a lifetime of care

Mary Whitlam, 33 (101), werewolf, "permanent" resident since 2002, lawyer.

[marywhitlam]

evanrider:

“Just bumpy enough,” he said, patting her sides before hopping off the bike. He grinned at her as he held out his hand to help her off. It was the gentlemanly thing to do after all. “Now about that drink.” 

A huff of a chuckle escaped through Mary’s nose. “I think it was my neighbor’s kid that suggested I turn this thing into some kind of Uber. Though judging by how most people react to this scooter alone, I’d imagine I’d have a hard time getting anyone to hop on,” she bemused, shaking her head. She let herself be helped off, then took their helmets, put one under the seat, and chained the other to the lock that went through the scooter’s wheel. “The drink, yes! Lead the way,” Mary gestured toward the bar, opting to follow him rather than take the lead. 

[marywhitlam]

thalia-dunne:

“Well, here we are,” Thalia sang, stumbling a little as she hopped off the back of Mary’s scooter. “Oops.” She giggled a bit, catching her balance. “Now for that coffee and food that I promised you. Since you have been so nice to me today. Honestly, you saved me at least an hour.” 

Mary adjusted to the lack of weight on the scooter, chuckling slightly as Thalia stumbled. “Are you alright?” she shot back, and followed suit, hopping off and putting their helmets away, locking the scooter in place. “Don’t mention it,” she smiled brightly, nodding at Thalia. “Coffee and food sound absolutely amazing right now either way. I don’t think I’ve eaten anything since lunch, to be honest.” She followed Thalia, stomach grumbling a little as if to confirm her words. 

[marywhitlam]

lunaxanya:

Anya blinked at her. “What are you talking about?” she asked. “I didn’t say anything about space?” She gave a little shrug and smirked. “Maybe I am a child – I could just have developed really early. And I have a glandular problem.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her hear, still grinning. “Anya Nikolaevna. Sure, it’s a pleasure.”

Mary raised an eyebrow, though kept the smile on her lips nonetheless. “My mistake,” she shrugged. “I must have misunderstood what you meant when you called it a ‘sardine can on wheels’.” A small chuckle escaped her. “Touche,” she joked, “I hadn’t thought of that. Serves me for assuming.” Anya Nikolaevna. Now that seemed familiar for more reasons than the obvious one, although Mary refrained from saying anything. 

[marywhitlam]

lunaxshaw:

“It’s nice to meet you, Mary.” Despite Hollow Grove’s small town status, Luna felt like she could walk outside and still meet someone new every day. Maybe she needed to be here a minimum of five or ten years before she could say she’d finally met everyone there was to meet. “My feet are in your debt.” She smiled, getting herself situated on the back of the bike, doing her best to contain her excitement. “Well, if you see any fake flowers you want there, just let me know.”

“I’ll think about it,” Mary conceded, nodding warmly. Then, with a verbal check to see that her passenger was prepared for it, Mary drove off in the direction of their destination. At first she drove slowly, letting the scooter get used to the weight, before accelerating, the crisp autumn air lapping at their clothes and any exposed skin. Being a wolf, Mary could muster not having as many layers as normal humans needed, so the wind didn’t bother her. She took the more scenic route to their destination, navigating traffic gracefully. Eventually, Mary pulled them to a gentle stop in front of their goal, waiting for Luna to get off before she did anything. “Here we are,” she said, removing her helmet. 

[marywhitlam]

grey-arthur:

Arthur shook his head. She had offered, and he had said yes. “No, I appreciate the offer,” he said. “Although I do warn you – I have never ridden on one of these things before. I hope you won’t be surprised if you look behind you to find that your passenger has made for the sidewalk.”

“I should hope my passenger thinks twice before doing that!” Mary protested, shaking her head in amusement. “That’d be far more dangerous than being on the scooter in the first place.” She knew he was a vampire, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t worry for his hypothetical safety -- even vampires suffered certain wounds, from time to time. She scooted forward a little, the better to give him more room and make him feel more comfortable about riding it in the first place. “Now, being that I’m a wolf I’ve got more strength to keep my balance -- even when it comes to the weight of a grown man -- so don’t you go worrying that something’s going to happen,” she said, smiling half in reassurance and half in amusement. “And remember, you can back out at any time.” She seemed to catch herself, and thus added quickly, “Just not by jumping off the scooter, mind you.”

