Starring:
Summary: Moxie moves into the Ward-Blackwell home and attempts to break in her new room.
Date It Happened: December 21, 2001.
Breaking In
The Ward-Blackwell Residence
It's been awhile, but finally a cab pulls up in front of the address, exactly as she took it down. There was some arguing about whether or not the cabbie was /going/ to get paid, C.O.D., but the persevering teen wore him down and now here she is. She double-checks the street number against her writing, black eyeliner on the back of a flyer, but it works. She tells the cabbie to hold on, and can be heard squabbling with him as she slides out of the seat, dragging with her a duffel bag and a couple of large plastic shopping bags, containing mostly clothing from the looks of it. It takes some work to wrench herself free, since she doesn't actually get out and then pick up her things, but tries to do it all at once. But finally she's free, and yelling something about patience back over her shoulder at the driver, she makes her way up to the door to give it a surprisingly tentative knock.
The house is big, and sits in a more affluent region of L.A.. It's got a nice yard, if a smaller one. The walkway is kept free of debris, but like Seth mentioned in passing the lawn is not exactly well-tended; it grows relatively wild, clumps of grass grazing onto the edges of the path. As for the warlock? He's been watching the street ever since he called the girl, a large ginger cat sharing a window-seat (and a small bowl of deliciously munchable mini-bagels with lox) with him during the wait. But the wait is over. When Moxie started up the walk the man started for the door, and it opens quite suddenly after her very first knock. The warlock stares down at her for several long moments before managing to summon a smile. "Hello there. How much is the cab fare?"
Moxie is a little surprised at the sudden appearance at the door and she's left for a brief moment with her hand still poised in the air, ready to knock again. But she drops it to her side as soon as she realizes, and glances back over her shoulder at the cabbie with a 'See?' expression as she gestures at Seth. She does too know people in this neighbourhood. Turning back to Seth then, she readjusts her load and parrots back the cost she was given by the driver. It sounds like a lot to her, but what does she know. "I wouldn't tip him very much either," she adds, pitching her voice loud enough for the driver to hear her. Winning friends everywhere she goes. But if she's extra moody, it might just have something to do with the fact that she's clearly feeling a little out of her element, not quite sure how exactly this whole thing is going to work.
Tip? The word might as well be a foreign one, for all the tipping Seth has done in his lifetime without his mother looking over his shoulder as he pays the bill. "Set your things down inside," the warlock eventually blusters, "and I'll pay the cabbie." He starts hobbling down the walkway minus his cane - so it takes him a bit more pain and effort than it normally would. A soft thump echoes from the living room surrounding the western part of the hallway and there's a little jangle of a soft-pitched bell as the cat comes to investigate. The feline is an enormous specimen, with faint ruddy stripes banding his thick, longhaired pelt. Green eyes gaze up at Moxie without any sign of being impressed, annoyed with the unwanted intrusion into the house.
At least Moxie isn't going to be upset at the idea of Seth stiffing the opinionated driver. And for once, she more or less just does what she's told, grateful for some direction to keep her from standing around awkwardly. It can't possibly last, though, the obedience. She pauses for a moment at the threshold before stepping inside, dropping her things unceremoniously where she stands, and then carelessly nudging them aside with a platform boot. "Hey … kitty," she greets the cat, neither enthusing over it or shying away. Though as it stares at her, she does widen her eyes slightly and give it a strange look in return. But unable to outstare the darn thing, she looks away to study these new surroundings, still just standing there inside the doorway. A glance out the open door causes her to realize Seth's gone without his cane, which gets a frown and then a shrug.
No, Seth does not have his cane. The walking aid in fact rests on a stand with several others directly next to the front door, but in his haste the warlock simply forgot to fetch one. Thanks to the poor mood it puts the man in, the driver gets not a single penny more than the fare. Seth even counts out the change. A muttered curse and a squeal of tires indicate that the cabbie is off to take care of more lucrative customers. As for the cat, the creature lazily watches the girl in front of him and eventually saunters closer, eyes still on Moxie as he begins to rub his face against her belongings, which are now totally His. Seth makes it back to the door at a faster pace, meaning quite simply to get the annoyance over and done with. "Julie, is this all you own? Pan. Shoo."
The driver's bad mood gets a soft snort from the teen, who seems quite satisfied that Seth has succeeded in pissing him off even more thoroughly than she could. Moxie isn't quite sure what to make of the cat claiming her things, but she just gives him an uncertain look, not wanting to get into battle with the feline on her first day. "All I own that was worth bringing," she clarifies with a shrug. Because in her world, the only things worth keeping are clothes, shoes, and makeup, from the looks of it, though there may be some other items buried in the duffel bag. "This is a nice place," she adds, finally thinking to maybe move out of the way so that he can get past her.
"It is," Seth agrees, "and we like to keep it that way. So don't be throwing your shit all over my house. Beyond that, all I can think of right now is that you are never to go to the attic or the basement. I am not kidding. Mildred and I have all sorts of nasty things that we keep locked away that play hell with the human body." As his master speaks the cat, Pan, edges forward to start twining around the warlock's legs, gracing him with several shedded hairs while the man steps into the house again. He then sweeps one arm out towards a door off the main hallway, nodding at it. "Your room. Go on."
