2021.09.01 Freckles and Hairspray

Freckles and Hairspray
Shizuki tracks down Allayna, much to her surprise.
Players	Shizuki, Allayna
Location	Vallara Terrace Apartments
Spheres	Gaian Garou Shifter Mortal+

The hour is late. Late-ish, anyways - it's an hour or two after most folks have their evening meal, but it's still a few hours before standard bed-time. The sun has just set and the curtain of dusk has begun to creep over the city, casting long shadows into the streets and bringing yellow and orange glows to spill forth from building windows and streetlights below. As it's the middle of the week, those streets aren't as busy at this time of night as they might be during the weekend, but there's still a fair amount of traffic and all the noise that it brings with. The sidewalks are a little less populated, as is always the case after the sun goes down.

One individual makes his way across the grime and grit of those sidewalks, however, remaining unbothered and unmolested by any criminal elements of the city despite his less than imposing stature. He moves with a fairly clear purpose to his gait, though as he comes to the front of the Vallarta Terrace apartment building he pauses, glancing first at the entrance to the building before craning his neck upwards to regard the entirety of the structure. The young man's Asian features scrunch up briefly at the grid of windows that stare blankly outwards from the building facade, before he takes in a deep breath and makes his way into the lobby.

A short and pleasant discussion with the doorman and the lobby attendant is all it takes for the individual to gain the information that he's seeking, reducing what could have been a proverbial search for a needle in a haystack to a direct route to the top floor of the building. He bows politely to each, smiling amiably and waving for good measure as the elevator doors close before whisking him onwards and upwards.

Once on the top floor of the building, it's just a short walk to room 605 - the door of the apartment unassuming enough. There are no identifying marks on the door and it's likely without the assistance of the building attendants below, he never would have been able to place it as the one he's looking for. But, that's one of the many reasons he's cultivated his natural charisma - for just such occasions. Smiling again, Shizuki 'Eclipse-Chosen' Matson reaches out to knock firmly but politely on the door, drawing his hand back afterwards to clasp both arms behind his back as he patiently waits for a response.

The figure in question, the one that Shizuki is seeking? She's only been up for a few hours. Night time. Night time is HER time. That's when most people are on their computers. That's when all manner of secrets can be revealed. And when the shadow of sleep falls on everyone, most idiots ... ahem ... most people keep their computers _on_, the fools. So the night time, that's when Allayna is wide awake, up, and active.

On this particular evening, the tall, willowy blonde is still in the process of eating breakfast. The smell of pancakes on the stove top wafts through the large apartment. The apartment, for the most part, has recently been cleaned - a rare thing for Allayna. Oh ... sure. There are odds and ends on almost every surface (except for the kitchen and dining area), but at least the floor is cleaned (and vacuumed), everything has been dusted, and the sofa doesn't have a pile of clean laundry on it.

The blonde is humming a quiet song to herself, as she moves towards to flip the pancake completely unaware and quite surprised when there is a resounding knock on the door.

A small camera located above the door turns slightly towards Shizuki, the lens focusing in on him. The sound of someone approaching can be heard, the soft padding of bare feet over carpet as well as the slight swish of a silk robe before Allayna's voice echoes from behind said doorway. "Shit."

With a wrinkle to her nose, Allayna takes a few minutes to ponder actually opening the door, when the sound of many different locks being opened echo and the door parts open revealing Allayna - decked out in pajamas and a robe, peering out at the young man. "Hairspray! What a ..nice. Surprise." And she smiles, teeth showing, before she steps to one side and lets Shizuki in.

As the camera above the doorway makes a small *whrr* noise when it turns, Shizuki glances upwards with a bit of surprise. He hadn't noticed the camera previously, or he might have been a bit more proactive in his next action - a winning smile, ear-to-ear, directed right at the camere lens. For good measure, he also gives an energetic, slightly cheeky wave to the surveillance device, before the sound of locks and chains and brackets can be heard click, clacking and unfastening from behind the door. The smile remains as he turns to be facing the door when it opens, his own travelling attire at a fairly stark contrast to Allayna's pajamas and robe.

"Freckles," he answers in his Japanese-flavored voice, the tone likely much lighter and happier than what he was given. "And I told you," he continues as he steps into the apartment, looking around the place, "This is all-natural body and volume. No product needed. Just good genes." His smile grows a bit, eyes twinkling as he turns back towards Allayna. "I just moved into town, thought I would stop by, say Hi... This is a nice place!" he compliments, then, truly meaning it. "Glad to see you're doing so well for yourself! Not running afoul of too many bad people, I hope...?" A single eyebrow quirks up with that comment, a note of true concern accompanying the question. He's sort of felt responsible for Allayna ever since their first meeting where he saved her from a pretty questionable deal that had went from bad to worse, and can't help but make sure she's doing okay. Which is largely why he's 'checking up' on her in first place, most likely.

