1249/Fashion Faux Pas

Fashion Faux Pas
Date of Scene:	20 April 2020
Location:	SoHo
Synopsis:	Satyr Gatecrashers have their day ruing by Assassins, Amazons, Demigods and Vampires
Cast of Characters:	Alexander Aaron, Atlin, Lia Briggs, Sandra Wu-San

---

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The streets of SoHo are an eclectic collection of shops and boutiques that gives Hollywood and Vine and the shops of Paris a run for their money. Fashionable, trendy, beautifully decorated at times with some curious architecture at least. And at night time? The place kicks up into high gear with the evening visitation by the city's indulgent drawing a lot of attention.
    It's in the evening when there are at times events, gatherings, launches. And tonight is no different in the way the spotlights shine and gleam. Part of the street is closed off with small pylons and a few police officers on duty guiding traffic around the detour. All in the need for a runway to be set up as well as cameras as what looks to be a reality show is being filmed.
    It's a spectacle for sure, and is a little out of the ordinary. But perhaps not as strong a one as the people working on it would like. There are no news crews covering it, no press paying too much attention. It's just the production crew, the contestants in the street preparing their models... and a token crowd of people watching. A little sad as it were.

Atlin has posed:
It had been about a month now, time to discover, experience and otherwise cause mischief in Man's world. Technically she'd trashed no less than three criminal hideouts simply recovering stolen Amazon artworks and artifacts, and that small fire at the people-smuggling ring probably gave her 'liason' a small heart attack, but Atlin was once more out and about.

     There was little that the tanned woman knew of the rest of the world's fashion, most of the garments of Bana-Mighdall were very much either ceremonial or functional after all, but she'd borrowed (or been insistantly loaned) a few items here and there. Tonight, the Amazon was wrapped in a deep blue jacket that hung down just past her hips, concealing whatever she wore beneath, and a pair of boots that came just up to her knee. It hadn't exactly taken a lot of time to realise that people were made a bit uncomfortable by Amazon armor...but that didn't mean she was going without it!

Lia Briggs has posed:
Lia swims with the sharks of the modeling world as easily as if she'd been born to it. Which, of course, she wasn't -- but never mind. She circulates among the contestants, the production crew, and the live audience, perfectly at ease with all three. The show's producer was smart enough to see that just because she can't be /on/ television doesn't mean she doesn't /know/ television, and hired her as a consultant for a very nominal fee. There may be clauses in the contract about the management of successful models. Or maybe she's just counting on her natural charm.

Either way, she's the very picture of helpfulness. And she's good at it, too, somehow knowing exactly what to say to get the crew to focus on the right locations, or put the contestants in the right frame of mind to perform as the showrunners want ... why, if they didn't know better they might suspect she was psychic!

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
The double-takes were amusing. During their first walk together in Manhattan, Lady Shiva had a moment where she was on high alert. Highly unusual for a woman who walked through the poorest quarters of Thailand, Cambodia and the United States with impunity knowing that there were few (she was younger then) who could meet her in battle, match her, muchless overcome her. But she had walked those places alone, not next to a young man that rivaled the most handsome statues of the Greek gods in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The contrast between them would bring the curious eyes back, her long black hair fanning like silk frames a stern face that perhaps in repose could be called beautiful. She could be mistaken for crew on the street shoot that blocks their way. Her long black coat of supple leather and black boots timeless enough to be fashionable as well as utilitarian.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Stalking back and forth along that runway, the producer frowns as she works her cellphone, scowling as she berates someone. "What about that girl from Elle? Get her out here? She owes me a favor." She shifts the phone to the other side, scowling as she pushes her glasses back up her nose. "I don't know, tell them we'll give them some product placement, shit we'll give her magazine a shout out in the prize or whatever."
    It's then that she turns to Lia and sighs, "You know anyone at Mademoiselle? We're trying to get an angle on them and their editor isn't budging." Which might well be true, but the strange woman known as Lia Briggs had come through for them before with such aplomb.
    While the rest of the crew try mainly to stay out of her way. The contestants are making last minute changes to the dresses, the models are looking tired and hungry as is normal, and the crowd around... such as it is, is looking impatient.
    All told not a positive situation.
    When Atlin draws nearby, one of the contestants, a willowy youth smiles to her and asks, "Are you the girl from Elite? You so look like you are. You have that ethereal way about you." The designer is holding up a rather bizarre looking dress and peering at her not so much expectantly, but perhaps... hopefully?
    But it's upon this tableau that Alexander Aaron arrives accompanied by the woman known as Sandra Wu-San. His own expression is a little distant, thoughtful as he moves along with hands in his pockets. His curious hazel eyes wandering from point to point to point. Though he does glance over at Sandra and nods once then murmurs, "So most of what you do... is people watch?" He asks with a legitimate curiousity. And if one of the people around fits in well with the tourists about, the citizens, it's likely Alexander. Oh he might have a handsome curve to his features... except that blond hair keeps floofing into his eyes. And his clothes are far from chic, what with the sneakers he wears, the blue jeans, and the t-shirt that proclaims pleasantly, 'TEAM BANZAI!' on the front.
    Definitely not an icon.

