Camp Baron Friend of a Friend

@KARA
Outfit

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There was one unfamiliar face in their little crowd. But even she wasn’t unfamiliar. Not really! If Maxine had it right, and judging by Nat’s interactions with her, this was...

”Hey... Kara, is it?” Maxine smiled softly, lips closed and voice steady. She was making her way into the kitchen with a handful of dirty dishes she’d picked up from downstairs. ”Don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.” Maxine slid the glasses onto the counter, extending her hand to the other woman.

Who was very gorgeous, by the way!

Outfit

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There were familiar and unfamiliar faces in the hubbub of the party and Kara was taking it all in strides, making herself at home, the place insanely familiar now with hanging around Natasha so much.

A femine voice had her turning from grabbing some more turkey, stuffing, and cranberry to stuff onto a roll. There was a familiar face to the bear, one she’d met during fight night if Kara was recalling correctly. ”Yep, that’s me,” she confirmed, taking the hand to give it a good shake, the dog winding herself forward with a tail plumed up high to give a huge sniff at the mass of fur and claws.

”Maxine, right? We met last time at fight night.”

Kara’s handshake was firm and sure. Maxine matched it, even though the bear was taking a few awkward steps back from the other, unsure of the forwardness of the spotted dog. Caution was a relatively standard reaction. She just laughed gently.

”Yeah. I remember,” Maxine confirmed! ”Crazy night. You uh, stuck by us, though.”

She leaned to the side some, opening the dishwasher as she kept her attentive gaze on the other woman.

Yeah it had been a crazy night, especially for this little bear group, the first real introduction to any giant tension there were with the locals.

Setting the plate down, she leaned against the counter, giving a toothy smile. "'Course, I'd be kinda a jerk to run off. Something something dogs are loyal to the end." Even though she'd had to excuse herself to keep in the dog, Kara one hundred percent would've been down to kick some butt if needed, even shifted.

Well, wasn’t she refreshing. Taking in the toothy smile, Maxine could see why Nat and Kara probably got along like a house on fire. Her own eyes crinkled slightly as she chuckled, having to look up to meet her gaze.

”Right,” she concurred there. But then she teased lightly, too, ”Or maybe you just wanted us for a free ride?” Because nothing beat the experience of a free ride with a dead man in the back.

That got her a laugh from Maxine, some twinkle of pride flitting through. The additional tease had Kara joining in though, lifting hands to wave in defense.

”Well you got me there. I’d be stupid to pass on the hottest uber of the night.”

At the show of hands, Maxine poked her tongue through her grinning smile just a little.

”So can I get you a drink or anything?” she carried onto her next thought, filing the few glasses away and shutting the dishwasher. ”Wine or beer or...” What else did Cliff have! ”Cider?”

Hands finding a home on the counter’s cool edge, she was quick to answer. ”A beer would be great if you don’t mind.” She was easy.

”So, how long have you been in Ridgefield?”

Easy audience to please, Maxine thought coincidentally!

She gave a single nod, before turning and grabbing two chilled beers. "Well, uh. Let's see," Maxine tried to sort her thoughts. "First moved here about... five years back, I want to say? But I've been between states since then. Only came back earlier this year." Yeah, yeah. She wasn't asking for your life story, Maxine. Keep it easy.

Cracking Kara's drink open, she slid it across the counter to her with a smile.

Apparently, the story wasn’t as cut and dry as most she’d heard. She’d moved here, left to travel between states, came back and now here Maxine was back in charming little Ridgefield.

Watching the drink being opened, she gratefully picked it up after it slid over, giving it a small bob in the air in thanks. ”Well, welcome back neighbor. Hopefully, second time’s the charm.” With that, she’d take a sip of the cold beer.

Kara had a way of talking which was familiar to Maxine. It was a strange observation, but she mostly meant that it was natural to bounce off her. It was more like... rebounding. Reminded her of folks from home.

"Cheers to that," Maxine smiled knowingly, cracking open her own beer a beat later to join Kara in that first sip. Then, as she pressed her lips together, tasting any remnants of flavour left there, "You Colorado born and bred?"

A smile graced her lips as she put the glass down to lightly lean against her side as a free hand picked up the small roll sandwich made earlier.

Next to the plate was an easy question to follow up her own so Kara was kind of expecting it.

”Nah, I’m a Mainer—moved here almost two years ago.” She took a bite, careful of crumbs. ”Figured a change of scene would be nice.” Avoiding her mom breathing the same air as her was incentive enough.

"Maine, you say? Trading beaches for a whole lot of trees?" Maxine almost scolded, a smirk playing on her lips.

Except Maine also had plenty of trees, she was just an ignorant bear. :(

”Yeah, something like that.”

She swallowed another bite, comfortable in the built facade of passivity. Shrugging, Kara would add in more once her mouth was clear. ”The place ran its course. You prob know the feel with moving around too.”

