Between Cravings and a Budget

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Mhairi bit her lip. She'd been so excited about her crap job and finally having that dinner with Coco that she'd given in to her cravings and promised sushi. But she'd forgotten how expressive the tasty treat was. Well good sushi. Still the elemental didn't want to not have sushi so she went to a grocery store. She wasn't aiming for the prepackaged stuff laying on the cooler shelfy thing all effin' day long, but the prepared in front of you, then packaged kind. It would be way the frak easier on her budget. Plus still sushi!

So with a spring to her step the elemental made her way through the aisles for her prize, waiting for hers and Coco's dinner to be prepared, hopefully the wasp would like what she'd picked, and if not...well doing some mental math, she'd get a verity pate too. Just in case. Then on a whim, because they weren't going to some place fancy, Mhairi knew she was going to pick up a four pack of coolers at the liquor store. Smirnoff, sour apple. Yum. Even knowing they wouldn't necessarily go with the sushi, they were damned good and Mhairi didn't want to give them up. Then just in case Coco wound't want to partake, the elemental grabbed a bottled water on her way to the tills.

There. Mhairi smiled at the basket, it wasn't much but it was something that wound't brake her wallet.

Mhairi made one more stop to pick up her coolers, before she headed off to Coco's loft to pick the Dancer up. It was a lovely day and they could find a out of the way picnic table somewhere, or hummm...Mhairi didn't want to eat and drink at Coco's or Edna's, they were going to go out. Which meant out of the house...maybe the wasp would have a better idea.

With a shrug, Mhairi rung the bell and waited for Coco to answer.

[Coco]

The Wasp was rather excited for her little outing with Mhairi that evening. Sure, there was the little thing with words, and how many were said, and that sort of thing, but that wasn't really so distracting. Particularly not given how eager the other woman seemed to be to perhaps even become her friend. And, though Coco was finding herself growing much closer to a few members of the Freehold, friends were still not something she could afford to cast away. Not when life could change as drastically as any of the Lost knew it could.

So, after some debating, Coco decided upon a rather different look for herself and went with gladiator sandals, white shorts, a clay colored top, and a long, airy spring cardigan. Certainly not typical, though she rather liked it. Perhaps she'd get a compliment at whatever restaurant they went to...

Before she could take such thoughts any farther thought, her doorbell was ringing, and with a skip in her step and cane in hand the Wasp scampered to the door and opened it.

"Mhairi, helloooo!" Coco gushed. "So where are we headed tonight? Mikuni? Crazy Sushi? Arigato Sushi?"

[Mhairi Ankaa]

It didn't take Coco long before answering the door, all exuberance, and pretty light, fancyish spring cloths, the complete opposite to what the elemental chose to wear. Red skinny jeans, her new smexy boots, a light gossamer black blouse under her under-bust corset. Standing there like an idiot for a few seconds, Mhairi felt like a total tool, clearly the women was looking forward to going out, and with her stupid small ass budget she's going to let the women down.

Bringing forth the good cheer she'd at at the store, Mhairi summons a toothy grin. "Me uh-again, Mhairi the Rebel." Then holding up the plastic shopping bags for Coco to see, "Err-I was-ah thinking less-uh dine in, and more-uh picnic tables." A few heartbeats latter, "My-ah eyes were bigger then my wallet. Uh-sorry." Mhairi offers Coco an apologetic shrug. "But I-ah still have sushi! I watch them make it. So it's-ah fresh, and-ah nummy. Err-hopefully." then bringing up her other hand. " Plus-uh coolers!" Mhairi grins her crooked grin, "Sour. Apple. Vodka." each word punctuated with a small silly happy dance by the elemental.

No one could say that Mhairi wasn't trying to liven up what could be a disappointing outing.

[Coco]

Grocery store sushi...honestly, Coco would rather have eaten the contents of a mothball, though it wouldn't do to let Mhairi know that. Why, here she was, extending the hand of impoverished friendship, and again, that was something the Wasp could not bear to throw away, so she grinned along with the dancing vision that looked as though it had been crafted from moonlight and the velvet dark of night.

"Well then, what fine table for the piquing of niques did you have in mind? Granite Park? Elsewhere? Where ever it may be, I do hope you planned ahead for your coolers. Drinking in public is usually frowned upon, you know. Though, if not, then I have a solution, and one far more elegant than paper bags."

The Wasp's smile grew as she watched the other woman dance. There was a whimsy in the movements that did indeed prove to be infectious, even if Coco did find her eyes straying to certain, emphasized aspects of Mhairi's form.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Once the petite thief was had a keen eye for the subtle swaying of other's emotions, as she is now, Coco's disappointment flies right over the elemental's head. Especially since her fell-flames are closed as her silly dance continues, so she can remain in her blissfully ignorant realm where grocery store sushi is awesome.

Stopping her silly dance, Mhairi blinks sheepishly up at Coco to answer, "Heheh...I-ah hadn't thought that-ah far a-ahead. So-ah I'm-ah open to hear what's-ah on your mind! Especially for my-ah coolers. Coolers are-ah awesome. And yummy and-ah awesome."

Sorry for the delay!

