((OOC: Continued from: Cold Rain Hot Tea ))

Margo woke before the crack of dawn in a room that was not hers, and it wasn't until her toes met the carpet in a moment of panic that she remembered the events of the previous night.

Exhaling softly, she laid back on the sofa- a sofa in Richard's living room, as it was. Richard himself was still fast asleep across from her, and she listened to the steady breathing of her newfound brother. What time was it? She'd always been an early riser, but they'd stayed up late last night, drunk on green tea and hot chocolate and more-than-friendship. She really shouldn't have been awake yet, but it was too late for that thought now.

She'd slept in her clothes, and it was just a matter of groping her way down the hall to where she'd left her phone and wet garments to dry; her phone would tell the time. It was... too early for anybody in their right mind to be awake, not that she hadn't already known that. Right on time to catch the sunrise, though.

That was how the morning found her: on the balcony that would forever be hers and Richard's, watching as flushed light overtook the city skyline. It was glorious; she really should have woken him up.

Richard yawned and stretched some small notice had woken him, or was it a breeze. It took him a moment to orient himself that he was not in his room. Sleepily he reflected that with the time he took to wake he would never make it in the military. Not that he was ever inclined to be a fighting man but still if he had the skill of waking up instantly it would be rather useful. But he was just being wistful.

Richard looked over from where he was nestled to the other sofa bed. It was empty. He wondered where Margo was. Margo. That name triggered a recall of all the events of last night and a smile involuntarily lit up his face. Yesterday was amazing. There was no other word for it. He felt... loved? or was he being too hasty. Regardless he would enjoy and delight in every moment, every second of it while it lasted, if it lasted? He shook his head. He was still waking up. A happy time as this, there was no place for thoughts of ending, not when the beginning was just .... starting. He needed coffee. He smiled to himself. Groggily he roused himself from his warm cocoon of a bed and went to put the kettle on. That was when he saw her. Margo was perched on his balcony. That spot would always make him smile. He padded up to her and gently tousled her hair. Sleepily mumbling "Morning sis, did you sleep well?" He wondered if he was going to get tackle hugged.

"Ack!" Margo smoothed a hand over her mussed hair, smiling as Richard came up beside her. She gave him a quick squeeze by way of greeting- not because she was a touchy person or anything, but because...well, hugs were their thing.

"Yeah, thanks. You? I would have woken you up to see the sunrise, but I thought you needed your rest. Sorry?" He still seemed a little bleary eyed, so maybe not. Coffee was on the schedule this morning in any case, that was for sure- the girl was pretty sure she was the only person in the galaxy capable of getting hyped at this time of day. "I promise I'll make it up to you later."

Richard was rewarded with a rather cute and endearing "Ack!" but then again brothers were allowed to mess up their sister's hear and be slightly annoying now and then right? He was pleasantly surprised when Margo gave him a hug. She did not seem the touchy feely sort. He would have to work on that.

>"Yeah, thanks. You? I would have woken you up to see the sunrise, but I thought you needed your rest. Sorry?"

"That is fine Margo." Richard said smiling sleepily.

>"I promise I'll make it up to you later."

"Oh you had better." Said Richard with a twinkle in his eye. He proceeded to sleepily try to tickle her. Then turned and walked in an exaggerated zombie like fashion towards the kitchen, all the while murmuring "Coffeee....Teaeeeee" like the zombies do in the game Plants and Zombies (yes that is a real game, try it)

"Oh you had better."

"Oh I will- agh- no-" As he attempted to tickle her, "Golly, I swear I'll kill you."

She was only halfway kidding as she caught Richard's hands in hers and glared. Hugs were fine and all, but tickling was a different beast altogether. Tickling was not OK, not even coming from her brother. It was something a brother would do, though. Margo gave in after a moment and smiled, just for the sentiment of the idea. The things family forgave.

"Coffeee...Teaaaaa...."

Rolling her eyes at the moan- everybody was addicted to caffeine these days- the younger zombie fell in right behind him.