[marywhitlam]

evanrider:

“I’ll keep my ears wide open,” Evan promised, cupping them for emphasis–and a laugh. “As soon as we get there,” he agreed, scooting closer to her on the bike, but not too close. He didn’t want to make her overly uncomfortable after all. He wasn’t a creep. Just a flirt. 

“Good, good,” Mary chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. “All settled and secure?” she shot back at him, and after a brief moment sped off in their direction. They seemed to arrive at their destination faster than Mary had anticipated, although it suited her all the more -- the earlier she could get things started, the more things she could later cram into her evening. It wasn’t anything personal, it was just the way her mind was wired. She had spent so much of her life at work (wherever it had been at any given time) that that’s what her mind planned things around. After they’d parked and gotten off the scooter, Mary glanced at the bar. “Well, here we are! How was the ride -- not too bumpy?”

[marywhitlam]

thalia-dunne:

Thalia nodded and placed her hands on Mary’s hips. “All set,” she reassured the woman. She smiled as they took off, enjoying this mode of transportation. “I might have to get me one of these,” she giggled. When they arrived, she climbed off carefully so as not to upset Mary’s balance. “Deal, but only if you come into the cafe afterwards for a coffee and food item of your choice,” she stipulated. 

Mary let out a chuckle at hearing Thalia’s comment, though she suspected the wind filling their ears made it harder for the human to hear the response. She parked them securely in front of their goal, feet keeping the scooter a little too steady -- which, of course, was only a side effect of being a werewolf. Every move seemed more secure, more steady than compared to those who weren’t of the same caliber. “How can I say no to that?” Mary smiled, scrunching up her nose.

[marywhitlam]

grey-arthur:

Arthur pursed his lips. He wasn’t sure how to refuse without being blatantly rude, so he gave a little sigh and nodded. “Alright,” he said, though his reluctance was still clear. “Could you take me to the radio station?”

Mary let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head. “You can say no,” she said, giving him a reassuring smile, “I won’t  be offended.” It was clear as day that he didn’t think riding the scooter was much of a good idea, and Mary wasn’t about to force some poor guy onto it for no reason. “It was merely an offer. Offers are made to be declined, if you’re so inclined,” she joked. 

[marywhitlam]

lunaxanya:

Anya raised her eyebrows. “I wouldn’t be glued to your back…is that supposed to be comforting, or?” she said. “Besides, you know what they say about stranger danger. Who are you, again?”

“Given your comment about the lack of space, yes,” Mary explained patiently. “There’s enough for two, which I hoped would be somewhat comforting, for whatever it matters.” The smile on her lips grew just a little. “Yes, that’s true -- rest assured if you were a child, I wouldn’t have so eagerly offered a ride from out of nowhere. I’m Mary Whitlam, pleased to meet you.”

[marywhitlam]

lunaxshaw:

“Thank you so much,” she said, hopping on behind her as instructed. Oh yeah, this was going to be a lot better than walking. “I’m Luna, by the way.” It was a hell of a way to meet someone, but the ride was certainly appreciated. The girl was definitely getting a free treat if she ever came to the bakery. “You’re welcome to help me look for some fall flowers, if you want. I wanted to get something for the bakery and my house, but I’d be happy to get you something, too.”

“I’m Mary,” she responded with a low chuckle, glad to see the girl’s enthusiasm. It was nice to put a name to the face -- there were a surprising amount of people in Hollow Grove whose faces Mary was well-acquainted with, but whose name and personalities escaped her. She loved meeting new people, and especially if they were or were going to be long-term residents of the town, but she wasn’t about to cheat in that regard and research them on her own. It felt just a notch below creepy. “I’d be happy to!” Mary agreed, nodding. The work she had to do was work she could catch up on in the evening -- after all, there was enormous freedom in being your own boss and working from home. “Your bakery and house are good enough, I’m afraid I’ve never been too good at housing plants.”

[marywhitlam]

evanrider:

“Was that an invitation to come home with you?” Evan asked. “Because that’s what it sounded like to me,” he teased. “My name’s Evan if that helps at all. And you are?”  He shook his head, letting the teasing fall. “I was also just heading home. But we could hit up a bar instead?” He put the helmet on and climbed on behind her. “I promise to keep my distance. When we get there.” 

Mary couldn’t help letting out a laugh, clearly amused. “I’m afraid not,” she smiled. “You’ll know an invitation when you hear it, trust me. If you hear it,” she added, mimicking his teasing. “And I’m Mary. It’s nice to meet you, Evan.” She hesitated, considering his suggestion. While she didn’t mind a bit of a detour, being that she could probably get some work done at the bar if an opportunity was afforded to her, she hesitated a little, knowing that she didn’t exactly drink. “Alright,” she shrugged, masking her contemplation with a friendly tone. “So long as you keep your distance,” she joked. 

