She had spent the night at Akiva's last night-- it had been a long night indeed. Yesterday, Adon (not Aiden) Eleor had showed up at her door, asking her to help scry for Dreogan.  She had made contact with him, and then she and Adon told Akiva. Mai had no idea what Dree's brother was doing now, but she had kept Akiva company until this afternoon, when Kohaku stopped by to help her out with the baby. Maiko and Gabie had made plans to hang out weeks ago, and she couldn't bail. Besides, school was starting soon-- there was a staff meeting tomorrow, and after that all her time would be limited. She would likely stop by Akiva's in the morning just to check in.

The previous days events had left her exhausted in ways she forgot she could be exhausted. For some reason, doors that she had locked long ago were opening up, and with them reminding her of ancient wounds and wrongs.

With takeout in her hand, Maiko approached the Murray household and knocked-- only to be greeted by a tiny little house elfimp thing. Imp,he had been called.  Mai had known him nearly as long as she had known Gabie. She checked the time on her phone and saw that it was not quite time for the other witch to be home yet. She was early.

"Madame Maiko has aged well." Imp stated, letting her in though his eyes were fixed on the bags of takeout.

"Aww, Imp. You've aged well!" She leaned down to squoosh his face affectionately. He didn't react to that.  Mai made her way into the kitchen and set the food on the counter. Imp followed with eyes full of judgement.

"Aged.... Well? And why is there takeaways, Madame Maiko?" He inquired.

"Because I need to gorge, and I felt like experimenting."

"I cook better. Spicier things."

"Maybe you can improve this then?" She asked, hoping to salvage the food. There was no hope. Imp was insistent.

".... What nationality?" He stared

"...." She stared back. "..... It's... Asian fusion. From the weird sketchy place on a corner. It looked fun. Full of MSG and delicious flavors." He gave her a questioning look, "Uh, it's also been horribly bastardized."

"You know sketchy bodes poorly, Madame." Imp gave the bags a distasteful look.

"I suppose I like to live on the edge." Mai raised her eyebrows hopefully, "And Gabie does too...?"

"It reeks."

"So does my cooking sometimes!" And even when some foods reeked, they tasted wonderful. "Speaking of things that might not taste the way they smell... Coffee. It does not taste the way it smells at all."

"How am I, we even, are to repair it. And of course coffee doesn't,  silly girl." Imp shook his head.

"It bothers me. It should taste the way it smells." She insisted. Really, she could talk about this forever.

"I make it then. Go buy the ingredients,  I'll make it.... Away with you, greasy bag!"

And it was with horror that she watched as he burned the takeout she had lovingly bought for cheap. Without any questions asked, she apparated to the store-- only to come back a half hour or so later with groceries.  At least it pleased him. And now he could cook for them, though Mai insisted on helping-- at least til Gabie got home.

"What do you want the meal to be?" Imp inquired.

"Surprise me!" She may regret those words later. Her interactions with the kinda-house-elf were a nice distraction from the heaviness in her heart.

Imp watched with almost a sense of glee as the greasy bag burned in the fires once Maiko had left. Serves the poor child right, bringing in a takeaway from a shady location. Asian fusion sounded terrible to him to begin with, but add 'shady' to it and he knew the pair of ladies would be green gilled come morning.

And he so did not wish that upon the women. So, when Maiko returned with proper ingredients per his list, the creature went off to cook away to his heart's content. "Here, missus," he croaked, pressing a bottle of elvish wine and glasses to her, nodding. "To the study until the mistress comes home, go!"

Gabrielle eventually made to the manor around seven that evening, doggone tired and ready very little to entertain. However, it was Maiko and like Maiko, she couldn't back off the opportunity. It had been too long as of late as it were. Apparating to the back step, Gabrielle opened the door and inhaled the air. Her nose scrunched briefly before blinking in genuine surprise. Sichuan? Since when.... Heavens, it smelled absolutely divine. She could only assume it was Imp's doing somehow -- after all, when it was the two of them, creature and witch, Gabrielle ensured to maintain her own cooking, sometimes feeding him for a change. Rushing past the kitchen and up the long since unused servants' stairs, the witch headed to her room, exchanging Ministry clothing for something similiar to Maiko's apparel. She soon was making her way to the main stairwell, rushing her feet downward in a semi unlady like manner before knocking on the study's door, entering a moment later.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

What choices had she made in life that led to her allowing Imp to boss her around? It was like something in him knew that she was wound up and needed to relax. Cooking was a relaxing event, but cooking with Imp, however... Was a battle. She was not up for any more battles.

So, she retreated to Gabie's study, picked out a book and began to thumb through it, her foot moving to a beat that wasn't there. She was antsy-- exhausted and needing to move. The book was not distraction enough. She closed it almost impatinetly and her eyes took in the room before resting on-- the wireless. Of course. Maiko, a bit too eagerly, made her way to the radio and began to play with the channels before settling on something... Moveable.

It started slow, but iwth a steady beat-- piano and a man's falsetto. Mai swayed a bit, closing her eyes and feeling the music build, guitar and-- the sound shifted. Faster paced, a stronger beat, booming drums. Her movements shifted with the music, she had not heard the knocking on the door.  Mai  spun only to see Gabie in the doorway, welcoming her.

Maiko let out a happy squeal and practically leaped to the witch, her joints protesting mildly as she did so. "I could say the same for you!" She exclaimed, embracing Gabrielle in a soft, firm hug. "I missed you. How was work? How are you?" She pulled away, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "How are things with Francis?" 

When hearing the falsetto initially, Gabrielle had thought she was hearing Mercury, but once closer realised it was Cauley, a wizard bent on singing in stylings that very much fit during the Muggle 1920-30's. The embrace was well met, Gabrielle holding Maiko there for a few minutes before looking at her with that mischievous glint in her eyes. The very same glint she recalled in seeing eventually in a young student that had been very much afraid when arriving to Murray Manor many years ago.

"I'm doing well, considering all. Work is work and often enough, extremely exhausting. But. Don't let anyone hear that. Would hate to be pressed closer to retiring because of it. That all said...." Gabrielle finally matched Maiko's grin. "Yes, Francis and I are doing very well indeed. Couldn't be any happier." Well, they could, but that would mean more things were going to occur, but also.... Gabrielle blushed, snickering a moment's notice soon enough. "You're a bad influence. Older, sure, but still bad. I'm so glad you're here."

She confirmed these feelings, nodding in due process. "By the way -- did you convince Imp to cook something out of the blue? I mean, he's cooking Sichuan. He hasn't done full blown Sichuan in a few years. Not since we brought ambassadors from China here."