14751/Central Park In Springtime

Central Park In Springtime
Date of Scene:	23 April 2023
Location:	Central Park
Synopsis:	A nice spring day brings people out into Central Park. There are talking mice women and telepathic space dogs to go with archers and agents and acrobats (oh my!).
Cast of Characters:	Matthew Murdock, Cosmo, Daisy Johnson, Kaida Connolly, Clint Barton, Caleb Dykstra

---

Matthew Murdock has posed:
The weather is getting progressively nicer with the arrival of Spring. Leaves are starting to come out and the grass is just starting to send out new shoots. Adding a little green to the drearier look that the Northeast gets in winter.

People are taking advantage of the weekend and the nice sunny day to get outside. Which in New York, means a lot of people in Central Park. Families are having picnics, or stopping to get something from vendors after a morning at the Zoo. Remote control boats are darting around the lakes. People are jogging. Students from Columbia and ESU and high schools are out playing frisbee, or football. There are people tossing around a lacrosse ball.

Matt Murdock walks through the gates into the park. For a change he's not wearing one of his suits like he does on work days. His cane taps back and forth in front of him as he heads towards the area that he and Daisy had decided to meet at.

Cosmo has posed:
Spring!

Well, not that it means much to Cosmo, the wonder space dog in that she's not got a great deal of Earth experience to compare it with. Her history is lost to her, for the most part, but there is no denying the amazing smells, sights and sounds of the PARK. She's ditched her space suit for something a little more 'undercover', though she is sporting what looks to be a blinged doggy collar with a tag that states 'Cosmo'. Perhaps an affectation, but it could be useful to ward off animal control, if only for enough time to escape, should it be necessary, which is doubtful.

The light brown dog with golden highlights that glisten in the warm sun is running full tilt at a squirrel, her tongue lolling out of the side of her mouth as she runs. There is a giddy air to her stride, and as the little rodent changes directions, so she slides to a halt, shifts and leaps to run in the next direction, looking for that ball of fuzz.

As the squirrel darts up the tree, Cosmo slides to a halt, sniffs ALL around the tree before looking up, looking as if she is searching the branches. All the branches.. and gets back to snuffling at the ground. Sitting down, she looks up again, big brown eyes locking into a single spot, <<Tomorrow. Same time. Was fun!>>

A chitter sounds from the tree, the grey floof hanging onto the tree upside down. Rising slowly from her sit, Cosmo looks around, her tail wagging slowly as she takes in the surroundings.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Spring day normally means fun and relaxation. For Daisy though? It means Shield WORK! Or at least overtime..., because Jenkins needs her input on a report that just 'can't wait'. So she is thumbing down a nice, passive-aggressive reply when the running Cosmo runs past her sitting position on the grass.

"That's one fast doggo.." She murmurs, looking at her go with a bit of a chuckle.

But then ..., back to her message. She finishes it quickly enough and hmphs, "And don't bother me more today..." a murmur mostly to herself. Relaxedly she leans back on her hands, looking around and spotting Matt. "Hey, over here!" she calls out to the blind lawyer.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
"Hurrm." The mouse girl says rather annoyed as she watches the dog staring up at the poor squirrel in the tree. Did the dog talk? She's unsure. It's been so weird for her since she awakened more of her natural abilities and can now sorta understand animals. One can never really be sure if she's hearing a talking dog, a talking squirrel, or she just kinda knows what they want/mean. For example, that Squirrel wants that dog to leave and never come back. The dog wants to chase the squirrel.

Makes sense, but can still be confusing.

Either way, Kaida makes sure the situation is settled and the poor squirrel won't be eaten on her watch and then shrugs and zips over to a hot dog cart nearby. She leaps easily up to the roof of the thing, carefully peering over the top of it down at the hot dogs and pretzels before she sits and pulls around a backpack to pull out a simple little chip like one might find in a credit card.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
There are so many sounds of people talking, laughing, and at play that Matt hasn't really focused in on Cosmo as the dog chases after the squirrel. Though the familiar sound of Daisy's voice stands out to him quite clearly through all the other chatter.

