never put your hat on the bed, son, never put your hat on the bed

[aldabeyoun]

Who: Njoki, Bob Barker & YOU.
What: Fixin' horses, seein' clients, chattin' on the phone, etc.
Where: Mafaton, various other places throughout Baedal.
When: All throughout the week
Notes: The remade horse scenario is for Martha, but the rest of the options are open to everyone. If you want to chat and set anything up, give me a shout.
Warnings: Some gore and bodyhorror. These are Remade horses.

Even with the reduced population of cruorvores in the city, Njoki is still busy enough to have regular wait periods between making an appointment and seeing her. It seems those that are left have a vested interest in warding their property and making sure their appearance is as human as possible. For this reason, she's often out and about anywhere in town: tracking down new suppliers, riding the trains, taking a well-earned break in a coffee shop after a particularly difficult bit of work, and so on.

Today, she's on time and waiting for Martha outside a Mafaton stable with a rucksack over one shoulder and a toolbox in hand. It's worth noting that she's wearing clothing to suit a dirty, messy, hands-on sort of job.

Comments

[ammit]

One day in Mafaton, there he is, waiting outside a coffee shop. He is a little smaller than he used to be, for cuteness is more useful for acquiring scraps, and wags his tail furiously when he sees Njoki. The perking of his ears and getting to his feet are clear signs of recognition, but he doesn't approach her right away. It is a sort of politeness, for he is not, of course, exactly a dog, nor a jackal, nor a god, not anymore. If she recognizes him and welcomes his presence, then he'll do stupid yippy jumping and licking — when it's socially acceptable to do such things, there is a great joy in doing them — but if not, he will be tip his non-existent hat and be on his way.

[aldabeyoun]

Maybe she doesn't immediately recognize him for who and what he really is or once was, but Njoki does have a soft spot for jackals and that's a good enough reason to crouch down and motion him over.

"D'you need a snack?"

[ammit]

He does a little doggy-tilt of his head, because that is welcoming but not quite familiarity... but it is her, he is sure, so he sidles closer and leeeeeans out to sniff at her hand. And, if she is willing, bestow a tentative lick.

[aldabeyoun]

Njoki wuffles and is more than happy to have a jackal lick her hand. If he doesn't mind too much, there will be ear skritches and a bit of 'whose a lovely one?'.

[ammit]

This is pleasing, and for however long she has to skritch him, he is satisfied. It's okay if she doesn't know him, for she is still Njoki, and friendship (and the memory of delicious snacks) transcends such boundaries.

[boomvox]

Despite his shaky arrival, Jae's forced himself to pick himself up with speed - he may not have hit the ground running, and he may still be extremely angry and bitter about the entire situation, but he's not the sort of person to be angry and bitter and starving. Baedal is not the first city he's had to start from scratch in, and so that's what he's doing: hiking back from Pincod, where he bought a turntable off some guy who wasn't sure what it was. It's a little busted up, but it's a Thorens and all the parts are there, and he got it for a price that would make anyone back home cry. As much as he can be, he's pleased with it.

What he's less pleased with is the hiking; on the train ride out, he'd felt so ill passing the junction he felt like he could have tried to claw his way out of the car with his fingernails. So he got off a station prior, and is now making his way through Mafaton, avoiding the area that made him feel like he was going to hurl. (Someone on the train had nodded knowing at him and said, 'Sometimes the edges of Bonetown do that to people.' The lore he recited made Jae pale, against all emotional odds.)

But it's fine. Walking is fine. Even carrying his messenger bag full of the meager stuff he's managed to scrape together, boxed up turntable in his arms.

It'd be nice if he looked a little less out of place, with his weird hair sticking up out of the beanie on his head, square black glasses and painted nails and neatly shined shoes. Mafaton might be full of wonderful people, but a lot of them really don't like people who look and feel so damn human - the latter of which Jae might not, normally, but since that moment skirting by Bonetown, he's had all his senses on lockdown.

Later, when he learns about what happened here, Jae'll feel a bit more sympathetic towards the yellow-eyed and fanged man who comes up beside him and asks with a mocking sugary tone if he's here to watch the freak show.

[aldabeyoun]

Unlike the other living residents of Mafaton, Njoki doesn't have to pay the goretax. Instead, she earns her protection from the Princes by offering a set number of free care hours to those unable to otherwise afford her services. It's just after one of these housecalls that she's walking towards Bloody Sunday when she spots what could be the start of something messy.

[boomvox]

To his credit, Jae doesn't startle or cringe away - he looks nervous, but his body language doesn't shrink back; he steps back, yes, but he looks more like he just wants to be left alone versus wanting to hide.

"No," he says, and it's plain from his expression he doesn't understand the question.

Unfortunately, that doesn't please his new friend - not that anything would, judging by his demeanor - and in a heartbeat, Jae finds himself being advanced on.

[aldabeyoun]

Never one to interfere unless it's absolutely necessary, Njoki doesn't get in the way of what's looking like a nasty confrontation but she walks close enough that her presence might scare off a skittish bully.

"We all good?"

[studious_snake]

A slender man was walking through the city, appearing very much normal, though to anyone who had an enhanced sense of smell he'd seem more snake than human. He was walking down the street, headed away from a pet store, and he held a cardboard carrier with the distinct squeaking of rats emerging from it as they scratched and scrambled to get out to no avail.

As he passed the train station, he thought he'd stop and go over to look at the schedule. As he did so, he also wondered if they might need someone to help maintain the trains. Not something he normally would do, but it might be good to at least get some kind of job to tide himself over until he could get something more solidly in his area of expertise.

[aldabeyoun]

Njoki doesn't usually carry rats with her, but she is coming off the train with a toolbox and a rucksack which probably smell of herbs, sandalwood, beeswax, and a bit of old blood.