The zombie duo duly reached the kitchen and soon the water was boiling and coffee was made. Richard sighed with contentment as he peered at Margo through the delectable smelling steam that drifted and wafted from the large mug of coffee in his hand. Margo had secured her own preferred source of caffeine and for a while there was silence in the Bent household, broken on by the sounds of sipping and the contented sighs of people waking up.

"Right let's set about making this breakfast shall we?" said Richard as he pushed up his sleeves and started making food. The smell of frying bacon and the sound of sizzling sausages soon filled the house and stared to play a symphony to the senses. This sensual serenade was soon joined by both the sound and smell of mushrooms being fried with diced onion and browned in a healthy (or perhaps not so healthy) amount of butter. Toast was duly made and popped in the toast rack (yes that is a British thing). Breakfast it seemed was well and truly underway, and it was going to be a feast.

Silence as the two of them sipped contentedly, Margo with her tea and Richard with his coffee. She peered right back at him through the fragrant steam that rose from her own mug and smiled at how his glasses fogged up.

After a bit he got on to the making of breakfast, and boy was it a breakfast. Bacon, sausages, mushrooms, toast... The sizzling was enough to drive a girl mad, and the aroma a thousand times more tantalizing; Margo closed her eyes and inhaled it all.

"I don't think I need to say this, but just in case? That looks amazing." She would have offered to help with something, but didn't for fear of messing it all up.

>"I don't think I need to say this, but just in case? That looks amazing."

Richard laughed. It was nice to have family around, related or otherwise. He missed the sense of comunity. "Well don't just stand there, I expect you to do your fair share to help me eat it." He said handing her a plate. As they munched on the sumptuous feast Richard asked his little sister "So sis, what would you like to do today? By the way I am not keeping you from school work or anything like that am I. Do you need to check in with anyone?"

Richard felt a little bad. It was totally plausible that his surrogate little sister had a full social life of her own that he knew not of. He did not expect to compete in excitement levels with the social live of a young teenager. 

"Gobble gobble." Margo toasted Richard with a turkey sound and a grin, then proceeded to do so. She forked a mushroom into her mouth, then a bite of sausage, then more of everything else. All of it was hot and greasy and perfect, and she didn't even care if she died of a clogged artery somewhere along the way.

"Nope," said the girl in between bites, tapping her phone as if to say anyone she needed to check in with could contact her themselves. It was selfish and terrible of her and she knew it, but it was her and Richard's day to have fun. Hey, but it wasn't every day you could find a new brother!

"Something amazing, somewhere amazing. What do you think?"

Richard laughed at the antics of his new found sister while they both...well..stuffed themselves with the ingredients for a heart attack, or at least loudly protesting arteries and high cholesterol levels.

>"Nope?"

"Nope?" Richard was happy but he was curious, they had gotten to know each other a little of time, he knew her taste in books and a little about her powers. She did not know about his love for guitar though she did know a little about his powers. "Margo I must ask, won't your friends, boyfriend wonder where you have gone? I am curious"

>"Something amazing, somewhere amazing. What do you think?"

Richard laughed, oh but Margo seemed to be full of energy today, truth be told Richard was also excited. "Hmm, and what, my dear little sister" Said Richard with a full smile and a twinkle in his eye. He still loved saying that. "Do you consider suitably amazing hum? Do tell!"

"Margo I must ask, won't your friends, boyfriend wonder where you have gone? I am curious."

Now at that Margo gave a little cough and fully diverted her attention from breakfast to look at Richard, if only for a moment, incredulous. "What, boyfriend? No." She shook her head, laughed. "I don't have a boyfriend, thank you very much. Friends, but not that I actually hang out with more than a couple times a week or so. Or that don't know my tendencies to disappear at will."

The last parts were tacked on for posterity's sake, but the girl was blushing. For no reason. She impaled a last bite of mushroom without looking up, and as for where a suitably amazing destination was, she took the excuse to whirl right out of the room.

23 seconds later she was unfolding a pocket sized map on the counter, legible though damp at the edges. "So. What do you say to occupational tourism?"

