16477/Chance dance in the park

Chance dance in the park
Date of Scene:	03 December 2023
Location:	Central Park
Synopsis:	And so the pair seperate their paths, with plans for a chicken feast in a week. What fun can be had in a park at night, right? You may think you are meeting one of your gods, and simply make a friend instead.
Cast of Characters:	Maya Lopez, Mercy Thompson

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Maya Lopez has posed:
Does New York ever sleep anyway? Especially Central Park, the darkness brings out most the interesting folks. Take for example the woman leaning back into the seat of a modified Roy Enfield Continental GT. A brown paper sack resting on the seat next to her as she mibbles on some fries and watxches the park.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Some times you just got to go out and run. She didn't have the time or inclination to drive out of the city, so Mercy just went to the park. It's easy enough to carefully fold and stash one's clothes then change and do a little run. If worse comes to worse, or if someone swipes her cheap track suit she got on a black Friday sale, she can always just run home in the fur. Wouldn't be the first time, and won't be the last she goes on a run in just her fur.
    Besides this late at night the only people in the park are muggers, that don't care about a Coyote. Homeless, who may want to eat her if they're that desperate but have ZERO chance of catching her. Or weirdos such as herself. So she's not too too worried as a whole. That's why a woman just leaning on a bike sort of catches her attention. That and the food makes her realize she worked through lunch today and forgot to eat properly. She thought about hunting but with winter the game is scarce and she didn't feel like chasing down a fat squirrel. So the coyote creeps along to watch this girl, doing her best to come from down wind and better take up her scents.

Maya Lopez has posed:
Maya Lopez's eyes sweep the area every so often as she finishes the selection of fries she had in hand. A small quirk of her lips as she turns her face into hte wind and cants it slightly as if basking in the chill fingers of Jack's Frost tickling across her cheekbones. A raven's feather dancing mearily as well where it protrucdes from her messy bun. Of sneaky coyotes trying to mosey up to help her with her dinner, well.. she's not telling.
    Her hand lowers one more into the bag, rustling the paper before rising again with more fries. her face trning from the wind as she peeks into the bag as if to see how many remain. Mmm.. fat, salt, and starch. It is what every girl dreams of, right? Naw, probably closer to fry-bread in this oner's case, or a deli style slice.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy used to love the taste of fry-bread, then she read its history. Now she still loves the taste, but it also makes her angry at times. The coyote is intrigued by the feather and the woman just sitting there so she steps out from the bush not far away. She gets into a bit of a clearing and goes to shake the moisture from the bush that clings to her coat.
    Mercy learned long ago to wear a collar when she goes out like this to better avoid pound and animal control trouble. So with the shaking there's the faintest of rattle of the collar. She moves closer to Maya and just sits. She looks more or less like a normal coyote. Just sitting, in the grass, across the pavement as she stares at Maya. Curious to see what the woman will do. Sometimes Mercy likes to do this to freak the normies and mess with them. But she can tell that's not what is going to happen her. Not if her gut is right anyway.

Maya Lopez has posed:
Maya Lopez's eyes alight on the Coyote stepping out bedecked in a collar. One brow quirking up slightly as she cants her head slightly. Then a soft snort escapes as she nods to the proud one. The few fries she pulled out vanish in a pair of bights before her fingers and hands dance through a complicated jig in the air.

    <ASL> Great One. You are seen and welcomed. I did not mean to disrupt your park, only a quiet place to rest a moment and fill my belly. Did you wish to join and share in the results of a drive-thru stalking?"

    Once finished she reaches once more into the bag and draws out more of hte fries, this time offering them out towards the coyote.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Sadly Mercy doesn't know ASL but she can somewhat communicate. She can tell the woman is 'Talking' with her hands. She cants her head in that way almost all canines can and lifts up her ears a bit more. Her tail gives a single wig-wag motion before settling down.
    She hesitates then pads a little closer with the offering of food. She gives her head a single bob in a classic 'Yes' motion and licks her lips. Sure who doesn't love fires?! She'll move until she's about what she thinks Maya's arm length is plus half again. You can't be too careful. But this Coyote shows little of the 'fear' of human signs a true wild one would. Then again, are there any real 'wild' animals in New York City?

