1703/Chance Meeting at a Cathedral

Chance Meeting at a Cathedral
Date of Scene:	16 May 2020
Location:	Kingston - Miagani Island
Synopsis:	Mariana and 'Ella' come upon one another while each is visiting a cathedral in Gotham. They strike up a conversation.
Cast of Characters:	Mariana Gomez, Ella Normandy

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Mariana Gomez has posed:
Evening has rolled in, and despite summer in this city it seems dusk comes early. Though it is not yet full dark, the NYC native is surprised at how early it seems the light has started to wane. Mariana is done with her day of activities, and has decided on something else she wanted to do: to see one of the oldest and most visually striking gothic cathedrals still in operation today, right here in Gotham City, So the paramedic has changed into civilian attire and headed out into the city. Her phone helped her find the right bus line, and the right stop to get off. Now, she has walked about a block and slowed down at the mouth of the city park to look across at the striking vision of the cathedral, just taking it all in. Her hands rest comfortably in the pockets of the loose black jacket she wears, which also covers up her arms and shoulders, making it much more difficult to make out just how well muscled she is. She really looks like any other moderately stylish hispanic woman in her early twenties making due on a tight budget.

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Gotham's cathedrals look different from ground level than from the air, but still somehow cheap and tacky. There's no love in the stonework, just a plagiarized sense of history by aping the style of Europe's genuine cathedrals. Vampirella's never gotten a sense of the holy from any place of worship, and isn't sure if she'd recognize holiness even if she saw it, but in Europe it's so easy to imagine the generations of men sat in those halls of power, making decisions about who shall live and who shall burn. In Gotham, it's just pageantry.

    Or maybe she's not the right person to measure such things.

    Nevertheless, Mother Mary wants to meet her here, so meet they shall. Vampirella's in her own street clothes; a spaghetti strap, lavender top with bared midriff, a darker purple skirt that isn't mini but would still probably get HR talking to you at any office, and heeled sandals. Men would probably just appreciate the show, but a woman might stop to wonder why she'd wear so little in mid-spring in a chilly, riverside city, or why she's not carrying a purse. Vampirella's aware the human disguise almost draws more attention than it deflects, but she gets so tired of wearing masks, sometimes.

    But there's a human here who is not Mother Mary and who needs to be directed elsewhere before Mary will show herself to talk. Vampirella considers Mariana for a moment. Her clothes, her hair, her makeup all read pretty hetero, so it's not likely she'd be attracted enough for Vampirella's mesmerism to work... which means Vampirella will have to just go talk to her. Fine. Her shoulders stay loose as she walks over to the tourist, and she turns her gaze to the cathedral as she ask off-handedly, "Hi. You ever been inside that thing?"

Mariana Gomez has posed:
Mariana's style is definitely more conservative than what is the average for women of her age range. Her dress's hem hangs to mid-calf, and there's no big slit through the skirt, as it is instead loose enough to allow easy movement without that. The neckline is quite modest, and atop that is some sort of tightly-fitted suede vest, and then the jacket. The tiny crucifix about her neck pretty clearly proclaims why she'd be interested in a place like this.

Addressed the young hispanic woman turns, glancing at the paler woman with much longer hair, offering a nod of acknowledgement even as she visibly takes in that attire. There's no condemnation in her gaze, just curiosity, a hint of appraisal as would be there with anyone meeting a stranger: who are you, what might you want, are you a threat? Current conclusion: no threat.

"Good evening." Mariana offers; her accent is present, but it is not very strong; she grew up in the States and has been speaking English all her life. Still, it's not hard to guess she speaks at least one other, and likely spanish or perhaps Portugese. "No, I haven't been inside. I'm just visiting Gotham for a couple of days. But this is the oldest cathedral in Gotham, and I saw pictures online. I wanted to see it in person." The implication is she's likely going to walk over and step inside once she takes in the outside for a bit longer. "Have you?" she asks. A twinkle shows within the depths of Mari's dark eyes as she looks over the stranger curiously.

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Vampirella, whose own bizarre accent is powerful, shakes her head. "No, I don't like American cathedrals. I've driven by so many churches that are just repurposed warehouses that I can't help thinking of this country's Christianity as a drive-thru meal." She shrugs without apology. "Do you feel faith when you go inside these structures? Not your own faith, I mean, but a sense of the divine in the building?"

Mariana Gomez has posed:
The hispanic woman considers the other with a more intent curiosity, as if something has definitely piqued her interest. "I would never presume to speak with any authority about the divinity of a building." she answers honestly. "That being said, I definitely find myself deeply moved in some such structures, sensing the faith and inspiration held by those who strove to create them as a monument to their calling to faith. So I would say that many, like this one, speak to my faith more directly and more powerfully than others."

Mariana isn't done, though. "I have never had the opportunity to visit older sites, like those in Vatican City or elsewhere in Europe. I cannot say if I would find them more striking, to speak even more strongly, or not." She shrugs her shoulders slightly. "I suppose that as a practicing Catholic of faith, however, I must admit I imagine that I would feel it more strongly there, whether that would be true or not."

Then the hispanic woman pulls her right hand out of her jacket and extends it towards the stranger. "Mariana Gomez." she offers by way of personal introduction. "I'm from New York."

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Vampirella takes Mariana's hand and shakes it briefly. Her own is feverishly hot, possibly hot enough to explain why she's dressed like it's the dog days rather than the tail end of thunderstorm season. "Ella Normandy. Nice to meet you, Mariana." Her scarlet lips curve in a faint, distant smile; her green eyes are locked on the other woman's. "I'm Dutch. You are not from South America? I misread your accent."