He turns her direction, tapping back and forth with his white cane. Blue jeans and a midnight blue long sleeve shirt are what he's wearing today, and a pair of low boots. He steps out onto the grass, crossing it over to find Daisy. His cane taps her once. Again. And another time, each gentle, though his lips are quirking up at the corners as he otherwise makes it seem like he's trying to figure out what this thing is that is obstructing his walk.

"Excuse me, sir or madam, I'm looking for the prettiest girl in all the park. Supposed to meet here here," he says, keeping up the charade for a few seconds long before grinning and settling to his knees beside Daisy. Matt leans over to give her cheek a soft peck, or her lips if he turns and intercepts the kiss. "Have you eaten yet?" he asks. "I can smell the hot dogs over there," he adds, motioning towards the cart that, unbeknownst to him, a small rodent-shaped person is currently atop of.

Clint Barton has posed:
Even Avenging Archers take breaks.

Clint Barton decided to take a day for the park. The coming of spring was a welcome break from the monotony of winter. With the sun coming up and the day warming, Clint figured the park was a good return to form. He wears all black, with black sunglasses, looking inconspicuous as he finds a bench to plop himself on.

People watching was a hobby.

He picks out Daisy like a sore thumb. Giving her a nod if they spot one another. He notices Cosmo prancing through the glade after a squirrel and it makes him smile. Clint loves dogs!

He notices a few of the others, his gaze lingering on one of New York's best lawyers in Matt Murdock for a few moments.

Cosmo has posed:
Little black rubber nose lifts into the air once more, and fuzzy ears quirk forward, even with their flap; Cosmo's listening to something that perhaps only a dog can hear. Or see. Or somesuch.

Big brown eyes move towards the man with the cane, her head tilting slightly the opposite direction as she watches him move. One step, two steps and she heads in the blind-man's direction as if to aid him (everyone needs a seeing eye dog?), though he arrives to his own destination before any help could be rendered.

Well, that AND the fact that there's a game of frisbee that is happening just nearby in a field. As the disc flies into the air, Cosmo wheels around and runs for it, leaping straight in the air, just in front of the one who is //supposed// to catch it. Spinning around in that graceful jump, she lands backpaws first, then front.. and takes off running.

It's fun!

Her path takes her past Clint on the trail, with two teenagers in hot pursuit.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Daisy takes in a deep breath. Then exhales. "I suppose there's no taking the corny out of you." is what Daisy replies back at Matt at that first question of his, shaking her head a touch to herself. Resigned to her fate! She meets the man's lips and brushes hands over his cheek.

"I haven't. Hot dogs sounds good." She turns her legs around a bit so she can start getting up, smoothing the ends of her summer dress down, dark green and flowery.

"And hey, don't look now..." She leans closer to Matt, knowing exactly what she said! "... There's Clint over there, trying to look inconspicuous." she nods back at the archer with a faint smile and is finally up.

"Hey, Clint!" she greets, no subtlety when off-duty that's for sure.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt Murdock smiles at the soft touches from Daisy across his cheeks. In his deep, even voice, he agrees with her, "Definitely no hope there." He rises with her when she expresses her preference. He pauses just a moment, catching a different note in some of the voices. Something stolen maybe? The cries of the two teenagers register, but then Matt hears the sounds of the dog paws on the grass, and the slight jingle of the collar as Cosmo races past. His lips quirk in a small grin.

He rests a hand on Daisy's back. "Mmm. Sundress season?" he comments. "You know, sometimes being blind sucks more than others. This is one of those times."

