ArchivedLogs:Safehousing

Safehousing
Dramatis Personae Isak, Melinda, Rasputin, Kal
In Absentia	2014-03-30 '
Location <NYC> BoM Safehouse - Lower East Side
Tucked away off a little-used side street in the Lower East Side, sandwiched between a youth drop-in center and a taqueria, this narrow three-story townhouse has very little to catch the eye. Boarded-up windows, a door peeling its paint, shabby grubby brickface; from the outside it does not look like much. Inside someone has gone to great lengths to renovate the building into something more habitable. It isn't glamorous but it is comfortable, old furniture dragged in, the place generally swept clean. The first floor holds a large living room, a smaller dining room, a spacious kitchen, a half-bathroom. There are three bedrooms and a full bathroom on the second floor; the attic is just a large empty space crammed full of boxes with a window out to the large flat roof. The basement, much like the attic, consists of a lot of empty space. A bare concrete floor, no windows, occasional poles running up to the ceiling. A tiny half-bathroom down here, too. Not a whole lot else. Normally, this is the kind of place that Isak would give a wide berth. The whole neighbourhood is in that category, in fact. It actually says something about his commitment that he's here at all. He sticks out like a sore thumb, even though he's dressed down for the occasion. Everything about his jeans and button up shirt ensemble is designer, as is the structured leather jacket. He stands sort of awkwardly in the living room, holding a Starbucks mug with his name spelled as 'isaac' in sharpie on the side. Lying on a couch, is a cat. A fluffy, white, inconspicious cat. Probably someone's pet, right? Nope. Rasputin opens hir mouth into a purr..which quickly turns into a voice. "Oh, hello! I haven't seen you around you must be new you look so fancy!" As Rasputin speaks..it quickly purrs again and talks some more. "Oh and before you think you're insane it's a long story I'm..trapped in a cat body. Well I can be any animal except not a human very long story!" At this point, there's a few people talking over in the kitchen. Spotting Isak, one of them comes out. He's more normal looking than the cat, except for the fact he has a second pair of arms. Kal is dressed in a gray t-shirt, with two extra holes for his arms, a pair of thick jeans, a similarly holed black jacket over the shirt, and combat boots, as he glances over to Isak, a shrug of shoulders. "You Isak? I'm Kal. Was told you'd be stopping by." There is a flushing sound that hails the entrance of one very pregnant woman. Mel is dressed in loose fitting pajamas, white bunnies bouncing around across a pale purple background, her bathrobe is baby blue, but she hasn't bothered to close it over her swollen body. She totters along slowly, heading to the kitchen, her hair braided into a long tail, swinging behind her. She's known as one of the many people who lost their homes in the Village Lofts explosion, so few question her when she waddles by. She nods to Kal and Isak as she heads into the kitchen, a woman on a mission. "If I brew coffee, will anyone drink it?" It's a good thing Rasputin's explanation comes soon after speaking. Isak looks at the fluffy white cat, brows knit. Hm. "Well. You could make a killing doing pet food commercials." Any further cat-chat is interrupted by the approach of Kal. There's a cursory look at the man's extra arms, but his gaze doesn't linger. "Yes, I am. I'm sorry. I feel like I'm imposing. I feel like I've wandered..." he pauses to watch as Mel waddles by, "...into someone's home. Ah, no thanks." He says to her. He holds up his Starbucks mug and gives it a little shake. Rasputin laughs, before speaking..in Morgan Freeman's voice. "I also am rather good at impressions." Rasputin is then leaping from the couch, heading into the kitchen. "I can't drink coffee but I can..watch I guess I don't know! How are you? I suddenly remember why you seemed familiar you're friends with Jackson Holland-Zedner right? I think I..met you with him at like a thrift store?" Rasputin's voice is excited that ze /finally/ remembered her! Kal, meanwhile nods towards Melinda. "I'll probably get some in a bit, thanks." He's then turning to Isak. "You heard about the explosion at the Village Lofts in the East Village? They've been holding refugees here. But..if you'd like to talk, we could head to the basement? It's