Shelter

[Oki W. Nanda]

Today was not a pretty day. Lightning, thunder and the sea in rage, she had to seek a place to stay which wasn't her flooded nest. Oki was happy she had kept her possessions to a minimum. Paddle loved the thrashing of nature all around, Oki could appreciate the beauty but would prefer to NOT be struck by lightning. Or drowned. Oki was very sure she would look horrible drowned.

Popping a lock, she dipped into a building. Soaked through and through, she looked very much like a drowned bird. Pulling plastered locks away from her face, she cast the space a honeyed gaze. Seemed secure enough, sure the lock was easily broken but Oki's nimble fingers had yet to meet a padlock she could not defeat.

She took a few steps in, sighed and tried pulling her hair back. For the time being, this would certainly do.

[Marcus Prasad]

The young womans presence would not go unnoticed. Deep within the halls of the building, a beast of a man would stir. Sitting on the cold hard ground, his back leaning against his sleek black and green Harley with a book in his hand, Marcus eyed up the new arrival and was pleasently surprised to find he recognized the womans face despite her being waterlogged and all.

"Well well."
He called from the darkness deeper in the building. a smile growing on his face.
"Fancy meeting you here Ms. Oki."

[Oki W. Nanda]

Unable to pull her hair back without wringing it out, Oki sighed softly twisting the locks and letting the fluid pool on the floor. Oh she was tired, perhaps that came with age and with worry. Her mood had been off, perhaps she was lonely. Perhaps she was worn by the things she had seen as of far. Perhaps the storm had simply set her blood to boil.

At the sound of his voice, a slow smile crossed her lips, "Ah a voice in the storm she is familiar with. Hello, Marcus[/b]."

Water wrung, she pulled her hair back into a messy bun, tendrils clinging to her skin here and there, longer locks missed slowly beginning to curl. "Has he been outside? The storm is brilliantly angry[/b]."

[Marcus Prasad]

The man was about to answer the rather stunning woman when a sudden boom of thunder interupted him. Casting an irritated gaze upwards at such rudeness, Marcus nodded his head.

"Aye. He worried for his machine and so took caution over valor."
He replied, eyes still casted upwards as if daring the sky to interupt him again. Not realizing that once again he had begun to adopt the dusty skinned womans peculiar manner of speach.
"Lady can be a tempermental Beast."

Reaching out, he gave the Chassis of his Bike an affectionate pat before returning to his book, pulling a pencil from a holster sewn into the lower left arm of his Bomber jacket and writing a few lines into it.

"So. Welcome to Crow territory. If there's anything you need, Please feel free to ask."

[Oki W. Nanda]

Oki crossed near him, she'd closed the door behind already and paused well out of arms reach. She simply couldn't throw caution to the wind, even with someone who she'd shared tea with.

She spoke plainly, "She does not care for his mimicry. While flattering it may also be viewed as patronizing. As she is soaked through to her bones, surely he would understand her perception[/b]."

A man is still a man, no matter how charming. You are still a duckling til proven gander. Paddle was quick to point out, though Oki doubted Marcus could understand the oar. So far the talent had only fallen to Oki.

Smiling softly, "She would appreciate a towel and if he has the means, she will gladly make tea with herbs she has long gathered[/b]."

[Marcus Prasad]

"If I wish to know the flavor of the tea, I have to drink it don't I?"
Marcus would respond defensively, his eyes still locked on the pages of the book he was writing in.
"And after having sampled the 'flavor' of your way of talking, I gotta say I like the taste. Sorry If I offended, it wasn't my intent."

Vocal mimicry was an odd habit of the man. He had noticed before a long time ago that he tended to subtly take on the speaking patterns of those around him. More like than not to help him fit in with others. Which was strange considering how little he cared whether or not he 'fit in' anywhere.

At Oki's request, Marcus closed his book with his pencil keeping his spot and twisted his upper body around, Slipping a hand into his saddlebag and rooting around for a few minutes before pulling a small faded pink bath towel out, holding it out at arms reach for her to take, a slight glimmer of challenge in his eyes. The fact she was keeping a certain distance from him had not gone unnoticed.

"I'd be grateful, thanks. Well, as long as it's not the kind that makes the head fuzzy."
He added with a laugh.
"Not gonna lie, it made getting back home alittle more challenging that it usualy is."