Maya Lopez has posed:
Maya Lopez offers a small smile as she notes the distance and nibbles her lower lip in thought for a moment. Finally she lifts her free hand in a 'wait please' motion before setting teh fries onto the seat of her bike and turning to look into the bag for something to use as a plate. Nose wrinking a little in consternation, she finally pulls out a paper wrapped cheese burger, and opens it. A glance back towards where she left the coyote as she shifts the fries onto the waxed paper next to the plain cheese burger. This is turn is held out flat like a plate, and set as far out as she can reach infront of her, not towards the coyote's position so as not to seem to be attacking, simply sharing.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Well everyone knows what that gesture means. So Mercy waits and only breaks her pose to scratch behind one ear briefly. She can't help but look a bit more interested as the burger comes out. It be so much easier if people didn't mind a nude half Blackfoot woman appear before them to be like 'I will pay you back when I got pockets again' when sharing food.
    Mercy is surprised to see this woman offering so much food to a 'stray animal' from the park. She steps up to the offering and looks at the fries. Hmmm. This will be tough. The coyote's ears lay back in determination as she sniffs at the food. She then uses her paw and mouth to try and push some fries around. Doing her best to use the slices of fried spud to spell out 'half' then dips her head at the burger. She won't take all the woman's food. But she is pretty hungry and that burger doesn't smell bad at all. She even does her best tail wag to show how cute and harmless she is!

Maya Lopez has posed:
Maya Lopez's shoulders shake as she shakes her heaad, then lifts a second wrapped bundle form the bag. She sets it next to her hip and grins. Her hands dipping once more into a brief dance,

<ASL> That is half of the burgers, yes. But even the Trickster doesn't get all my fries.

A brow arching up again as she watches the coyote for a moment more before lifting the second wrapped cheeseburder.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    OH! There are two burgers? Well then sure. She starts to chomp down on the food. Working at a mix of fries and burger. Doing her best not to make a terrible mess but.... Have you ever tried to eat a burger with no hands and a muzzle? It isn't always pretty.
    Mercy can chow down for a bit and lick at her face to get the worst of any juices or sauces off her face. She gives a soft little yip to the woman in thanks, not thinking it through the woman can't hear it. She can give a few happy tail wags and is pretty sure it's not too dangerous to get a bit closer to this woman. Course now she's eaten her 'letters' to write back.
    Not sure how to ask the question easily she flips the wrapper over to see if there are any good letters on the other side she can point too. But that doesn't work out so well. She kinda tore it up some with her claws while pinning it down to eat. There's annoyed chuff and flick of her ears at the paper being so weak and unhelpful in all this before the animal starts to try and look around for other possibilities.

Maya Lopez has posed:
Maya Lopez moves slowly as she sinks down to settle cross legged in the shadow of her bike. The right leg making an odd sound, almost a wine of its own, and needed a slight tug to get it properly into place. Once settled she smooths out her own wrapper as she has long since figures this is not just a stray anything roaming the par of parks in this berg. A marker is slipped from a pocket and the alphabet quickly inscribed onto the papery side of the wrapper. A quick search around secures a couple rocks to hold the corners down to free up paws.

She offers a half-shrug as she edges it a little farther out form her reach to help keep the 'safe' feelings.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy's ears tilt and move at the sound of the leg and she pauses in her searching to try and place what she heard. This keeps her curious and she starts to inch closer until she notices what Maya is doing. There's a bit of a hop and a yip as she cheers at the human figuring it out! She loves clever people who figure stuff out. She wastes no time darting off to the park.
    Mercy comes back after a bit with a stick. She has to hold it carefully in her mouth. She uses it as best she can to tap at 'N' 'A' 'M' 'E' onto the payer and then finishes with the classic canine head tilt for the question mark that is missing dropping the stick when done.

Maya Lopez has posed:
Maya Lopez offers a small grin as she is proven right. She inclines her head slightly and gestures to the paper as if asking permission. Waiting a moment to see if there is any adverse reaction she stretches out an arm and leans slightly forward form the waist to use the marker as her own 'talking stick'. 'M' 'A' 'Y' 'A'. She leaves it at that as she settles back resting the marker openly atop her knee as she watches you. A small smile resting just behind the stoic mask too often worn when one dances between twined worlds.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    At Maya's attempt to gesture to the paper, Mercy flips the stick toward the woman to encourage her. She doesn't jump back she just sits there opposite the paper from the woman. Most may think it is just a dog and an owner chilling together. Though if someone called Mercy a dog she may have to growl at them.
    Mercy watches the letter aps and nods with understanding and give a gap mouthed tongue loll as a grin. She will use the stick to tap out 'F' 'O' 'O' 'D' <tap taps> off the paper 'T' 'H' 'A' 'N' 'K' 'S'. Not the fastest way to talk but honestly if Mercy was human it may not be a WHOLE lot faster. Besides, her fur coat keeps her warm in the winter months and she enjoys it!