”Sure do,” Maxine turned the smirk into a smile, which prevented it from getting heavy. There was more she could’ve said on that but she didn’t feel the need to.

Like Kara had picked out, they probably knew the feeling. There were layers to her version of it.

”But uh! On a good note—Ridgefield never seems to lose its life?” Maxine joked, pushing her shoulders back. She began drifting towards the basement’s stairs, pace lingering in a way which invited Kara to join her. ”You ever had the pleasure of running into any Psychics or Vampires around town?”

There was comradery there in the topic and not wanting to push boundaries. It was a sort of safe social contract, to feel understood in some way without questioning further than spoken.

As for Ridgefield never losing its life, she hummed in agreement. Kara hadn’t been at loss for things to do here that was for sure, especially now that she had a friend in Natasha.

Following the gaze, she pushed off the counter, taking her plate and beer with her, intending to go wherever Maxine took them as the question was prompted. ”No psychics, but I have run into vampires a few times. Apparently, I live on their side of town.”

Their side of town was... where was their side of town? Around Alder Heights? Maxine could've asked for clarification, but something struck her as more important...

"And you don't mind that?" she asked with some soft surprise, brows raised. "Living on their land and terms, I mean. Or do they let you be?"

Her mouth moved somewhat to the side at the surprise heard there, a shrug making its way out. ”The later. I’ve been nosed out, but I don’t start anything, so they don’t either.” Even with teasing, the last chick had taken it all well and let Kara go about her night.

”I figure, they’re running on the mutual respect sorta deal with us so I really can’t complain.” And if that ever changed it would be a real bitch to relocate and figure out where to work in one fell swoop. God, hopefully that never happened.

Presuming they ran on the deal of mutual respect was a big if. One which meant Kara’s livelihood was at their mercy, in their hands, however you want to call it.

Not that Maxine was thinking any crazy scenarios up, but she was touchy about where and how she lived. Liked her freedom. Struggled to imagine herself ever staying on any land that belonged to Vampires.

Maybe that was just reflective of her own insecurities.

She sighed lightly as they took the stairs back down into the basement. ”Yeah. Just... you know. Not to preach when you look smarter than me, but be careful. Especially since silver’s common knowledge to them.”

Following, the stairs creaking somewhat as they descended, she lifted the bottle to her lips, listening. Not to preach, Maxine said before doing so. Kara was confident in her ability to stay on their good side, so far everything had been fine after all. It’d be fine. She narrowed her eyes at the realization that the vamp pack knew about silver though.

Swallowing the beer, she grimaced. ”Damn, I was wondering when that’d get out.” It honestly had been a ticking clock till that was a known in all honesty. Still, it was unnerving. ”Good to know.”

She took it well! Which, you know, was great because Maxine really didn't want to be that lady that preached. Especially if Kara already knew they knew about silver! Which she didn't, so, right. Everything was good!

"'Course," Maxine said to the last part. Another sip and she pulled her lip in, working against a suspicious smile. "So... how long have you known Natasha? How'd you meet?" Tell all, Kara!

Maxine's gaze swept the room to the woman in question.

She followed Maxine’s gaze, finding her friend in question before eyes went to the side in a recollection. How long? God, it’d been in winter last year hadn’t it?

”Almost a year ago, I think.”

Stepping off the last step, she looked back to the bear. ”We both were on a cave tour, one of the ones with those glow worms in it. We hit it off pretty quick.”

A year was a long enough time. What’d she been doing this time last year?

Hell, did it even matter. All she knew was she wanted to be here from every year now on. She hadn’t known what she’d had in Ridgefield until she’d found herself needing to come back to it.

Maxine met Kara’s gaze again, faintly smiling with familiarity at the mention of glow worms. ”She’s great,” Maxine agreed with the unspoken part of that story. ”Hasn’t made me feel even the littlest bit unwelcome. So... full of love. And light.”

The sentiment was something she could fully agree with, even though it got all sorts of mushy at the end. Natasha really did live up to it all, afterall. Her first were friend here, and boy, had she hit the jackpot.

”That’s one way of summarizing her,” she agreed. ”Glad I'm not the only victim to her charms.” Trying to imagine a bad bone in the bear’s body was honestly hard as hell.

But to Maxine though, she’d round the convo around. ”It’s not just her though, pretty sure all of y’all are pretty similar on the welcoming stuff. You’ve got a good bunch here.”

Victim to her charms--that sure was a good way of putting it. Maxine laughed gleefully, gently pressing her back up against a corner wall.

"Yeah? Well, thanks," she said, surprised. "I think it's a good bunch too, but... wouldn't be anything without our friends." At that, she gestured to Kara with her beer, as well as the jaguars.

Look at them all being cute with that sentiment going around to everyone. She followed the gesture before attention went right back to Maxine, lifting her own beer up to take a sip. Just before the glass could meet lips again, she gave a smile. ”Good, because you ain’t getting rid of us anytime soon.”