[Oki W. Nanda]

"If I wish to know the flavor of the tea, I have to drink it don't I?

Oh now that was simply charming, the delight of his word choice crossed her full lips and a smooth smile his reward. So very bright he was, and kind. Purring softly, eyes glimmering at the sight of the towel, "माफ कर दिया[/b]."

She stepped to him, trailing icy fingers and small palm over his hand before burying into the towel. The gesture had been intimate, Oki had almost forgotten what another human's skin felt like. She would admit delight in the texture only to herself.

"She is in no mood for Hummingbird, the rain does not allow it to settle well on the stomach. Oki has recently stumbled upon several overgrown herb gardens, she has peppermint, lavendar and lemonbalm. All dried and ready to be seeped in hot water and consumed[/b]."

She didn't pull for the item, only waited for him to let go. She was not a grabby person, he was not an enemy as she had surmised thus far. He'd been nothing but polite, but so had Barker.

SPOILER: Click to show

Translation: forgiven

[Marcus Prasad]

"मैं आभारी हूँ"
Marcus responded back without thinking, quite distracted with the shock of nerves her touch sent from his hand to his spine, causing goosebumps to erupt over his arm. Once she gripped the Towel, Marcus would let go, also grateful of the fact she chose not to comment on a man going around with a faded PINK towel.

Fact of the matter was though, TEA! And the flavors she listed were ALL delicious in his mind!

"They all sound delicious and would definatly hit the spot and warm our bones! Besides I- DID YOU JUST SPEAK HINDI!?!?!??!?!?"
Marcus would suddenly exclaim, Eyes nearly bugging right out of his head.
"I....You....Just......आप कृपया फिर से बात करेगा?"
It had been A LONG time since Marcus had a chance to converse with someone in his second tongue, so much so that he was much like an excited puppy, eyes as wide as his smile. The lethargy from the rain outside completely vanishing from the man.

SPOILER: Click to show

Translators notes:

1) I am Grateful.

2) Would you kindly speak again?

[Oki W. Nanda]

She hadn't thought a thing about the color of the item. For all she knew he'd washed a red shirt with a white towel or had the unfornunate luck of missing the single red sock and ruined the pristine white. A small smile, who was she to judge anyone for a color choice?

She gave no hint of surprise, ever eerily calm she carefully dabbed her burned and inked skin with the towel. Voice remained warm, his expression was... endearing. It must have been so long since he's heard another's voice. She admitted it had been a long time for herself. She missed her sisters... but they were gone.

She could not help but give in to so simple a request. Not with as excited and bewildered as he seemed. "और यह क्या है है कि वह इच्छाओं उसे बोलने के लिए? शायद हैलो? वह मातृ भाषा सुनने के लिए खुश प्रकट होता है देता है."

She waved a hand, "Come now, she wishes to make them tea to enjoy."

SPOILER: Click to show

Translation:

And what is it that he desires her to speak? Perhaps hello? He appears happy to hear mother's tongue.

[Marcus Prasad]

Tea and Hindi? This HAS to be the best day EVER. Marcus certainly thought so. In his younger years he would have already been squealing with delight. He had been worrying he had lost touch with his own heritage during his decade long exile. He noticed with some embaressment that his words were slow and halting despite Hindi's lyrical nature.

"सही है! चाय। जैसा कि मैंने कहा, मैं कोई पसंद है। मैं अपने आप को शहद की ओर झुकाव हालांकि पता है। तो फिर मेरी मिठाई दाँत अंतरिक्ष से देखा जा सकता है"....."
<Right! The tea. As I said, I have no preference. Though I DO find myself leaning towards the Honey. Then again my sweet tooth could be seen from space......">

[Oki W. Nanda]

She did not seem to mind the slowness, her focus was elsewhere. Fluidity would come with time, seems he was out of practice. Gentle smile playing on her lips, almond gaze passing over the space. Certainly he didn't expect tea out of thin air, she needed heat, perhaps he was too stunned from hearing his own language.

"क्या यह इमारत एक स्टोव या वह फर्श पर एक आग का निर्माण होगा?."

< Does this building have a stove or shall she build a fire on the floor? >