[OPEN] I'm in here

[immobileyes]

Who: Mary Kozakura (immobileyes) and YOU
When: IC 2/27-3/01
Where: Residential District, right by the not-so-standing apartments
What: Mary tries to dig up things from her fallen apartment over the course of a few days, success is varied
Rating/Warning: None!

---

[ It was hard enough, waiting for the water level to go down enough so that Mary could return to where her apartment was (had been) without risk of drowning. Seto's hoodie, the jacket Hiro had given her... they were the only things she'd been able to find at the time, but now she can search for anything remaining from their apartment.

So feel free to come across a tiny teenager over the afore-mentioned days, getting drizzled on and trying to pry up pieces of the smaller rubble - and HNNNNNGHing at the bigger pieces of debris that she can't budge at all - as she hunts about. The stuffed animal she'd received from Lily is gone, the headband from Kaoru and Shiho has been twisted and bent beyond repair when she miraculously finds that... the dried flowers, from the bouquet Elza had given her... no sign of them. All of her tea...

Mary almost wants to cry, but not yet. She just keeps looking.

And don't be alarmed if she seems worn-out when you see her. It's not some weird elemental effect, she's just terrible at stamina. ]

Comments

[immobileyes]

If I don't try to get all the way underneath it, I-I think I'll be okay?

[ WHY ARE YOU LOOMING LIKE A VULTURE-- ]

[immobileyes]

I'll be careful. [ She smiles, at least, for him, pushing up her sleeves a bit. ]

I don't want you to worry about me, either.

[immobileyes]

[ It's for the best that Leon is spouting helpful suggestions and concerns, and not frightening things like "GRAAAWR" or whatever Mary might have expected a guy with wild red hair and a goatee to sound like. All the same, she still looks up with more than a little trepidation, as though she's most certainly expecting dinosaur noises next. ]

W-who are you?

[ Meant to be said steadily, actually comes out with a fair bit of vibrato, oops. ]

[immobileyes]

[ It's rare to see people shorter than her-- and they don't frighten her as much, stranger as this one might be. But she blinks, slowly. He's smaller than her, so wouldn't this be harder for him? ]

... It's kind of heavy. [ An admittance or a warning? It's hard to say. ]

[immobileyes]

Hiro...

[ Pushing herself up, and yep, she's got scrapes, but when doesn't she have scrapes? It's a hard-knock life. ]

That wasn't funny!!

[scenting]

[ here's a malia! honestly, she's pretty damn relieved her den wasn't squashed because she thinks if it was, she might really just lose it. over the past few months her apartment has become more and more cozy, filled with things that smell nice or feel nice or otherwise soothe the coyote inside her and if it was all crushed in one fell swoop -- it would be bad. like, murder bad.

so really it means she's not unsympathetic to those who have lost their dens -- their homes. she's lingering in the rubble so she can help people find their things without outright mentioning that she wants to help people find their things. instead it comes off as kind of awkward and off putting and --

there! is a tiny child who needs help! thank god. so, as mary tries to lift one of those really heavy pieces, malia will take a few steps forward and with one hand, push it out of the way with no effort. ]

Hey. There. [ . . . ] Do you need some help?

[coexistent]

I guess I should have been a little louder before I got so close, then.

[whoops. he still feels bad for startling her.] I'll be more careful next time.

[theshiningone]

[There's no hiding the "pffft-" as he calms himself down.]

Rule of Comedy! If you seriously got hurt, then it wouldn't had been very funny. But since you're still energetic, it's perfectly fine.

[cutebutexpendable]

[ It's amazing how attached people can get to their stuff- from Styx's point of view, at least. Then again, everything he's ever owned spends most of its time clipped to his clothes or stashed in a pouch. That's what he gets for living on the margins of society. ]

[ Then again, that sorta lifestyle is almost tailor-made to let him survive this kind of situation ]

[ Styx has picked through his fair share of swamps and flooded slums- enough to appreciate the value of some good ol' higher ground. So he's squatting on the broken remains of the story above Mary, perched precariously on about three feet worth of floor attached to a freestanding wall. ]

Jeez, kid. You're gonna break yourself in half if you keep this up.

[sewayaku]

It's a bit late for that, I'm afraid. I'd be an awful housemate if I didn't worry about you.

[ he feels more like a foster parent than a housemate, but she is technically older than him, if he recalls correctly... ]

[babermetrics]

[Don't forget the seven visible piercings.