Atlin has posed:
Atlin herself was very much -not- the model they were expecting, that much was immediately plain on her puzzled features and the frown on her lips. "Where or what is 'Elle'...'Elite'..What?" There were a lot of terms being thrown around right now! The dress being held up towards her from the designer has the amazon looking at it with a frown, a tilt of her head and what seemed to be genuine appraisal, but it wasn't exactly an Amazon standard style of fashion favoring function!

     It's only then that her eyes flick upwards towards the ever-helpful Lia, clear recognition of her face as she makes to almost step -past- the designer holding up the outfit without a second glance, tilting her head to the side. "The woman from the park! What is this place...some sort of festival?"

     Clearly there was still plenty she was learning, and the Amazon of Bana-Mighdall had yet to notice the arrival of the floofy Alex or svelt Sandra.

Lia Briggs has posed:
Always accomodating, Lia raises a finger and, with a smile, tells the producer: "Let me make a phone call and I'll see what I can do." It's easy to be energetic when you don't get tired, after all. She's got her cellphone out and is dialing in mere moments: "Yes, hello, Katie? It's Lia! Mmhmm, and how's Kristoff? Oh, you /don't/ say. Listen, Kay, can I trouble you for a quick favor? If you can help me out I can get you Jeanne-Claudine for July's issue?"

Chatter, chatter, chatter. Things are going well on this front, but gladhanding a social media editor on the phone means she can't /also/ talk to Atlin. Luckily, she doesn't have to. Exactly. *In a manner of speaking*, sounds her voice inside the other woman's head, while she smiles and waves like she's known Atlin since kindergarten, rather than having met her once. *She thinks you're a participant because you're good-looking. They'll put you on television if you go along.* Whether this is a good or a bad thing she does not suggest.

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
"You don't watch other people?" Obsidian eyes swerve from watching the mixture of bored and tired models to the anxious behind the scenes workers to cooly observe the young man.

"How else do you learn how to fight? Reading books?" The question pitched mildly in accentless American English bites with sarcasm.

She purses her lips, "Look over there." Lady Shiva nods towards a woman waving a dress in the face of a blonde woman like a toreador. The nod is repeated to include the red-haired woman waving enthusiastically. "Very not run of the mill."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The young contestant smiles, "We might have to let it out in the arms and the waist but this should..." Of course at that point Atlin is rushing past him and is clearly not the model they had been expecting, though she seems to know that Lia person who joined the production crew. But he takes it in stride, by grumbling. "Where is that model!" He rushes back to his sewing niche and gets back to work on last minute adjustments.
    But the producer is still working her cellphone, displeasure evident in her voice. "You're a doll, Lia. Thank you so much." But then her attention snaps back to the phone, "Wait, wait, he said what? You tell Tim Gunn that if he says that to my face I will punch him right in those ugly glasses of his!" To which she shoots a /look/ over at Lia even as the vampire woman's attention is pulled away by the approach of the Amazon.
    The crowd, however seems content to move around and mill about, not really staying in place for long though a few are filming what they can with their cellphones.