[marywhitlam]

thalia-dunne:

Thalia carefully transferred the bags to the scooter handles. “I hardly even need to go to the gym anymore,” she said, rubbing her arm. Taking the helmet she put it on, fastening it, and smiled at Mary. “Yes. Thank you, really. I’m an idiot for not just taking my car. But I thought it wasn’t far enough to warrant that.” 

“Hey, now, no one’s an idiot -- we all misjudge our capabilities from time to time,” Mary offered warmly. “Are you holding onto something?” she asked, making sure Thalia wouldn’t go flying off the scooter when Mary finally drove off. The ride to their destination was shorter than Mary had anticipated, and soon they pulled up, Mary coming to a smooth halt. She was surprised at how good her balance was -- she’d expected the bags to unsteady her more, but apparently not. Turning off her scooter, she threw back a glance at Thalia. “How about I wait here, and I’ll give you a ride back when you’re done? I don’t mind.”

[marywhitlam]

grey-arthur:

Arthur looked at it again. It seemed awfully small and delicate. “I am not sure that I’ll fit,” he pointed out. He was not as bulky as perhaps some of the werewolves, for example, but he was six feet tall and still well-built. One of the perks of never aging, he supposed.

Realizing he might have a point, Mary threw a glance back, trying to size up the space left on her scooter versus the size of the vampire. “I don’t know...,” she said thoughtfully, pursing her lips. “I have driven grown men before, so I’m sure you’d be fine. I guess we wouldn’t know unless we tried.”

[marywhitlam]

grey-arthur:

Arthur blinked at the woman, stymied in a rare moment. “I am alright,” he said, a slight frown marring his features as he looked at her in puzzlement. “I have never ridden on one of these things in my life.”

“Well, it’s quite fun, I can assure you,” Mary responded cheerfully. “When it’s not too cold outside, that is. Which, lucky for me, it isn’t just yet.” She paused for a second before she added, “Are you sure? I won’t mind. It’s sort of why I ask in the first place.”

[marywhitlam]

lunaxshaw:

“Are you sure?” Luna said, eyeing the extra helmet. It was a beautiful day, and despite the fact that she enjoyed her walks in town, a scooter sounded like a hell of a lot of fun, and a better way to enjoy the day. She smiled and put the helmet on, beginning to fasten the straps. “Alright, let’s do this. I was just going to Enchanted Gardens, though. Where were you headed?”

“One hundred percent,” Mary nodded, and smiled brightly at the girl when she agreed. Shifting her weight on the scooter to make more room behind her, she made sure to keep the weight even and balanced. “I was just headed home,” she shrugged, smiling, “but a detour to the Enchanted Gardens sounds more than lovely. And not at all out of my way,” she added, just in case any type of protest was coming. “Hop on!”

[marywhitlam]

kittymxstrxno:

Kitty giggled at the woman’s request, holding out her hand for the helmet. “Okay,” she said, with another giggle. “Thank you.” She strapped the helmet on, getting on the scooter behind the woman. “I’ve always wanted one of these, but my mom would freak for sure.”

A smile lit up Mary’s face at the girl’s response, and she unfastened the helmet to give it to her. When the girl had taken her place, Mary couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at her words. “I’ll drive extra slow, in that case,” she said, looking amused. “I’d be a little freaked out to have a child of my own on one of these, to tell you the truth -- they’re not dangerous if you drive as safely as you can, but not everyone does that, do they?” She readied the scooter to drive off, though turned back and asked, “Where to?” before she moved them anywhere. 

[marywhitlam]

lunaxanya:

“Oh, wow…no,” Anya said, staring at the woman on the bike and shaking her head. “That’s a sardine can on wheels.” She gave a little shrug. “My feet can get me where I need to go just fine. Besides, what exactly does someone look lik when they need a ride? Shouldn’t I have my thumb out or something?”

Mary seemed more amused by the woman’s rejection than anything. “You wouldn’t be glued to my back, that much I can assure you,” she interjected lightly, shifting her weight atop the scooter. “But I won’t press the matter, if you’d rather walk -- I just thought it could be nice to ask. People headed your way in this part of town are usually headed out of their neighborhood, so I thought, no harm, no foul.”