Before he really gives the woman a chance to answer, however, Shizuki catches the distinct smell of pancakes and syrup, his nostrils flaring subtly as the aroma inundates his senses. "Is that... pancakes??" he asks, eyes widening as he scans the apartment again, zeroing in on the kitchen and beginning to make a bee-line for it. "Looks like I decided to drop by at just the right time!"

Would it be terrible of Allayna to inquire what the living fuck Shizuki was doing here? The thought mulls about the blonde's head a bit as she clicks, checks, and returns the door to its previous state of 'well' protected. The camera outside returns to its previous placement, gently moving back into place, before Allayna moves towards the kitchen. She's listening to Shizuki. Really. She's just not SAYING anything -- yet.

Deciding to be polite, versus it really coming naturally to her, Allayna's gaze centers upon the young man, her eyes idly rolling a bit, a half-grin spreading over her features. "One egg... or two?" She inquires then, not saying anything further about being good... or bad, or getting into trouble. Not that Allayna has gotten into trouble, but she hasn't exactly stayed out of it - either.

A few minutes more of silence as Allayna flips a few more pancakes on the grittle, cooks up the appropriate amount of eggs, and then ..as a second thought.. actually pulls another plate from the cabinets to place onto the table - where she pours a healthy amount of orange juice and still stays silent.

Eating is important!

A few bites in, and Allayna lets out a few deep breaths. "Thank you. It is very close to many very influential individuals. Which, by the way, I have not been found out. Why have you decided to move here? Are -you- doing okay?"

Watching as Allayna begins to fix up an additional plate of pancakes and even asks how many eggs he would like, Shizuki inclines his head forward in a sign of gratitude as he answers the question, "Just one please, thank you very much." He hadn't really intended on taking advantage of the woman's hospitality in such a manner, but... he *did* skip dinner today and pancakes and eggs totally beats hunting in the forest for sustenance. "I appreciate this," he notes again as he slides into a chair at the table, digging in to the food along side Allayna. "I'll clean up your dishes for you after, it's the least I can do." He offers another winning smile with the comment, before cutting off a wedge of syrup-drenched pancake and plopping it in his mouth, a quiet 'mmm' escaping his throat as he chews and swallows. "Been too long since I've had home-made pancakes and eggs," he notes. "Or. Well, home-made anything, really..."

Reaching out for his glass of orange juice, Shizuki takes a slow sip as Allayna finally speaks a little, nodding as she notes she's been able to stay under the radar. Though, he can't help but ask, "Influential? What ...kind of influence?" There's a few different interpretations one could take, and the last thing the young man wants to do is start jumping to conclusions. He sets his glass back down on the table gently, and then nods a bit as if the questions posed to him are expected ones.

"I am doing well, thank you. I completed my Rite of Passage," he states with a small note of pride to his voice, "And am now officially recognized as a Cliath in the eyes of Gaia and the rest of the Nation." As he speaks, Shizuki can't help but smile just a little at the declaration of his 'graduation'. After all, when last the two met, he was but a cub who had yet to truly prove himself, at least to many of the other Garou. "And with that, it has come upon me to make my own way in the world. I could have stayed in San Francisco, but ...it did not feel like home to me, and there were no packs to which I felt I could find belonging. So, I made the decision to move." Shizuki uses his fork to cleave into his eggs as he speaks, mixing the yolk in with the white before taking a forkful into his mouth to chew and swallow. "I remembered that you were heading down to San Diego, so..." The young Japanse man grins. "I thought I would head here as well and make sure you were doing okay. I suppose I ought not have worried, I am still sleeping under the stars every night and you're in an apartment large enough for royalty."

Crap. Son of a bitch. God Dammit. Allayna is listening to the young man. She is. She even manages a quiet, "Uh, hm. Congrats on that." She offers, before falling silent again, glowering down at her 'breakfast'. She can stay silent. She can. She doesn't HAVE to be nice. She can just say, well, I'm doing fine, and that would be that. But.