    Alexander continues walking along, and answers the older woman with a casual response. "Weirdly enough I had a teacher that once said..." But whatever he was about to say is cut off in that moment, even as Sandra gestures to the curious Atlin and her waving.
    For there's a sudden flicker of realization that likely can be felt by everyone there. A subtle shimmer or shake of the world or reality, that might make one imagine a frame skip, as if suddenly everyone lost a second? Two? Perhaps even three seconds of time that when awareness returns suddenly there's a /pop/ of sound, displaced air and where that runway was empty only moments ago...
    There now stand a small cadre of grim looking beings, standing covered in fur with great elaborate horns and twisted armor covering their bodies, as well as the backward canted legs. Six of them, wearing a mish-mash of armored plates and leather, wielding a variety of weapons from ancient times, their features ram-like in manner and twisted with scar tissue. One of them holding an elaborate banner that it /slams/ into place upon the runway, stabbing through the metal of that elevated area, the flag flapping in the wind as the six of them /roar/.
    And are answered only with stunned silence from the others around.

Atlin has posed:
A blink, the Amazon is just left to frown, tilting her head. She wasn't quite so ignorant as to not know what Television was...but why wearing that dress was ment to be something that got here there was beyond her. At least at first. A soft 'Oh' of understanding comes with a lift of her brow. "Like artwork then? A painting...it is a costume?" Atlin herself might have taken it in her stride, but it was probably strange enough to see her responding and talking back to a conversation only half of it can be heard.

Back to the grumbling man, Atlin speaks up in her accented tones. "You want me to wear this...clothing and do -what- exactly?

Then there's a shudder, a moment of -something- on her senses before she turns with a little gasp. She still might not have seen Sandra or Alex in the crowd, but the ram-like creatures appearing? That had her stepping past the man and opening her coat to reveal the figure-hugging amazon armor beneath.

"The Bacchanal..."

Lia Briggs has posed:
Lia is still talking to her contact on the phone, although she would no doubt be pleased (if not surprised) to hear herself described as 'very not run of the mill'. Compliments are always the nicest when other people give them to you, after all. She's in the process of mentally explaining to Atlin exactly what's going on here (which attempt can be summed up as *Good-looking people in bizarre clothes are always popular. I don't try to understand it, I just make money from it*) when wait a second, there's ... ram-people beastmen on the runway. This is *not* expected.

"Kay, I'm going to call you right back. Supervillain attack." Well, it's somewhat accurate, and this is the sort of thing that people in New York are accustomed to by now. "Get the cameras rolling!" she calls to the production crew, at the same time she raises both hands to put up a force screen between the new arrivals and the TV show personnel -- or at least as much of the latter as she can manage. Because getting the media killed is /not/ how you maintain a good reputation.

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
Oddly Shiva's eyes search for the trapdoor for where the apparitions rose from...surely, it is part of the bizarre fashion scene. The rest of the crew remains frozen in place, and here, the unusual woman that she had marked out moves towards the beings instead of recoiling. The barest tilt of her lips forms a smile as they shape the word, "Interesting!"

The red-headed woman's first reflex to call for cameras underlines the instinct that flared so hotly when she first caught a glimpse of her. No screams of horror coming from her.

Shiva is neither god, demi-god or mutated through some tragic set of circumstances though some have called her a demon. Merely a human trained to have reflexes that rival the list of beings she is not. The Chinese woman is the next to move towards the stage, a second behind Alexander. Nothing is inviting in those scarred faces...