"I never said I was going to throw my stuff anywhere," Moxie points out defensively. "You /told/ me to put it here." It doesn't take much. She rolls her eyes slightly at the rules, but does nod, so she'll probably listen to it? At least for awhile maybe? Curiosity killed the cat and all, but she doesn't exactly look forward to something nasty playing hell with her body. As he orders her along to her room, she gives him one of her looks but then does head for it. "So where's the ex?" she can't help but ask, taking a quick curious look around before turning her attention to the indicated room.
It's a pretty normal house, if you don't pay attention to all the weird items placed here and there where most people would put beautifying objects or family heirlooms. Instead of a clock on the mantle in the living room there's some sort of tribal mask that seems to have some unnervingly human quality to the wrinkled leather that covers its face - and there are other similar items that don't have any right belonging in a house such as this. The room that Seth has indicated is a large one, though relatively bare, probably thanks to the anticipation of it having a new owner. There's a bed, a desk, a chair, two dressers and a carpet, but no sign that the room has actually been lived in. "I did tell you to put it here. I'm talking about when you actually start spreading your tendrils of teenage messiness." Because Seth knows it will happen. Kids are the worst kinds of monsters. The cat brings up the rear, following man and girl and soon slipping into the room ahead of them just so he can claim the bed first.
"How about you wait until I actually /do/ something before you start lecturing me about it?" Moxie suggests with a healthy dose of teenage attitude. "I'm not gonna wreck your house, okay?" But if she's a little more defensive than usual, well, it must just be the unfamiliar situation. She makes her way into the room, standing there awkwardly for a moment as she takes it in, looking around as she tries to cement in her mind the idea that this is /her/ room. "So you just, like, had all this extra stuff you didn't need?" she asks, the idea of having extra furniture - let alone a whole extra room - foreign to her. Finally, she makes her way to the bed and sits on the edge of it, giving an experimental little bounce.
Hsss. Apparently Pan does not approve of the bed-bouncing. The cat leaps back off and beats a speedy retreat, soon coming up behind Seth's legs and staring out from between his knees at Moxie. Seth remains in the doorway, leaning against it with no sign of intruding further into the room. "It's a guest room. It's purpose is to accommodate people who aren't myself or my ex-wife. Now it'll accommodate you." Moxie isn't the only awkward one in this situation. Seth is very much out of his normal depth. "I hope it's alright," he finally says in a faltering tone.
Moxie makes a little face as the cat hisses at her, actually seeming a little sorry about that. She stops bouncing abruptly and tries to sit still, though the fidgeting doesn't stop for long. "Right, yeah," she replies to the matter of the guest room, nodding ever so knowledgeably about these things. She continues looking around, even if there isn't that much to see. But at his faltering tone, she finally looks back over at Seth. "It's - It's fine. I mean, it's really good. I've never - It's /huge/." Plus there's that whole part about not having to hold up corner stores in order to pay rent.
Seth smiles when the room is approved of, giving the side of the doorframe a little thump with his fist. "Good. I imagine Mildred will make us something for dinner when she gets home. If not, we can order out. I'll let you get settled." Rather than leave immediately, though, Seth bends down to wrap his hands underneath the cat's belly and chest, lifting the fuzzy creature up to hold against his chest. Pan purrs. Good times. "I don't imagine you'll need a key for a few days yet, which is just as well because I'm not giving you the only spare."
"Don't worry, I can just break in if I need to," Moxie replies deadpan before giving a disarming grin to show how she is so totally joking. Of course. "Have you … told her that I'm going to be here?" she asks, just a little hesitantly. Because while she does thoroughly enjoy pissing people off under the usual circumstances, ambushing them in their home seems something better worked up to. Plus there's that slight worry that maybe this won't be a done deal. Absently, she smoothes down the edge of the bed covers, not entirely sure what's involved in this 'settling in'.
"…No. No, you cannot just break in." That joke is not a funny joke. Seth points at the girl from around the bulk of his cat's belly, a stern look accompanying the Finger of Doom. "As for Mildred, yes. She knows you're going to be here. Do your best not to aggravate her. Or me. We don't like children." The warlock lowers his hand again, dropping it to the cat's head so he can start rubbing at the feline's right ear. "Will you be alright until dinner?"
Moxie thinks it's kinda funny! Especially his reaction. But she has the limited good grace to at least try to minimally subdued the amused smirk. "Lighten up. I was just kidding." She gives her head a little toss, brushing her hair back from her eye. "Well that's fine, because I'm not a kid," she replies pointedly, with emphasis, because one day this will get through, yes. Probably around her 18th birthday, if she lives that long. "And I'm not /trying/ to aggravate anyone," she adds more in a mutter, rolling her eyes. Her eyebrows go up a little at the question and she considers a snarky response, but since she's only /just/ said how she's not trying to aggravate him, she opts for just a nod instead. "Yeah, I … I'll be okay. I guess I should…" She looks around, casting for something to finish that sentence. "Unpack?" It's not quite certain though. (repose)
Seth smirks at the girl, turning in the doorway to start heading back out into the main part of the house. "Yes, unpack. That's generally what people do when they move into a new place, Julie. If you need anything, don't hesitate to yell. We've got plenty of reading material if you want something to pass the time." He lingers in the doorway for a moment but doesn't stay, instead shuffling off without a further word. All things considered, it could be worse.
Moxie wrinkles her nose at the thought of reading material, though it does make her think of a much more important question. "You got a TV?" she calls after him, though without necessarily any expectation of getting an answer. No doubt, she can explore and discover such delights or disappointments in her own time. She takes another glance around the room and then flops back on the bed, trying to get used to the idea of it being hers.