As they start to walk in the direction of the hot dog stand, and Clint, Matt gives Daisy a mock worried look. "Uh oh, is he on to me? Saw me go out the 'In' door? Damn SHIELD agents are too observant."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
"Dogs." Kaida shakes her head with a sigh as she watches Cosmo chase after the frisbee. She doesn't hate dogs or anything. She is just more exasperated with dogs than most would be given she's a mouse girl and has had to deal with her share of cats and dogs thinking she'd be a fun target. Either way, she flips down off the roof of the stand and lands with a thump on the surface.

"Hey! No screaming about a mouse or nothin'!" She states and takes a step forward waggling a tiny finger, "I have money and I'm hungry." She holds up the chip, "Three hot dogs and a salted pretzel." She nods her head, "Just ketchup on the hot dogs, too."

She then casually looks around at other people to try to make sure no one else is trying anything, though frankly her ears nad nose are on a proverbial swivel.

Clint Barton has posed:
That dog /sails/ past Clint, who doesn't move from where he is, just smiling as the dog is chased by those two teens. A chuckle on his face. "You ain't catching that one." He tells the teens, knowing full well it'll only encourage rebellious determination.

The best kind.

'Hey Clint!'

"Shit, Daisy." Clint grumbles. "Subtle." He comments, giving Daisy and Matt a little wave. "Matt." he greets him, no gestures. "How're you two doing? Out on a date?" Ge turns his attention to Kaida, eyes narrowing to even be able to see her. "Uhhh..."

Cosmo has posed:
Cosmo slows down in a bound, really the only way they'd even dream of catching her, and spins around to face the teenagers. They, too, slow up to a stop, laughing all the while, "Look! She's letting us catch her." It's obvious that the trio are playing as the mutt drops into a 'play stance', front legs down, butt up and tail wagging. She shakes the frisbee to show it off, presenting it as a tease to the pair. One teen takes hold of the disc and a game of tug-of-war begins.

It's not a few heartbeats, however, that Cosmo lets go, causing the one pulling to fall backwards, stumbling on their friend. It's all they can do not to fall completely.. and in that time, Cosmo takes the opportunity to sit and watch, her little eyebrows wiggling, and her mouth opens to pant, her tongue lolling out the side.

Perhaps it's a voice from someone nearby, perhaps it is just a thought, but there are words and they float towards Clint, land into his head, should he be receptive, <<Is only fair. I steal, I give back.>>

The smell of fresh hot dog taken from their city water boil should be enough to gain her attention, and it does. Costmo's head perks up, her nose wiggling in the scent. And... a mouse?

*BARK!*

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt Murdock flashes a smile in the direction of Clint. In his even tones he says, "Clint. Getting a chance to get out in the sun and fun for a change?" He doesn't turn his head, but the mention of a mouse catches his attention, if the voice sounding a little unusual to his sensitive hearing.

"Just getting a chance to get out of the office. Being cooped up all winter has an effect on you, right?" Matt says to the archer. "Kind of nice to not have to deal with ice on the sidewalks anymore, either." One might gather it's a bit treacherous for a blind person, even more than others.

Matt gives a tiny pat to the small of Daisy's back. "I can go grab the dogs if you want to catch up with Clint. Extra mustard right?" he asks, before he'll head over to the stand where Kaida is already in line ahead of him as it were.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Thought to make it a surprise." Daisy says about the sundress, wrapping her arm with Matt's as they walk towards that stand. "And he's totally on to you.." she says in a whispered manner, then laughing.

Daisy is all smiles when they near the hot dog stand, grinning Clint's way. "Hey." she tells him, "What's with the black outfit?" because certain questions need to be asked. "Care to join us?" she then spotting the small mousey...

And the rather large order of food..

"Is that ..., all for you?" she asks. Look, she knows biology. Where will all that food fit in! But then again she is also interacting with a talking mouse so ...

Kaida Connolly has posed:
The poor guy at the hot dog stand is staring for a long moment at the mouse that is ordering food before suddenly there's a bark and Kaida doesn't even jump or move. Instead she just closes her eyes and lets out a long sigh as she slumps her shoulders slightly before she points at the man.