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Atlin's poor beset upon designer blinks rapidly several times eyes wide with utter puzzlement and shocked with surprise even as he fails entirely to explain what he wanted the Amazon to do. He just backs up a few steps, while several of the nearby models start to flee immediately, joining some of the crowd who are already beating feet. Those who have been in New York know that something out of the ordinary like this... is often bad news.
    But when Lia lifts her voice calling for themm to get the cameras running, some of them actually listen to her, accepting any voice offered in the rush of craziness as a voice of authority. Some of the lights of the cameras flicker on, a boom mike actually comes down and in time to pick up as the largest one, a great best with a huge blade he holds in both hands points across the way at Sandra? At Alexander? At both of them and proclaims clearly for the sound crew.
    "O eortasmos den einai dikos sas, mikroi!" Its voice deep and guttural with rolling Rs and a heavy accent on the lower syllables. Yet it's a sentiment carried and picked up by the other Satyrs as they all roar and baaa and bleat.
    When one of the police officers rises up and leaps onto the edge of the runway, "Hey, hey! I don't care who the fuck you are, this is a closed production!" He even goes for his pistol, reaching for it.
    For one of the smaller beastly creatures to growl and /smash/ the haft of its halberd into the man's side, knocking him clean off the runway and into the crowd where he hits the ground with a whumpf as some people try to cushion his fall.
    Alexander, stepping toward the stage listens to the words in Greek hurled at him and his response? Is to scowl and replies quickly with a sharp, "Gamisou."
    Which causes the monstrosities to all bleat in laughter even as their weapons snap up into position... and the lead one /leaps/ off of the end of the runway, raising that sword as it charges to attack.

Atlin has posed:
Well, the interuption was clearly not for her either, but they didn't seem particully bothered about targeting civillians either. The officer's action is commendably brave, even if it ends with an injury, but it didn't seem that the horned hooligans had any intention of backing down or leaving peacefully. Oh well, -this- Atlin understood as well as any Amazon.

"Nor is it yours!" she interupts, although recent exposure had her slipping to English rather than the tongue being spoken by the attackers or the blonde among the numbers, then Atlin was rushing forwards to meet the charge. There was no apparent weapon on the Amazon, but she was moving -fast- as she lept past the throng of fleeing models and directors...and the opportunisticly recording Lia.

The 'Daughter of War' was more than happy to jump into a fight!

Lia Briggs has posed:
Lia doesn't bother trying to get on camera, at least -- no point to it, after all, and it'll just make the footage look weird. Weird footage doesn't make the news. No, she's far more interested in keeping the civilian onlookers safe ... and making /everyone else/ involved look good.

That can be a bit of a challenge, certainly, especially when some of one's concentration is elsewhere. So she has to do it in small but significant ways that could /almost/ be overlooked as bad luck. A telekinetic shove at the right moment puts a satyr off-balance, or a psionic blast stuns one when there's an incoming attack that needs to be blocked, or a subtle illusion makes one of the good guys' strikes seem to be coming from a different angle than it actually /is/. You'd have to be pretty well-versed in hand-to-hand combat to pick up on these things, and the average viewer is almost guaranteed to miss them ... but there are a fair few people well-versed in combat who are actually present.

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
Greek is not one the many languages that Shiva has mastered in her travels, the tone tells her all, the blade pointed in their direction punctuates the words. The policeman thrown into the crowd the coda to the opening act. With the exception of the camera crew and the policeman only a few stand their ground.

Of course, the blond one not only understands the words but charges into action. Then there is the red head. Situational awareness is paramount in combat, no matter the kind. Shiva's ability to catch nuance in her opponents and the fighters around her is legendary. How did the red haired woman do it is another question.