empty right now so we should have a few minutes of quiet." Kal's upper right arm points over to the way to the basement, as he turns to Isak in questioning. "Ah. Well. It's a safehouse. People tend to crash in safehouses." Melinda gives a little shrug as she rummages through one of the cabinets, bringing out a bean grinder and a bag of coffee. Considering she only received on reply, she makes the smallest quantity of coffee. "Really? I don't remember the thrift store, but yeah. I know Jax," She offers before her ability to communicate is cut off by the grinding of beans. When it finishes, she glances over at the others. "You don't have to leave because of me. I'll be heading back to bed shortly." "I heard," says Isak. His jaw tightens and his nostrils flare. He turns suddenly from Kal towards Melinda. "Are you all right? I'm terribly sorry about what happened to you. It's inexcusable. I'm sure the people responsible will be punished appropriately." His accent - and he does have one, is very faint and difficult to place. "Yep! Thrift store. Kal was there too! You were buying loose clothing or something, and I was looking through a thing of clothing for a bit before staff later kicked me out. We had already parted then, though!" Rasputin laughs..before hissing to show anger. "Still pissed about that dude who took down the damn cameras over something as trivial as a /guy/." Kal, meanwhile, is less verbally angry, though his face shows it. "Appropriately. Yeah. Anyways, you don't need to go, this isn't really a place for private talk anyhow." Kal smiles, before turning to Isak. "If you want, we could wait a bit, if you'd like to take a minute?" "Oh, I appreciate it. I was not actually there at the time. I guess I was lucky, as I don't know how well the kid and I could have handled it. Just seeing it from the outside has been damaging enough." Melinda gives a polite nod as she turns to fill the carafe with water before moving back to her coffee machine. "Oh. yeah. I had forgotten." She inhales deeply and listens to the rest of hir speech before commenting, "People have killed for jealousy, Rasputin. People still do. I can't get over the fact that he was so stupid, but he didn't pull the trigger. There are - as he said," she nods to Isak, "actual, malicious people responsible who should be taking the primary focus of this, not an idiot no one will be able to trust again." She scoops fresh grounds into the basket and sets the pot to brewing. "It can wait a minute," says Isak to Kal. He looks at Melinda, his expression serious and earnest in the style of passionate young men. "I hope you aren't insulted by this, and if you don't want to accept it, donate it to whoever you like," He reaches into his jacket pocked for his wallet and withdraws a handful of money - close to $300. He folds it in half and offers it towards Melinda. "To help you rebuild." Kal nods, understanding. "Alright then, I'll be right back." At this point, Kal's heading to the restroom, whilst Rasputin's eyes grow wide at the money. "Woah. Are you like RICH? Faaancy." Ze has the enthusiasm of a small child. "Well then, glad to meet you..Isak, right?" Melinda looks a little bit awkward, looking Isak over quietly as he explains the money and then gives it to her. She is a little too stunned to put up a protest, but nods slowly. She swallow hard and nods, slipping the cash into her bathrobe pocket. "Okay. I'll make sure it gets put to good use." She remembers to smile and bows her head before turning abruptly to the refrigerator, claims a sandwich, and starts back to her room. "Thank you. The coffee is available for whoever wants it." It smells delicious, too. Isak nods once to Melinda when she takes the money. He withdraws and slips the wallet into his pocket. To Rasputin he says, "I do all right. Well enough to be generous on occasion. And yes, Isak Blomgren." Which is a surname that would be familiar to those in the know in the world of high fashion, but virtually anonymous to those who aren't, apart from the occasional billboard or pop culture reference. At this point, Kal is leaving the restroom, a wave of a left hand to Melinda as she begins to part, as he turns to Isak. "Alright, basement's this way. Rasputin, you should come too. Give me a hand." Kal grins, at which Rasputin does some sort of weird cat grin back, leaping up onto Kal's shoulders, using his arms as ladders. "Alright then! Glad to have you around, Blomgreen!"