"Come on, please don't make a big deal out of this." And then she turns around and stares at the dog, "And you! Also please don't make a big deal out of this. I am trying to just get some food. Isn't there some smell you haven't smelled to go investigate or an errant tennis ball that needs your attention?" She hmms and tilts her head at the dog.

"And yes, it's for me. All for me! It's not too big of a meal but it'll get the job done." She nods her head at Daisy before letting out a sigh and she holds up a hand, "Look, I don't mean to be short or curt but there was a bunch of idiots this morning trying to rob a jewellery store and I had to deal with them and then one tried to get away and I had to chase him..." She shrugs, "Lets just say it has been a long morning already when all I wanted was some hot dogs."

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint is hearing things.

Clint messes with his hearing aid when Cosmo sends her message, thinking for a second and sending his agent instincts into overdrive. Until...he /slowly/ turns his eyes towards Cosmo. "...Did you just-"

Matt and Daisy arrive! Saving Cosmo from Clint's undetermined actions and he smirks at Daisy. "Because yellow isn't my color." Clint shrugs. "And-" He unzips his jacket, revealing a purple shirt underneath. "I have /some/ color." he zips his jacket back up. "Black is just more subtle." Questioned to join them, Clint shrugs. "Sure, what the hell." he hood up to his feet and with his hands in his pockets, walks with Daisy,vehicle making an 'I'm watching you' gesture at Cosmo with a wink.

To the strange mouse person, Clint shrugs and offers some cash. "Just make the hot dogs, man. She's had a day."

Matthew Murdock has posed:
There are a few moments of confusion for Matt as he hears Kaida's voice yet doesn't sense a person there. Though the little scratch of her feet on the top of the cart is picked up and finally Matt clues in that the voice seems to be coming from a rodent of some type.

He hears the dog's panting after the exertion and perhaps he's worried about the dog going after the speaking rodent. As he pats Daisy's arm and then turns to tap his way towards Cosmo. "You over here somewhere, girl?" he says aloud in typical talking-to-dog kindhearted voice.

He crouches down once he's nearish to Cosmo, the blind man offering out a hand, not quite straight at the dog but a bit to the side. Have to sell the secret identity.

Cosmo has posed:
Hot dogs. Where there are hot dogs and people, there are handouts. It's not that Cosmo begs per se, but where there are hotdogs and people...

Cosmo trots over towards the hot dog cart, her tongue still lolling sideways out of her mouth, though at the increasing aroma of the 'dogs, she drools a little and pulls her tongue in, licking her muzzle. That trot brings her to Clint's side, and with a quick look up at the archer, she barks once, and there is an underscore of <<Yes. Hot dog? Is delicious.>>

There's the beg.

Coming up to the cart, she pauses and sits, the tip of her tail wagging as she looks over the gathered. Daisy, Matt.. the blind man.. he's kind! And.. a mouse girl? Clint's defense of 'bad day' earns the mouse a nose wriggle as she sniffs the air. Deliberately in her direction. The moment the hand comes down, she rises from her spot and walks over, ducking her head under his hand and lifting gently. She takes that step closer, now invited, and pushes gently.

Seems there are a couple games of 'lets pretend' going on!

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"I thought I was supposed to be the dog person of this relationship." Daisy points out back at Matt with a chuckle, "... not fair." specially on how Cosmo just goes for it and gets that head under Matt's hand.

Then to Kaida, "And I get you. Always need a good meal too after a mission.." she sighs. "I do love chinese takeout..." there, now she is imagining all her times out with FitzSimmons at their lab. She shakes those memories off and looks at Clint, "You have a fixation with the purple...", a brief shake of her head and then she moves to actually order some hot dogs! Because Matt just got dognapped.

"Three hotdogs."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
A sigh escapes from Kaida as someone offers to pay for her and then she just shakes her head and puts the chip away. She's not the type to look a gift horse in the mouth even as the rather startled vendor just shrugs and starts making things after taking the cash. Kaida just looks back to Clint with a smile and nods to him.