The laughter at Alexander's challenge is as fetid as the goat men themselves. Rams stink potently but that does not stop Shiva from leaping into the air to drop behind the charging monster, wrap an arm around his neck and jerk backward hard. The movement would break a human's neck.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    As weapons are brandished, as violence rears its ugly head, the crowd take that signal to start rushing off. And despite Lia's wishes one the cameramen abandons his equipment and /spins/ away, starting to run with the rest of the crowd even as the police officer's partner starts working his radio calling rapidly for backup.
    But then Atlin is leaping past the citizens of Manhattan, rushing the 'stage' even as a burly muscular goat creature rounds on her. A wicked-looking polearm is swung at her side, seeking to slash her in two with only a bleat of laughter given in warning, spinning through its motion and twisting around to try and hit her with its haft as well.
    Another seems likely to threaten Atlin when it draws back its wicked curved blade and starts to try and slash at her side as she rushes in... only for its balance to be broken as it staggers to the side, going to one twisted beast-like leg, shaking its head wildly as if confounded then /slashing/ at the empty air.
    The tallest creature and its mate finish their leaps, the larger one bringing the sword /down/ at Alexander, yet somehow seems to strike to the side subtly, large blade kicking up sparks as it hits the curb and the concrete even as the blond youth in the Buckaroo Banzai t-shirt leaps to the side, one hand held out and flickering with a faint silver fire.
    A silver fire that causes a red-bladed sword to appear in his hand.
    The creature is so focused that it sees not the lithe silhouette of Shiva as she makes that clean leap, above, to the side, past. It raises its weapon again to menace the youth... only for the woman's arm to snake around the mane of the creature, its musk rich and disgusting with old fore and primal debris. It feels her weight, then sharply she twists...
    And it feels nothing ever again.
    The other creature brings its weapon up, ready to defend the counter-stroke that the Olympian youth executes almost picture perfectly, straight into the guard of the smaller creature...
    Only for the red-bladed katana to slice clean through the beastman's weapon and through his neck in turn, leaving the creature a bloodied mass upon the ground.

Atlin has posed:
It was impossible for someone with the twisted 'violent' empathy her linage had left her not to notice all the anger and effort in the air around her, but the sharp 'surge' of Sandra's effortless dispatching? That was like a finger down one's spine for Atlin, unexpected and immediately bringing her gaze over to that instant...but not quite long enough to stop her from bringing her arm upwards and dipping low. A metallic -clang- and a shower of sparks follows as the polearm's blade bites into her sleave and hits the more solid bracer hidden beneath, easily deflected upwards. Her hand snakes out, grasping the haft and pulling the Satyr towards her violently. There was no blade in her own hands, only a surge of heat that warps the air around her hand before she gives a cry and punches out at the face of the first to attack her.

The staggered swordsman offput by Lia's interventions? He was an opportunity. Pulling the freed polearm and swinging it in a sweep towards the joints of his legs.

Lia Briggs has posed:
Well, if they only lose one angle on the fight, that's not the worst of all possible fates. Monsters ripping into the crowd, on the other hand? That would be pretty bad. Can't have that. The prospect is enough to induce Lia to get ... somewhat less subtle. Temporarily abandoning her screening of the production crew (like they'll ever know! ... hopefully), she instead places a telekinetic wall in front of the two satyrs aiming for New Yorker Chow.

But rather than have them jump into the invisible barrier (not at /all/ good television), she helpfully outlines its location with an illusory wall layered over the actual barrier. If that gives them pause for long enough that Alexander and Shiva can engage them properly, it'll have done all she really needs for it to do.

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
Even a fighter of Wu-San's dimensions can be taken by surprise. Creatures from another world certainly fall into that category. Being in a crowd where there are three singular beings, one of whom she thought she knew marks a considerable surprise. She casts a piercing look in Alexander's direction.

The blade's appearance out of the air will be a subject for conversation later when she is not whirling into a backward kick meant to push one of the four directly into Atlin's captured polearm.

