Danika's place.

::Sir Basil enters, with Danika, into a bright, airy apartment. The living room they're standing in has four doors leading off from it.::

"Now then, let's see. This should be two bedrooms, a kitchen and bathroom."

::He smiles at her questioningly.::

"Is this what you had in mind?"

::Danika makes a circuit of the living room and checks each of the rooms. She turns and nods, happy with it. It wasn't the highest luxury but it was better than a lot of what she'd put up with previously::

"Yes, it'll do nicely. Is the building very busy?"

(People might get suspicious of the noise)

"There are a few tenants, but we have only just opened today."

::He hands Danika the keys to the apartment and nods to her.::

"I'm sure it will liven up soon! Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, no. I'm fine for now, thank you."

::She tosses the keys up and down in her hand and glances around the room again::

"Except... well. Is there anywhere in the city that you know of which might interest me? I'm a martial artist. And something of a..."

(Melee weapon expert..?)

"Medieval historian."

"Oh indeed?"

::Basil brightens at this.::

"Well, we have two very successful auction houses, which often sell interesting historical artefacts; an extensive library nearby... and of course the cemetery, which dates back... ooh, I'd say a good few hundred years."

"How fascinating. I'll be sure to investigate when I'm settled in here."

::She smiles again and wonders which of the rooms she'll turn into a training dojo::

"Indeed."

::Basil nods once more and makes his way to leave.::

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me."

::Danika flexes her hands and then makes fists, focusing her mind and then punches towards the front door, which Basil had left open. A faint blast flies out and slams the door shut upon impact. She smiles and repeats the motion, sending blasts into the walls with loud thuds::

::Poor Quinn. He's not from Witch Woods. He really doesn't get that shooting concussive blasts at walls is a perfectly normal thing there. So that's why he's here - knocking on the door to Danika's apartment. He takes a deep breath and steels himself for the conversation, hoping it's not going to be too adversarial.::

::Adversarial? Danika? HA::

(A stranger. Only one from the sound of the breathing. No talking either. Probably male from the way he's knocking)

::She flexes her fingers and wipes the sheen of perspiration off her forehead and walks casually to the door, opening it with a glassy smile fixed in place::

"You knocked?"

::Quinn notices the sheen on Danika's sweaty forehead. And suddenly the lesbian sexcapade theory doesn't sound so far-fetched. But to his surprise and relief, Danika is dressed. So there's that awkwardness avoided, at least.::

"Er. Hello. There were several loud noises coming from inside your apartment..."

(Oh good, its the neighbourhood watch)

"Really? I was moving furniture. I had no idea I was contributing to the growing social problem of noise pollution and disrupting the lives of my new neighbours."

::She's quite obviously taking the piss, but all of it is said with that vacant smile, which really just makes you doubt your own sanity for bringing up such a trivial thing in her prescence::

::Quinn's got far more doubt in his own mind than necessary, being of the socially awkward calibre and all. So socially awkward that he's rather oblivious that Danika likely wants him to fuck off. He takes her words and pegs her as a rather considerate person.::

"Oh, that's alright miss. The social problem of noise pollution is a rather important one; however I was simply concerned about the safe..."

::Quinn realizes he's rambling.::

"D-did you require any help with the furniture moving?"

"Alas, it's all been moved. I don't require your services."

::Danika glances him up and down then makes eye contact again, smile in place once more::

(Oh good. I'm glad she's finished. Maybe I can finally get back to cleaning my camera.)

::The smile's kind of unnerving, truth be told. So he averts his eyes and looks instead beyond Danika and into her apartment. Creepo looks back after a second though and extends his hand.::

"I'm Quinn."

"Danika Mandragoran."

::She grasps his hand briefly and subconsciously wipes her own clean on the door frame::

::How rude! Of course, Quinn doesn't notice a tiny cue like that. In fact, he wipes his own hand on the back of his khakis.::

"How nice to meet you, Miss Mandragoran."

(What an odd name. Sounds like something out of a fantasy world.)

"Well, if you perhaps need help later, feel free to ask. I live in the apartment two doors down."

"I..."

::She doesn't want or need his help::

"...will keep that in mind."

::Quinn considers making some mention of the snow... or how odd it is that it's snowing in San Francisco. But that would mean having an actual conversation - and well, he hasn't taken nearly enough valium to live through that. He nods goodbye to Miss Mandragoran.::

"Bye then."

(She seems so pleasant.)

::Quinn turns and starts to leave...::

::Blast energy ripples over her fists and she stares at the back of Quinn's head, more than eager to send a blast at him. She grits her teeth and points both hands at a vase just down the hall, releasing the blast. It hits the porcelain and shatters it. Her hands flash up to her mouth and she feigns shock::

"Oh my! What was that?"

::Murderous wench! Quinn falls into a crouch to avoid the porcelain shards. He stares in shock, slowly backing up several steps so he's almost-sorta-maybe hiding behind Danika.::

"What was that?"

::Wide-eyed, Quinn repeats after his neighbour, as he stares at the remnants of the shattered vase.::

(Ghosts?)

"Terrorists? Perhaps militant feminists?"

::She gasps in horror::

"Ghosts! It's ghosts!"

::He's convinced. So convinced that he drags Danika into her house and slams the door shut. He then stands with his back braced against the door.::

(Oh my. I'm in a woman's house.)

"I-I mean. There can't be any militant feminists around. We shipped them all off, I thought?"

::This wasn't what Danika wanted, quite the opposite in fact. She doesn't understand the feminist comment so gives him a strange look::

"Yes, it's clearly a ghost. I could tell this place was a supernatural hotspot instantly. Oh no! Look at that!"

::She points at a piece of white tablecloth flapping around in the breeze from the open window::

::Quinn stares, armed with an expression of horror. But the shock from the hallway incident is wearing off and... well, even he isn't scared of a flapping tablecloth.::

"Oh, miss Mandragoran. You're poking fun at me. That's simply the wind."

"Oh yes. Ah ha. Ha ha. Ha."

::The urge to attack him rises again::

::Quinn laughs along as well.::

"Ha ha ha ha."

::The horribly jilted and feigned laughter of Danika trails off in horror as Quinn starts up::

(What the hell is going oin?)

::But as soon as Danika stops laughing, Quinn abruptly stops laughing too. He's feeling totally self-conscious. And blushing now.::

::Danika stares at him, frowning slightly::

::Quinn stares right back. He's wondering what she wants. Maybe its a compliment? Women love those, or so he's heard.::

"You have a very nice apartment, Miss Mandragoran."

"I just moved in and it hardly seems fair to take any credit for it."

::Quinn nods. Humble too. My, Danika just seems more and more wonderful.::

"This is true. Whereabouts are you from?"

"Around."

::He shouldn't be able to place her accent::

"Not from this city, anyway."

(Trees... magical trees)

::No, of course he can't.::

"Oh, that's.. nice."

::Awkward silence. Then again, hasn't this whole thing been awkward?::

"Yeah..."

::Quinn tries another smile. He wants to go back to his own apartment now. But what if there was still that ghost outside?::

"Would you like to see my place?"

"..."

(Uh...)

"I can't imagine it would be much different from mine..."

(Is he some kind of sexual predator?)

"No, it's smaller, in fact."

::Quinn doesn't even realizing what a weirdo his suggestion makes him out to be. He's just trying to be neighborly.::

"I daresay it's free of ghosts though!"

::Aww, he's trying to make a joke.::