions before she decides on puzzlement. She nods gratefully to Mel's offer of a flyer. "Thanks, yeah, Mel." Kaori hops down from the loading dock and crosses to where Tess is standing. "Look, Tess, you don't owe me anything. You can do whatever you want. But if you wanna be an athlete... I know what that takes. Minimum? You need a bed, and regular meals." Kaori frowns and shrugs, sticking her hands in her pockets. "I've got three different club soccer teams on the hook for you, but it won't matter what team you're on if you're not sleeping and eating, you know?" Tess closes her eyes as Kaori explains what she's trying to do, "I can't." She says softly, trying to figure out how to explain, and eventually she settles on explaining in the most direct way possible, she puts her right hand forward, a couple bandages around the arm, but mainly just holding it out, reaching for some easily accessible Kaori-skin that isn't too intimate seeming. Ideally a wrist or hand. Her skin is cold enough to freeze water. Melinda wanders off to get the flier. Kaori is prone to hold hands with people she likes /anyway/ so this doesn't strike her as odd. She takes her hands out of her pockets, and instinctively takes Tess' hand in her own - and then jumps at how cold it is. "Holy shit- whoa! Are you..." But it's obvious Tess is /ok/, and not currently freezing to death. "Oh my god," Kaori says quietly and takes a step closer so she can whisper. "Are you a mutant, Tess? You are super fucking cold..." Tess just answers that question with a slight nod, she doesn't seem entirely comfortable with the topic, and just adds on. "That's why." She glances around nervously, but doesn't really say much else right now. "Holy shit... ok, my bad. What, is it too hot inside? The same at MacDee's right?" Kaori takes her hands back, afraid she'll burn the girl. Kaori nods to herself as if a few things are just coming into focus for her. Tess nods when Kaori gets it, she's eager to let go of Kaori's hands, too. It's not exactly comfortable, "And why I started with the milkshake and salad." Melinda is quiet when she returns, her flier held gingerly in her hands. She observes silently from the doorway instead of pushing herself on the conversation. "Ok, well look," Kaori says softly. "This place is mutant friendly... I wonder... if I could swing it for you to sleep in the fridge?" Kaori stops, replaying her words in her head, just to see if she really just said that. "I mean, only if you want me to ask?" Tess considers the question, and nervously nods. "Okay, that works." She doesn't seem entirely comfortable with the whole idea, but she understands the logic behind it, and agrees it might be a good idea. Kaori nods and places a brief hand on Tess' shoulder before she turns and smiles at Melinda, waving. "Hey Mel, do you have a sec?" Kaori glances around, and uses body language to indicate the conversation would be better over by where she and Tess are standing, away from everyone else. "I got a funny question for you." Melinda raises an eyebrow and comes closer when summoned, walking down the ladderstairs from the loading dock. She smiles warmly, but keeps a step back until she understands what is going on. Tess doesn't approach Melinda either, just glancing towards Kaori with the kind of look that says 'your idea, you explain it.' "Ok, so here's the thing," Kaori pulls her mouth to one side while she thinks of how to explain, looking from Tess and back to Melinda. "My friend here - oh! Tess, this is Mel. Mel - Tess. So anyway, Tess... has a special condition. And would like to stay here, but... she would need to sleep inside a walk-in... fridge. And if you needed an extra fridge here, I could definitely help with that." "A walk in refrigerator?" Melinda blinks at the pair, brows climbing her forehead. "I'm sorry. We don't exactly have one, let alone a spare." She frowns as she considers. "Are you sure that's what you need?" Kaori glances to Tess, and then back to Melinda. "Well, it's like what we were talking about before, you know? A... special condition. And if you have room for one, I can provide it. Do you think we could arrange something like that?" Tess just kind of fidgets, glancing between the two as they discuss this particular problem, quietly. Kaori can do the talking on this. "Special condition? You're going to have to be more specific. How cold does she need it to be? You do know that the air gets a little thin inside refrigerators. It's not a vacuum seal anymore, but they will starve a person for oxygen after a while." Melinda shakes her head and crosses her arms across her chest. "Freezers are worse if you need less than thirty degrees." She turns her eyes on Tess. "Do you know answers or are you still guessing at all of this?" Kaori nods and shrugs. "Yeah, that I don't know," she says when it turns to the specifics of air requirements etcetera. "What do you think, Tess?" Tess shrugs a bit helplessly, "I haven't really had the chance to experiment with that." She answers, not entirely seeming comfortable with the topic. "Can you read?" Melinda asks first, the paper in her hand shaking slightly as she lifts it a little further from her elbow. "We can find you a place to stay, maybe a place in the basement, if we can get you far enough away from the furnace, or put a cot on the roof, if the weather is cool enough for you." She purses her lips and looks over at Kaori. "But accepting a single person's long term care like this - on first meeting - it's not really something we can do. Now, if Tess stays with us and works on getting her life in order, we can talk, but that conversation should take place later." She pauses and looks back to Tess. "I do know some doctors in the area if you would like to experiment professionally, but if you're fine with your basic drug store thermometer and taking notes on your own, you can do some of that here." Kaori raises her eyebrows in an impressed expression. "Hey, yeah, I didn't think of that. What if we got you a tent and a cot on the roof? You'd be good through winter at least, and close to regular food." Kaori glances up at the roof, just because, and then back at the other two women. "I totally understand where you're coming from, Mel. First time meeting and all. I really appreciate you being open to the idea." Kaori bounces on the balls of her feet, openly excited about the possibility of this working out. Tess considers things, "I'd like to avoid doctors when I can, but I think the rooftop tent thing will probably work." She agrees, still kind of slightly wary about all this, but definitely agreeing to go along with it. She takes the flyer and adds, "I can read." Melinda hands over a list of rules on a flyer, giving Tess a general idea of what needs to be done. First nights are free. Second night comes with chores, helping clean things or help other people. Anything after that, one has to commit to one of the programs to help a person get back on their feet, GED, job training, other informational courses, and continued chores to help at the shelter. There are caveats for mutants: let them know if a person has uncontrollable powers, there are some rooms separated from other people that can be utilized. No controlled displays. No violence. If all of the rules are followed, then all are welcome. "Here. If you can agree to this, we'll work on getting you set up. I will remind everyone involved that a tent on the roof is... no exactly the most secure place to stay. You won't be kicked out, but I can't guarantee that no one will access the roof from the outside of the building and you will be locked out at night." Kaori smiles as Tess looks over the paper, and nods along with Melinda's explanations as if she herself was going to be staying here. "It's a start, right?" She asks, turning to Tess. "You just need a start, until you can start training properly again." Tess reads the rules, and then asks. "Kaori is trying to get me set up with a job. Do you think that can substitute for the programs you got?" She doesn't exactly explain what that entails, though. "And it is, yeah." "Oh sure. Keeping a job is one of the biggest steps that anyone coming through the shelter can take. We'll support that, but you'll still have chores as it's important to remember that taking care of your home and home life is just as important as paying for it." Melinda nods and gestures back toward the building. "If you want to come inside for a tiny while, we'll get some paperwork started for you, then I'll take you to the roof. Kaori, did you want to supply the tent?" "Totally!" Kaori says, a broad smile on her face. "I'll go hit the store for some stuff. Also, I'll check with your kitchen and see what would be the most help. Thanks again, Mel." Tess nods, and kind of sticks her hands in her pockets as she gets ready to follow Melinda inside, glancing towards Kaori while she does. She's nervous about this.