Two more in the world that she could consider worthy adversaries produces a rush of joy in Shiva that a telepath or an empath might remark. Exhilarated by the combat, she reaches for the next ram's polearm as nonchalantly as putting out her hand to shake. Grasping the haft, she jerks the creature toward her, punching it hard in its scarred temple. It loses the polearm in shock, its slit pupiled eyes bulging as she turns the blade on it, aiming to separate the ugly body from the hideous head.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The Satyr that defies Atlin does so with a slobbery cry of anger and outrage as it feels her parry blocking its strike, then seeming to not care she might be about to strike with her opened hand, already as it pulls its weapon back as if readying the next stroke...
    Only for that strike to blast it sharply in the face, crisping skin and burning hair, adding that disgusting scent to the already nasty odor of the creatures themselves. And then it falls down, twisting, twitching, even as life begins to leave it. The other slashes at her, its own weapon crashing through the air and slicing cleanly past her. The second beast hunkers down behind its shield, ready to stave off the attack from Atlin... only for Shiva's subtle manipulation draw it back and off balance, its head turning sharply. And that is when the blade slices through one leg and into the other, taking the creature down where it bleats piteously.
    The two other creatures, one grey in color the other in brown, they had been about to rush into the crowd, their long curved weapons looking old and rusted, one even dripping with a greenish ichor. The grey one slavers as it motions toward a young couple and they start to rush in that direction...
    Only for their charge to be fouled by the appearance of... some sort of barrier? It draws them up short. Long enough for them to look at each other with curiousity as one almost gingerly reaches a weapon out to tap-tap at it.
    Which gives Shiva enough time to close that distance.
    The punch into its temple causing it to reel, roaring in defiance as it shakes its head trying to clear it. Just in time for the return strike of Shiva bending that blade around and catching the creature clean upon the side of its neck. It causes the monster to hit the ground, its head rolling... rolling, until it lands right next to the decapitated head of its comrade, the two looking almost comical near each other, yet entirely disgusting.
    That leaves the last one for Alexander to raise his blade again, holding the crimson sword under its chin as he murmurs, "Apostoli minymatos gia mena i gia na pethano."
    To which the remaining Satry /spits/ upon the ground, a disgusting gob of disease and illness as it growls, "O daskalos mas gnorizei idi o, ti kanete, katalavaino."
    "That makes it easier." As Alexander slips back to English and then neatly thrusts the blade into the Satyr's head, and lets the creature fall to the ground dead.
    All while one cameraman keeps on filming, thanks likely to Lia.

Atlin has posed:
Shiva's repeat of Atlin's technique, albeit perhaps more 'precise' than the Amazon's forceful blow is quite impressive, just as Alex's swordsmanship was quite noticably striking, but the tanned blonde steps forwards towards the bleeting and injured one before her. Twirling the weapon above her head to bring the blade downwards, she slams the weapon down in a vicious parody of the early 'planting' of their banner...right into the downed Satyr.

In a way it was mercy to end the wounded foe!

A breath, the girl pauses to straighten up and then turns her gaze over the other two combatants, all the way back towards Lia at the sidelines with a frown. Last time the woman was encountered she'd been a fair bit more active.

"Are you injured?"

Lia Briggs has posed:
Lia's unconcerned to have been somewhat less than impressive this time around. She smiles at Atlin, before calling: "And cut!" to the camerapersons. "Can we get all this cleaned up in time to shoot tonight?" Business waits for no one, but once the production folks are elbowed back into motion again, she can walk across to where Atlin and the other two are.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just not very photogenic. So I much prefer to sit back and be helpful, rather than try to make it all about me, when something's going to be on camera. You're not hurt yourself, are you? Anyone? Other than /them/, I mean."

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
Looking back over her shoulder at Alex, Shiva's raises one expressive eyebrow at him before the red head's question calls her attention away. She takes a step forward testing with a tentative finger for the barrier that had stopped the mad goat's rush on the crowd.

"The policeman took a hard fall," Shiva says, looking down into the crowd.

"You both fight very well. Very well. I am sure it is not the first time." Pulling at her sleeves to realign them, she nods to them both ready to step back out of the limelight and be on her way with Alexander.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    There is really in truth only one camera person who is still doing his job, though he looks nervously over towards Lia and Atlin as the one moves toward the other. He shakes his head even as distantly they'll likely hear the sound of sirens. But the crew start to abandon stations for now and one even calls to the producer who took cover behind the production van, "This better be overtime."
    She peeks around the corner of the van just long enough to give the man the finger before she ducks back.
    But that leaves those worthies there, amongst the gore and detritus. And where did the sword that Alexander was wielding go? For it's no longer in his hand nor is there hint of where it went. The young Olympian, however, is chewing his lower lip thoughtfully and frowns, but then nods over toward Atlin.
    "Thank you for your help." A nod is given to Shiva likely mirroring that sentiment, though he does look curiously at Lia as well, perhaps not sure how she figured into things. When Shiva move sto step away, however, he lingers as if pondering something.