Maya Lopez has posed:
Maya Lopez chuckles softly, proving she isn't a mute. And if someone were base enough to label the beauty of a full blooded coyote as a simple dog, she might growl at them too.

At the thanks she just inclines her head and winks. Her marker follows with 'M' 'O' 'R' 'E' <tap off the page>'T' 'H' 'A' 'N' <tap> 'C' 'O' 'U' 'L' 'D' <tap> 'E' 'A' 'T'. That spelled out she sits back and rubs her stomach with a thumbs up gesture.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy watches the taps and flicks her ears as she thinks and gets to puzzling out the words. The seem to have a good system. There's a clear nod and a soft quick yip in agreement to Maya.
    Once the stick is in mouth she will tap out 'N' 'E' 'X' 'T' <tap tap> 'T' 'I' 'M' 'E' < tap tap> 'O' 'N' <tap tap> 'M' 'E.' Then dropping the stick she offers a tail wag to the woman. Mercy of course already has an idea of what to do. Because this is.... well kind of fun. She's enjoying herself and it may show. She will snatch up the stick and spell out 'C' 'H' 'I' 'C' 'K' 'E' 'N' then does the head tilt for 'questioning expression' at the deaf woman.

Maya Lopez has posed:
Maya Lopez purses her lips and cants her head slightly in thought at the offer. Finally she nods at the tail wag. A grin showing as she responds with 'P' 'R' 'A' 'I' 'R' 'Y' <tap> 'C' 'H' 'I' 'C' 'K' 'E' 'N'. Then uncaps the marker and adds the '?' and taps it. An impish smile showing as she settles back for a moent before reaching out to tap 'Y' 'E' 'S' out.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy takes a bit longer to fully get at what Maya is saying. Then does and exaggerated looking around at the city they are in, miming sniffing the air and the sort of gives her a look that usually is worn by cats of 'Really?!' Because where is someone going to find that around here?
    Once Maya says yes to the offer about food in general she will lay down, tail over nose and make it look like she is asleep. Stand and yawn. Walk in a slow circle. Then sleep again. She uses her stick to tap seven times. Trying to suggest a week from today. Her paw goes to the ? at the end to see if Maya gets when they should meet up next.

Maya Lopez has posed:
Maya Lopez nods slightly as she rises slowly, carefully, until the right leg makes a faint click and she puts weight on it. Then reaches over the bike to open the far side's road pack to lift out a large ziplock holding two prairie chickens and grins back with a shrug. She settles back against the bike, leaning back against the seat with the bag of birds resting atop the bags strap. She mmsphys softly as she realizes her marker isn't long enough now and rumages in her pockets for a moment, coming up with a laser-pointer. She looks from it to the coyote and back again for a moment then cants her head in the questioning gesture as she's not certain about color-blindness and red lasers against yellow paper.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy's ear flicks a the click in the leg. She'll have to ask about that next time. It be rude to do so now, she should at least bribe with meat, and baked goods first! There is protocol to follow after all. Seeing the chickens makes Mercy stand and lean in to get a better look before they are gone. She's not familiar with that bird and she can feel her curiosity getting the better of her.
    She can see the pointer just fine and will prove it by putting her paw wherever it's resting to show it as she looks up at Echo.
    That's when her ears pick up something. There's a crack of not far off gun fire and sounds of voices that may be coming this way. She quick looks around, alert and searching. She doesn't want her new friend in danger. So she quick snatches the paper up in her jaws and then goes to push with her body at the back of the bike. Giving a quick series of yips. Trying to encourage that Maya should go. She will even hop and kick off the back of the bike before running ahead. Stopping and looking back. Jerking her head in the clear 'Come ON!' look. Time to not stay here.

Maya Lopez has posed:
Maya Lopez blinks at the sudden need to leave shown by her new friend. She swings her leg over the bike, dropping down onto seat as she lets the right take the weight as she shifts the bike up off the kickstand, and starting it forward as she hits the ignition button. A small eye roll to herself as she turns the key to the 'on' position to engage the electronics and hits the start again, only to have the bike rumble to life. The pair of Prairie chickens in their bag behind the seat forgotten for a momment as she rolls up beside the coyote and reaches back to pat... a bag of featherd food in invite to hop on.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy shakes her head and nods her head to the park. She hates 'dog tricks' but does a quick paw wave as a 'bye bye' then dashes low and fast into the brush. She's pouring on the speed which means she goes a lot faster then anormal canine can. Then again normal canines don't spell out words and make dinner plans for next week. Mercy has to get her track suit and then she'll hurry home. It's is not so many blocks north for her in this form. She'll be gone and out of sight in no time flat.