Mariana Gomez has posed:
Mariana smiles slightly. "I was born in Colombia, but I was raised in New York City. I've never left since arriving as a toddler." She doesn't at all seem to mind explaining this. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Ella." The heat of that touch pairs with other clues, and though Mariana is remaining polite and inquisitive in conversation, her body is showing signs of tension that someone of great experience would surely recognize as an attempt to prepare for an uncertain outcome. The intent in her gaze also seems to have shifted from mild curiosity to a calm tension, looking perhaps for threat to manifest.

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Vampirella notices the body posture, smells the tension chemicals flooding Mariana's bloodstream to prepare it for flight or fight responses. That's what she wanted, that was the goal, convincing this chick that it's a bad idea to be here was the purpose...

    ...So why does it feel like a rejection that she's getting what she asked for? Why does it hurt that a stranger she doesn't want around doesn't trust her?

    None of those thoughts form consciously in Vampirella's mind. They just flash across her heart as she suddenly decides she doesn't want Mariana to leave, at least not like this. She quirks a faint smile and asks, "This is your first time leaving New York City?"

Mariana Gomez has posed:
Mariana remains tense, balanced on some knife's edge. But she is a stable presence, giving the impression of someone who is used to working on de-escalating crises. She may be prepared for an incident, but she's not about to set it off herself if she can avoid that. "Yes, actually. I've not left New York since arriving when I was a child." Then again, it's New York City, perhaps the single most metropolitan of modern cities on the planet; is there really anything anyone could want they could not find there somewhere? It's likely not terribly surprising. "I was selected to represent my crew at a convention here. It's kind of an honor, really, since I've only been on the crew for about nine months. I think the others are holding out for the chance of higher profile opportunities further away, like Vegas or DC. What brought you to Gotham, Ella?"

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Vampirella shrugs, without seeming like she's being careful not to disturb the tiny straps of her top. That takes practice, but to her its effortless. "I needed a new beginning, so I went looking for a mud pit like this city. Beginnings always start with your face in the muck." She says this all frankly, without a trace of bitterness. "Why did your parents choose a place so far from where you were born?"

Mariana Gomez has posed:
A tiny frown flits across the younger woman's features at the negativity of Ella's words about Gotham. Hearing a major city called a mud pit is probably not something she's experienced before, and she's not at all sure how she feels about it, but 'not well' seems to sum it up thus far. She also seems a mite astounded that Ella doesn't get why her parents would move that far.

"It was Colombia in the late nineteen-nineties, Ella." she offers by way of explanation. "Anyone with any sense and any ability took any way out they could find to get as far away from Colombia as possible, as quickly as possible. I imagine that it was as far away as it is was seen as a bonus. That it was America, the 'land of opportunity' likely made it ten times as attractive an option."

Ella Normandy has posed:
    So something there about Colombia is supposed to be obvious, and Vampirella just doesn't know what it is. She lets it go with a nod. "And did they find the opportunity they were looking for?"

Mariana Gomez has posed:
"Well, I would say so. My parents, my siblings and I are all alive and relatively prosperous. I'm even a college graduate, the first in my family. So I would say my parents found what they were looking for." Mariana offers honestly. "They give thanks every day. Did you find the new beginning you were hoping for?" she questions Ella.

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Vampirella smiles slightly, sadly. "There are no new beginnings. You take yourself with you everywhere you go. There are only new surroundings." She spreads her hands, palms toward the sky, and changes the subject. "Do you expect your siblings to graduate?"

Mariana Gomez has posed:
Mariana seems to find Ella's words a bit sad, if her microexpressions and change in scent are any clue. "Mmm? College? No, even my younger brother has put himself on a very different path. But I'm hoping some of my cousins go to college and graduate. And if I am lucky, someday I will have children, and I intend to encourage them as much as my parents have me." she offers candidly. When she speaks of the possibility of her own children, there's a definite dreaminess to her tone; this is something very special to her, something precious.

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Vampirella raises an eyebrow. Encouragement? No mention of support or sacrifice? So money wasn't a problem for her parents who weren't college graduates... a few things are coming (probably incorrectly) into focus. Vampirella feels herself warming slightly toward Mariana. "Why would luck be involved in having children?"

    Not a sensitive question, in retrospect.

Mariana Gomez has posed:
Mariana just shrugs a bit. "It's luck for all of us, isn't it? Lucky enough to find the right person. Lucky enough to prove fertile. Lucky enough to be healthy enough to carry the child to term and give birth to a healthy baby. Lucky enough to keep that child safe and healthy to grow up. My life isn't exactly the safest, either. It's what I believe in, my way of giving back. But I'm not foolish enough to miss the fact that it can put me in harm's way."

Ella Normandy has posed:
    "Are you skilled enough to deal with danger?" Vampirella asks mildly.

Mariana Gomez has posed:
The hispanic woman shrugs slightly. "I'm not entirely untrained or helpless, but I'd be lying if I said I feel really confident. I just do the best I can. For me it's more about helping others." She grins wryly. "I'm an EMT. I hope to be able to afford medical school, but right now this is the best I can do." Hence her 'squad' as mentioned earlier.

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Vampirella cocks her head curiously. "If you're not confident, then why do you stay in danger?"

Mariana Gomez has posed:
"Because I have the ability to help people in need, and I refuse to allow my fear to control me." Mariana answers honestly. She really is that selfless; at least, her scent shows not one iota of lie to her words. "Nothing truly worth doing is ever easy. I want to help, in whatever way I can. So I do."

Ella Normandy has posed:
    Vampirella's shoulders twitch in a little shrug. "I hope that doesn't mean you don't turn that compassion toward yourself, and make sure you are helped as well as others. But excuse me, Mariana. It was nice to meet you. Enjoy viewing the cathedral."