"Thanks and don't think I'm not grateful. I just kinda would like for someone to just accept the fact that a mouse is hungry and has money and is wearing clothes and has a sword." She shrugs, "It's not like I'm really asking for a lot here." She points to the sky, "I mean, people fly up there all the time. Heck, someone stole part of the whole city once. I'm not /that/ strange." she nods her head and then looks to the dog, squinting at it. There is something not quite wholly dog about that dog and she just knows it. Of course, she's kinda paranoid about cats and dogs given her time on the streets. As a mouse.

Of course, then the guy slides the meal on a couple of plates to Kaida and she is distracted by food. She gets suddenly all giddy and what comes next might startle most people. She just starts taking bites of one of the hot dogs and seems to just go right through it at incredible speed. It's not exaclty a speedster fast but it's just far faster than one might expect and the hot dog seeminly just kinda...vanishes under the onslaught of bites. Nothing is left by a bit of hot dog bun at the end and she just lets out a pleased sigh before she finally grabs up the pretzel and drops it on to the space created, letting it lean on the hot dogs before she carefully picks up the whole thing by sliding it up and over her head.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt Murdock calls out to Daisy over his shoulder, "And a pretzel. Please?" though his attention goes back to Cosmo as the dog that so far seems normal to him, comes over and positions herself for petting.

"That's a good girl. Or boy," he says as he begins bestowing scritches and rubs on Cosmo. His cane is laid to rest in the grass beside him as he uses both hands to give scritches along both sides of Cosmo's throat.

The space dog can definitely smell a cat on Matt. Maybe that's what Daisy meant, and why he turns his head over his shoulder towards her again to say, "I like dogs just as much. Just a bit cliche for me to have one isn't it?" he says, his voice soft and level, though Daisy at the least can pick out the teasing in it.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
And into scene comes a teen who's been... Well, busy selling. (Look! He doesn't like to do it, okay?) Having sold all his 'merchandise' for the day, all profits going to the mob boss he works for, he's now say, 'off-duty' - which means enjoying the sunny park life. And this means, partly, getting some food in him.

And this brings him to a hot-dog cart...

...That apparently, has a little mouse in line getting food??

Okay, that's a mark on his 'list of wierd shit for the day'...

And that people are talking to...??

Put in another mark.

At this point, he's starting to worry if he took some of the product he had in him by accident. "Uhh, excuse me... Is everyone seeing the same as I am? Like, the /talking/ mouse...?"

Cosmo has posed:
There is nothing //better// than a good scritch, and her mouth lolls open, her pink tongue falling out again as she gets a double-handed scritch. It's all she can do //not// to roll onto her back for that belly rub, but she resists it. For the moment, anyway. Streeeeetching her head forward, she does succumb to the desire to lick at Matt's face. Look, she's a friendly doggo! She'll even forgive the scent of a cat. It's obvious he knows how to properly give an ear-scritch.

<<Girl.>> The word is placed ever so gently, assuming Matt is receptive to it, on the edges of his brain.

The fact that Daisy is the 'dog person' isn't lost on Cosmo, however. But, it's the canine way to recruit the ones on the fence before going for the obvious allies! Cats do it all the time, too. Not that she'd admit to taking a page from felines, that is. Never.

Her head pulls up from the all the pets as she looks over towards Kaida. Cosmo's head tilts briefly in response to the study by the mouse. Is that a wink? Maybe. Could be. Do dogs even wink, or is it it just a reaction to dust in the air, or a slight irritation?

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Where he's crouched down to pet Cosmo, Matt's back straightens a little bit as he senses the word. Not something he heard, he's sure of that. One eyebrow goes up slightly behind his dark glasses.

"Girl," he says, as he pets the dog more thoughtfully, turning his focus of his senses to the animal more fully. His fingers run over the collar, feeling the lettering and getting the name even if he doesn't say it aloud.