"You good with the schedule, yeah?" She has a fairly thick West African francophone accent, but shouldn't be incomprehensible.

[studious_snake]

He looked over and nodded. "Yeah, although I'm kind of wondering if they need anyone to maintain the trains, since I haven't found a job yet."

His own accent was distinctly American, but living in New York he was used to hearing different accents, and he only assumed that the diversity would only be greater in a place where people could be pulled into it from anywhere at any time.

[aldabeyoun]

"Probably do? I don't think they run themselves." But around here, who can tell? "You could ask about the guild at the station? Send 'em a note on your CiD?"

[cerebral]

At some point during the week, Njoki may spy Charles making his way through Mafaton. He is, quite fortunately, aware of the struggles that have recently befallen the area, but he walks purposefully and he's very good at going unnoticed by people who are susceptible to such things. Not that everyone in the neighbourhood falls into that category, mind you, although he's not had any trouble so far.

So long as he's concentrating, that is. Which promptly gets broken when two of the four books he's holding under one arm start to slip, one of them managing to topple to the ground as he walks. He gives a small huff, before turning and setting down the grocery bag he was carrying in his other hand, stooping to pick things up and sort them out.

[aldabeyoun]

"Hey!" Njoki calls out to Charles as she walks over to greet him. She might not have been a fan of the man, but she likes Erik well enough and had offered to show the Other Charles around Mafaton.

[cerebral]

Of course, this Charles has never met Njoki, which means there's some blinking since he doesn't recognise her at all. Still, he's not unfriendly, and neither is she. He raises his hand in a little wave back.

"Hello?" It may sound a tad unsure.

[aldabeyoun]

"Aw, shit. I knew you were back, but I guess we ought to reintroduce ourselves, yeah?" Njoki shifts the bag she's carrying to make sure it's more securely over her shoulder before offering to shake hands. "Njoki Rainmaker, but Ki works if you can't get it."

[toldastory]

Recalling the time that she had gone grave robbing with the Doctor, and of course her time in medical school doing dissections, Martha had elected to dress in dark clothing as well. Dark clothing that could be easily cleaned and that stains wouldn't be visible during her return home. Seeing Njoki, Martha smiled quickly, and raised her hand in greeting.

"Thanks for letting me come along with you and do this, Ki. I appreciate it, and bought coffee." Because really, nothing helped work more than having coffee.

[aldabeyoun]

"Nice," she says accepting a cup and taking a sip before leading the way into the stable. "You work with horses before?"

Once they're inside the main room of the 'horses' become visible and it's immediately apparent that someone with a good deal of talent or strange humour has worked these animals over. A few have mechanical parts woven through their bodies, back legs replaced by pistons or treads, while others are new species or merged creations. Njoki is partial to the oddly bioluminescent one with slowly waving poisonous tendrils instead of a mane.

[toldastory]

"No, I'm a bit of a city girl, me. The closest I've come is bringing tea to the stablemaster. He didn't want me to get close to the horses." For reasons that she still didn't want to think about, let alone mention.

Looking around the stable, Martha is immediately taken by the sight of the odd horses. They have a horrible beauty all their own, and Martha can't help but stare at the horses and how their bodies are place together. "They're beautiful." The words were spoken in a slightly odd tone and Martha's hand extended towards one, but didn't quite touch it-it seemed that she had in fact learned a few things.

[aldabeyoun]

"You'll want to keep your hands to yourself and don't get behind them. Some of 'em don't go for oats." Some of the horses snort and stamp at Njoki's presence, but get over any nervousness as the stablemaster comes out to great them. He's a short, stocky man with bright, reflective blue-green eyes and visible fangs.

"I've got Big Boy out back for you. I think the problem is that there's a rough part on the piston that keeps rubbing against the bone, but I can't tell from the outside."

[magnetic]

Conveniently enough, Erik just so happens to be on his way to that very stable some time later in the day. Should convenience strike, he may in fact encounter Njoki in the barn proper once her appointment with Martha is over and done with. Since convenience often does strike around here because it would be no fun if it didn't, he shall greet her with a fond look and perhaps a glint of teeth, hands in his pockets, wearing that one black cap that inspires his hair to attempt a few mild curls behind his ears. (It could use a trim, honestly.)

"Fancy meeting you here." He is well aware of the cheese inherent in this line. That's part of its charm, you see.

[aldabeyoun]

"What's a nice boy like you doing in a stable like this one?" Njoki laughs, grinning and showing off her own teeth, while checking over one of he other not-horses that someone reported a bit of a fussiness with. That's the trouble with Remaking - sometimes it works without a hitch, but if there's one little thing wrong, it's a nightmare trying to figure out where the missed connection is.

[magnetic]

"I've come to see a man about a horse, actually." How about they just communicate in cliches from now on. (And yes, he does know this is sort of a cheeky euphemism, and yes he's great at nigh-deadpanning it regardless.)

In keeping with the atmosphere, Erik moseys on over to where Njoki is working. Although his mutation lends him a unique understanding of these Remade creatures—he's begun to fancy himself a kind of whisperer, if you want to be honest—he stops at a respectful distance nonetheless, in case her patient is the fussing kind. It's only polite. "Is this one of your usual sites for on-call work?"

[aldabeyoun]

"For now. They've had to replace most of the horses here with new animals and some of them are still a bit new on their pins." The particular animal she's checking over is one that was remade with speed in mind. Lacking the heavy pistons or steampower that drive the usual workhorses, this is a lightfooted creature with some metal reinforcing weak joints and hooves that may be more saurian than anything else. For her, it doesn't matter if they're wearing scales, fur, or feathers; they're all horses. Sort of.

"Did you get a star and a ten gallon hat?"