>"What, boyfriend? No. I don't have a boyfriend, thank you very much. Friends, but not that I actually hang out with more than a couple times a week or so. Or that don't know my tendencies to disappear at will."

"I see." Said Richard not quite sure how to respond. Wait, was Margo....blushing? Hmm that would bear more investigation, but they could do that in the car on the way to wherever Margo decided to go. Then she would be a captive audience. Besides a) Richard was insatiably curious and b) weren't big brothers supposed to know about these things, how else could they protect their little sisters and apply beatings and threats to the appropriate parties? Margo continues to be suddenly engrossed in her food. Hmmmm definitely interesting.

>"So. What do you say to occupational tourism?"

Richard mock narrowed his eyes in exadurated suspicion. "Hmmm, any what exactly do you mean by that young lady?" He broke into a smile he could not keep from smiling for long when looking at Margo.

He had given up on that line of questioning too easily, Margo knew it. He was going to ask her about it later when they were strapped into the car, was he not? Well. One could never quite avoid that talk, only hope to delay it as long as possible.

For the moment, though, her grin remained entirely unabashed.

"Occupational tourism," She mused over the map, then wriggled up onto the counter. Her stage, as it was. "Did you know, that's what Darwin did that got him started on everything we know today? Got recommended for a 3 year cruise around the globe where his job was basically to provide good company. Like, goals? Goals." She paused to appreciate the idea, then returned to her study of the map. "So, how long have you been in New York again? Where've you seen so far? I mean, not all of us can be as lucky as Darwin was, but that doesn't mean we can't be amazing tourists."

Of the city they lived in, but all the same... "Don't we take so many things for granted, though? NYC. A tourist wouldn't."

Margo it seemed had a tendency to ramble in a slightly adorable kind of way. Richard silently listened with a slight smile on his face.

>Occupational tourism. Did you know, that's what Darwin did that got him started on everything we know today? Got recommended for a 3 year cruise around the globe where his job was basically to provide good company. Like, goals? Goals.So, how long have you been in New York again? Where've you seen so far? I mean, not all of us can be as lucky as Darwin was, but that doesn't mean we can't be amazing tourists. Don't we take so many things for granted, though? NYC. A tourist wouldn't."

He waited until he was sure that Margo had not just paused for a breath before starting to consider the content of her speech. His mind was a little slow as they were both digesting the heavy healthy meal.
Out of the middle of nowhere he turned and asked Margo "Margo, have you ever considered theater or acting?" She seemed to ahave a certain flaire, a certain sense of drama that seemed to fit.

"To answer your question , I have been in New York for about... 5 Months now. I have not been to any orchestral performances, or ballets or Musicals yet. There are probably many museums that I have not been to see. How about you? Same question."
Richard was curious how long Margo had been in NY and what had she seen? Perhaps they would find a favorite second hand book store or get lost in a huge library or go see a show or two, the possibilities were endless.

Margo hadn't thought she was rambling, just saying what came to mind. She realized too late that Richard seemed to be finding her adorable and flushed slightly at that, then again as he turned abruptly to ask her a question.

"Margo, have you ever considered theater or acting?"

She blinked at that, because, really? Disregarding adorable because maybe her big brother was the one person in the world who she'd tolerate to think of her that way, but an actor? Sure, she liked to play at it sometimes just for the sake of being silly, but it was nothing more than that, right?

"Eh, I don't think I could," She shook her head after a moment of consideration, laughed. "I'd be a terrible actor. And I couldn't deal with the attention, enough said." That much was true; even the thought of that was enough to make her hot and greasy breakfast not sit so well.

And as for what she had seen of the city, "I've been in New York for almost a year now. Uh, I haven't seen any ballets or the such either, so we should totally do that sometime!" For her part, she'd long wanted to go see one of the musicals, but it had never seemed like the type of thing a girl went to alone. "If you'd like, I mean. Whenever. Or a museum. Or the New York library, have you seen that?"

The possibilities were endless- occupational tourism, indeed.