"Do you have someone you're with?" he asks the dog. "Anyone out looking for you?" After a moment he adds over towards Daisy. "Maybe an extra hot dog for the pup here?"

He picks up his cane and straightens up and moves over to join Daisy there, giving a little pat of his leg to try to get the dog to follow.

The hot dog vendor peers about at everyone as Caleb comes up. He looks more like he's on Caleb's level of incredulity as he serves up the ordered food just the same.

Matt answers Caleb's question. Swinging his face in the general direction of Caleb as he asks if anyone else is seeing the same as Caleb. "No," the blind man says. "No I'm not."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
Kaida lifts up her plate over her head, shifting it carefully until she balances it atop her skull and then she leaps deftly off the cart. She is careful to lift the plate and then lower it as she lands so her food doesn't go everywhere. Then she is moving at pretty incredible speed for someone with food on a plate toward a bench that she leaps up on to and places the plate on. She calls out from there toward Caleb.

"Yes, it was a mouse with food!" And her voice carries surprisingly well even as she pulls apart the pretzel and begins to consume it. She carefully watches the dog the whole time though, still not sure of this canine and it's ways

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
There's almost like a 'd'oh!' when Caleb realizes Matt's condition. "Sorry... I mean... I-I meant..." He takes a deep breath, "You know what, I'll just roll with it..." He admits, "With alien invasions, and ninjas, and toy-themed robots wrecking havoc, and Crowd monsters, I should be already used to this."

He turns to the vendor, and when his time to order comes, he says, "I'll have a hot-dog with everything, and a side order of fries, and a coke, please."

Cosmo has posed:
If Matt could see, he'd only see that softly fuzzy face of a lab/retriever mix, the golden brown gleaming in the sun's light. No strangeness could possibly be coming from her, right?

Right?

<<No. I search for them.>> It's a strange sound; rudimentary English with a Russian accent. And, from the //feel// of it, it's not a homey feel, no. Not a 'search and find and all will be well'. There's more of an edge to it than that.

At the offer of a hot dog, or her definition of an offer, she wags her tail at 'extra hot dog for the pup'. She's on board for that!

Walking beside Matt, now they're looking very much like the stereotypical 'pair', only she's not wearing a leash. No matter. Once arriving completely with the group, she sits and there is that tail wag, right at the tip, sweeping the ground just under it.

The self-confessed 'dog person' is given a long, lingering look before she is back to the others once more. Big brown eyes meet Kaida's black beady once, and her head quirks before her attention is pulled back to the potential of a hot dog. Behind them all, a pick-up game of softball is beginning...

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Matt Murdock raises a hand as if to hold off Caleb feeling anything negative after his joke. "Sorry. Blind humor. Kind of goes with the territory. It's alright, really. Just it's humorous how often it comes up with common phrases," he says.

He and Daisy pay for the hot dogs, and then Matt leaves his with Daisy as he crouches down to offer the one to Cosmo. There's no condiments on it, except he had them put some cheese on it.

"Here you go, girl," he says, setting the hot dog on the ground, having pulled it out of the wrapper it came in. "Hmm. Maybe can help you find your home if there's a tag or something on where you need to go," he says aloud.

He straightens and gets his own hot dog to take a bite then. "So, kind of an odd day. I notice I have a lot of those around you," he says teasingly to Daisy.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Yeah", Caleb chuckles apologetically, "People take things for granted, they forget the others less fortunate." Caleb takes that humor somewhat darkly, though - it's not something he finds all that amusing. Maybe it's because he would count himself among the unfortunate ones, so he somehow should know better.

Yet, it kind of just happens, you know?

But, moving on, he looks at Cosmo, and kneels down to give his hand for a sniff - cordial introduction for a dog - and a pet if Cosmo allows. "And who's this?" He looks at Matt, "Yours, sir?"