[Coco]

"Why don't you bring the coolers inside, then? I have just the thing to put them in!" Coco promised, leaving the door open and retreating back inside so that she could start pulling water bottles of all shapes and sizes from her cupboards. They were a motley collection, of both metal and plastic, though together they were formed a bright panopoly of colors, perfect for hiding their contents.

Perhaps the Wasp had used them for such before.

"So, Mhairi," Coco began as they started filling up bottles, "you seem to be quite happy today. And you're attire is simply lovely, if I may say so. I take that to mean you've been settling in well?"

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"Oh good!" Mhairi grins, following after Coco she closes the door behind her, while feeling as if she should faceplam. She should of thought putting her coolers into water bottles "Don't-uh feel like I-uh..." how should she put this...? "I-uh bought a water if you-ah would prefer." Though as the woman expertly opened the bottles to pour them into her own water bottles, Mhairi was reminded of her first meeting with the wasp at the Winter Coronation, and the flask Coco carried.

Maybe that water she'd bought would wind up being hers instead.

"I-ah am aren't I?" Mhairi felt the smile tugging at her lips. "It's uh-nice. Feeling-er happy. Bit-uh strange." Mhairi walks closer to the kitchen to see if Coco wanted any help pouring the coolers into her water bottles, "I-uh got a crappy job. It's not-uh great-but it pays. I'm-ah maid at-ah cheep motel." Mhairi explains. "I've met-people. Uh-Freeholders-their nice." and that sounded lame. "They're friends I-uh guess." a shrug. "And uh-Ava-Queen--Ms Camp-Ava. She-uh- I'm-ah the new-uh Twilit Page. So uh-I got Court-y stuff to focus on now. A crooked grin comes to her lips. Her fell-flames, focus Coco instead of scoping out her apartment, "So erm, what's new with Coco?"

[Coco]

"Twilight Page? Well, congratulations Mhairi," Coco beamed, teeth flashing white and bright. "I'm not at all surprised you were chosen for it. You sound exactly the same as the last one did, after all."

The smile canted to the side at that, and Coco bent her eyes back to the task of emptying one type of bottle into another. Really, she probably shouldn't have said that last part, though she entirely couldn't help it. The Wyrd had laid that so obviously before her!

"And I've been well. I feel as though I'm finally beginning to live as I want to," Coco shared as she finished filling the last bottle, her smile softening as her eyes raised once more to fix upon the Elemental's eerie green gaze.

"I've found a better understanding of my own court, I've begun to make friends as well," she explained with a wink, "and soon I will even have a Motley to call my own. And one that will boast the presence of two Queens, if you happy to be one who cares about such things. Though, you're not, are you Mhairi? Why don't you tell me, what sorts of things do you care about? In people, I'll say."

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Mhairi reflexively grinned when Coco did though her expression turned a bit sour at the reminder. "I know!" she exclaims, "If-if-Queen-Ms Cam-Ava-if Ava hadn't uh-said what-what she said next, I would-ah blown my-ah top!" she huffed. "I-ah know I have-ah-a stammer. I am mighty adorable if-I-ah say so my-ah self, but I don't wanna keep this-this stupid thing! The stammer I-ah mean. And I-ah don't want people to-ah see me, or-ah my new role and think Morgan 2.0. Fur not included." Mhairi knows she's being meaner then she'd normally like, but the thought that everyone else looked at her and saw a moonlit Morgan really ground her gears.

Shaking her head, Mhairi tried to leave the negative thoughts away. "I-ah know that I'm-ah-an emotional wreck. Elemental. So-ah that's not-really-ever gonna just poof away. So I-ah gotta work at it. Get rid of my-ah stammer. First. So I-er sound more-ah confidant. You know...ah...Fake it til-ahl you-err make it and-and all-ah that." see that was more positive, and Coco's reply to her question continues that trend.

"That's-ah that's great!" Mhairi beams. Every single one of them had to travel a long and arduous journey just to keep their heads above water, never mind finally making a life you'd rather be living. "Really. I-ah mean it." she laughs lightly, "But-uh I-ah think I-could-ah say the-ah same about a-Autumn as-ah you could-ah say 'bout Spring! Epiphanies were had." the elemental nods mock sage-y. Friends-are-ah always uh-good!" she says with her lopsided grin, "Oh? uh only two? Didn't care for-ah whole set?" Mhairi smirks, wondering how Coco would take her teasing.

"But-uh you're-ah right. I-ah don't care Queenlyness, or-ah anything else like-ah that. I-uh only care if-you're-ah good. And not a colossal douchebag." Mhairi finishes, a plain smile replacing her smirk. "Or-ah you-know-icky." One couldn't forget Charles. Even if One tried.

[Coco]

The Elemental's words were greeted with a bubbling laugh, though it was full of mirth, rather than cruelty.

"Well, of all the things I would venture to say about myself, icky would certainly not be one of them. As for the former, however," the Wasp expressed with a wry grin, an elegant hand rising as though to concede a point.

"Sadly, I must admit, I have been known to be someone who is not a nice person. Emotional wreckage takes many forms. A ramble and a stutter in one beauty, a vindictive steak in another. But that is where friendship might come in, after all, and we might help each other. How would you feel about playing some word games while we eat? We can challenge each other. In fact, we could make a drinking game out of it!" Coco suggested with a bright grin, hefting two water bottles of sloshing, sugary alcohol.

"We can take a cab to and from the park."