But for all that he looks like that--and it's definitely the intended effect--he's all smiles, especially at such an adorable girl. She's soooo cute! And a little freaked out, maybe; it's probably not the best idea to make a grab for the thing she's trying to lift before explaining himself.

So he attempts both at once: he waves a hand in what's trying to be a non-threatening gesture, then reaches out for the rubble as he answers.]

Just a guy who doesn't wanna see a cute girl break her arms! Or, like, anythin' else . . . heh. It's Kuwata Leon! What's your name? Here, I got that!

[reprizesal]

[He blinks at her, before he turn his attention to the debris. Then he turn his gaze back at her.]

Is it? Let me try. [He might not be oodachi-strong, but Sayo's stronger than a normal human.]

[harepiece]

[Oz has been quite fortunate during this entire mess, with his apartment suffering from minimal damage. That's why he's thrown himself into the recovery effort so hard, in part - because he has less to personally worry about, he has more of his time and energy to dedicate to everyone else.

That's also why he doesn't hesitate at all when he sees Mary struggling with some debris. He just smiles her way, sliding his hands under the chunk of whatever-it-used-to-be.]

If we lift on the count of three, I think we can get it!

[immobileyes]

[ There's her smile-- she can't help it, it's still good to see a friend. ]

Mm, I'll just be more ready for you next time.

[immobileyes]

Just because I'm--

[ But Mary stops abruptly, mid-rubbing her cheek. Energetic. Wait-- ]

A-actually, I'm still mad at you, but I had a question!

[immobileyes]

Is that a housemate thing? [ Yeah, remember, Zara, 140... is still a teenager, to Mary, but still. She's just slowly tilting her head. ] I thought it was a family thing.

[ Coming from Zara, anyway. ]

[yourfononsarewhack]

[Any resemblances to a actual birds of prey are mere coincidence.]

No, you won't.

[He states that simply with all the confidence of a clairvoyant, and he pushes at his glasses.

He lightly kicks a rock towards one pile of rubble a few yards away, and it immediately caves in on itself.]

[prosecutory]

[This is Edgeworth walking past. He had been scouting for a new place to stay, not wanting to impose on Mabel any further. But he stops at the sight of a head of long white hair crouched down before the debris of the ruined apartments. Instead of gasping and running over to her, he sedately walks over to her, getting down so he's beside her and at her level.]

Mary, what are you looking for? [His voice is...even. Calm. Like a still sea on a clear day.]

[immobileyes]

[ The uncertainty will linger for a fair few moments, but Mary's shoulders loosen up a bit (by approximately 9%, but that's good enough). ]

It's Mary. [ She rarely uses her last name, and she watches him now, just sort of soaking in the fact that a total stranger wants to help her. ... And that she's letting him, because his stamina and strength are already better than hers. People here are surprisingly nice, she thinks, not for the first time, and carefully clears her throat. ]

... Thank you.

[immobileyes]

[ So many strangers she's run into lately! Mary's tense, at first, clearly not having expected any sort of assistance from one, but Malia just-- with one hand...

She's actually a little more awed than anything, glancing from the rubble to Malia, wide-eyed. ]

You're really strong??

[ THIS IS SURPRISING. ]

[immobileyes]

...!

[ Vocal surprise without any words, yes, as her head jerks up, and she spots the goblin that totally used to terrify her and kind of still unnerves her but that's still total improvement-- ]

Styx... san... w-when did you get up there?

[immobileyes]

Oz-- [ Momentary surprise, but this is one of her closest friends, and Mary adjusts to the sudden proximity and... well, general appearance, rather quickly with a grateful smile. Yeah, she knows she's pretty awful with this on her own. ]

... Okay! One...

[immobileyes]

[ She scoots back, still a bit hesitant. ]

You can, but--

[ Seriously, it's heavy, bro. ]

[reprizesal]

[C'mon, how heavy can it be?

Sayo step forward and bends down. He puts his hands under the debris, ready to lift it up. One, two, three!

He tries to lift it up. The good news is, he manage to lift this end up higher than Mary's attempt!

The bad news is that he's not that strong, so he drops it after a moment.]

... It's heavy.

[Thank you, Captain Obvious.]

[firstcloud]

[ Both Kagemitsu and Poko are worried seeing the girl her in such a worn-out state, and Kagemitsu, with Poko on a shoulder, hurries over to her. ]

Mary-san? Are you alright? What are you doing?