With a quiet clearing of her throat, at least after she's downed several more sips of her own orange juice, and Allayna's hand gestures towards the sofa. "The sofa's yours for as long as you want, or need. Shizuki." It's the least she can do, a life debt /is/ a life debt, and Allayna wouldn't be here if he hadn't stepped in when he did. So.

Finishing her own meal, Allayna settles back into her chair, idly sipping on the last of her juice as she speaks. "Hopefully you'll find a pack here, I ... haven't introduced myself to anyone - yet, even though I've been here a few months." Her nose wrinkles upwards, a deep scowl crossing her features. "I'm sure they know I'm about, they always do. Everywhere. Just like I know."

Putting the glass onto the table, Allayna stands upwards, gesturing towards the sofa. "And yes, all manner of influential, hell the woman on the first floor - she rents that place just for orgies - which.." Allayna's gaze flickers towards her watch, "She should be having one soon. If I ever need an influential lawyer for free, the dirt I have on that one. Woo."

If Shizuki can sense the inner turmoil that Allayna is dealing with regarding his presence, he makes no mention of it. Rather, he keeps his amiable and grateful demeanor, clearly enjoying the warm meal as he proceeds to polish off the remainder of pancakes and eggs on his plate. At the mention of using the couch to sleep on, though, the young man blinks a bit, quick to state, "Oh, no, I didn't mean for you to -" He glances to the couch, then back to Allayna, his expression softening. "I mean, I am very honored. It wasn't my intention to sound like I was asking to stay, though. Hopefully, it is not an offer I will need to take you up on often."

His mouth quirks just a bit to the side before he brushes the emotion away, nursing his own orange juice as the freckled woman remarks about not yet having sought out any of the Garou Nation or even any other kinfolk. "You might be surprised," he answers her after taking a sip from his glass. "I mean, I'm sure they're busy with quite a lot and if you haven't met any of them yet... Unless they have reason to go looking for you, you're probably not known about yet." He finishes his orange juice then, both plate and glass completely empty as he remains seated fairly upright at the table, a contrast to Allayna's much more relaxed posture. "I made my own presence known when I came into the territory, but I haven't met anyone directly yet. When I do, I won't mention you unless you want me to." He doesn't delve any further, knowing Allayna's preference to just ...do her own thing.

When she stands and motions towards the couch, Shizuki also rises from the table but instead of moving into the living area, he waves off the invitation and begins to gather the dishes from the table, making good on his early promise. "Go ahead," he says, nodding towards the sofa, "I will be there shortly. It's not so far away we can't still talk while I wash these up." He grins again then, moving with the dishes over to the sink where he starts up the hot water. "I bet you probably have some substantial dirt on the people she invites as well," he comments, his features blanching just a little bit. "I'm afraid to ask about the things you can hold over the other people in the apartment building..." He pauses, before declaring. "This is why I've never gotten a computer. Or, anything electronic..."

"And here I thought it was because you were just a luddite." The tone is bemused, t the very least, as Allayna settles onto her sofa, letting the dishes and pans be cleaned by 'Hairspray', while she pulls up her cell phone and ... watches something with a fairly keen and unholy interest. "Huh. Just three this evening."

By the time Shizuki returns from the kitchen, the cell phone is gone back into Allayna's pocket, while the blonde is sitting back, the television clicking from one channel - to the next - to the next.

Once again, Allayna gestures towards the sofa, or one of the chairs. "Sit, relax. Look, this place is too big for just one person, you're welcome to the sofa as long as you need. I wouldn't have said that, if I didn't mean that. You know me well enough by this point, Hairspray."

"The second bedroom is my computer room, though, so it's just the sofa. It's comfortable enough, and can be made out into a bed. As far as ... them." And Allayna's nose wrinkles upwards, "Maybe they do, maybe they don't, regardless - there are times, especially up north, I just felt more like a prized stallion, versus a person. It was kind of creepy, so yeah. Unless they actually need my talents, they can go fuck themselves. No offense, Hairspray. You're one of the few that are like insanely polite. Too polite."

"Don't lie on my account, by the way, kid. If the topic comes up, if /I/ come up, you tell the truth, but I"m sure you know that." Rising upwards, the television clicks off with a quiet thick of sound. "The remote is.. somewhere... ah, probably inside the sofa cushions. The bedding is down the hall next to the washer and dryer and the bathroom is there too. I'll be heading to work now." And with that, Allayna draws towards the back bedroom, pausing only a moment to cast a glance at Shizuki. "It's good to see you, glad everything is going good for you." And she may actually mean that, before she disappears into the 'guest' bedroom, closing the door behind her.