19708/O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum
Date of Scene:	19 December 2024
Location:	Rockefeller Center
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Zatanna Zatara, Matthew Murdock

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Zatanna Zatara has posed:
No snow on the ground makes Rockefeller Centre no less pretty, though it's not quite the picture-perfect image broadcast on the nightly news that it could normally be. Movie and TV shots of bluish waves of ice reflecting twinkling lights are a little different with puddles on the ground and a slew of last-minute tourists squashed together. It's packed enough to be hard to move, and the skating rink is about the only spot not heaving with humans.

Zatanna doesn't have much room to move on her own, and she ends up penned in under the trumpets of several nutcrackers raised for the season. The hubbub is almost too much, but she's here with a purpose of experiencing Christmas cheer. Christmas lights. They count. Right?

The occasional pickpocket makes easy work of distracted people. Alas, with her, the tight cigarette pants don't have pockets and if her corseted top does, good luck finding them. The occasional bump or crumple of paper make an audible note among the humming voices, some television broadcast by NBC off to the side trying to capture the moment.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
Places like this are hell for Matthew Murdock. Imagine attempting to see while wearing goggles filled halfway with water and you'll start to understand how difficult it is for Matt to make anything out in crowds like the one in the Rockefeller Centre. Dressed in a slate gray suit with a red tie and matching shades, Matt works his way through the crowd, patient as he takes his time.

As he comes near Zatanna, he doesn't recognize her yet. There are far too many people around for him to distinguish much detail about anyone. He moves past her, their shoulders barely brushing, when--

A large man rushes past, bumping hard into Matt and sending him barrelling into Zatanna.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Cameramen follow around an announcer for the midday broadcast. A local personality lolls about in festive gear, showing off some overpriced produce and how to make a dirty martini dip -- outside, since it's not cold. A wall of people goggle at the apparent ease with which they transform cream cheese, olives, and other things into an edible concoction.

Zatanna can smell the brine and the mix of people a little, but her attention is squarely on not getting trapped on her way closer to the tree. Piped music helps the skaters along, but the bold implications of having a Wonderful Christmastime! a few dozen times in repetition takes the gilt off the lily. She frowns, looking up, and a speaker crackles and spits at a softer volume after she mutters something. ".reteiuq eB" Better. Not as acerbic on the ears, at any rate.

Who else notices? Probably no one of notice, except-- the thunder of steps, the choral line complaints like something from a music hall. She doesn't have time to swivel before the pair crash, mushed together, though the place is busy enough to keep them from falling far. Not that it helps, ask any survivor of a crush in a club. The bodily impact knocks her breath out, though she's not unskilled in keeping her balance. Thank Bruce later, but her spontaneous "Oof" isn't quite up to a bounce.

Matthew Murdock has posed:
While Matt has //excellent// balance, he isn't able to stay on his feet this time. He does, at least, manage to avoid completely crushing Zatanna underneath him, twisting so that he ends up on his back with her more on top of him. His arms instictively wrap around her, protecting her from passersby.

It's then that he realizes that the person on top of him seems familiar.

"Are you okay?" he asks, slightly breathless. Pause. "Sorry, have we met before?"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Note to observers, a corset is good against some blunt-force injury but not all. Boning is a serious benefit when it comes to keeping one's ribs and organs in the relatively right places. Still, +1 AC isn't great when crumpled under a wave of black puffer coats and gift bags.

The first task is getting up fast, and making sure no one else gets injured in the process. She isn't quite sure how she ends up cantilevered over someone, much less in a quasi-protective lift of her arms to block anyone else who might be displaced by Speedy Gonzalez. Her mouth parts with a tart word poised on her tongue, the full force of her magic behind it ready to be unleashed. Fortunately it doesn't *seem* like the guy is a problem. Or coming back.

A moment later she tenses up as if to raise herself up, though not quite. "I don't normally do the damsel-in-this-dress thing on the street, so we'll have to hope this isn't filmed. Such a demo," she adds with a mercurial chuckle. "You're--" A near photographic memory helps in so many cases. "The Unicef Gala last December? I was in the red bow dress for the show?"

Matthew Murdock has posed:
"Will I get paid if we're being filmed? That may make it worth it." Matt flashes a weak smile, staying down as he lets Zatanna start to get up. "Here, I'll help you get up first before me."

He frowns thoughtfully when she recalls where they must have met. "I'm afraid I wasn't particularly perceptive when it came to the color of anyone's dress." His walking cane is folded up in one hand - it's unlikely Zatanna has seen it yet. "You were in the magic show? I heard good things about it. I'm Matt - Matthew Murdock."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"Afraid it won't count as a speaking line for SAG-ACTRA," Zee replies, bantering back. She isn't out of Matt's arms yet. The careful negotiation of people and limbs requires consent on all sides, at least to avoid unwanted injuries. No one wants those this close to the holidays. Hospital stays suck.

Carefully, she rotates and finally sees his face, over her shoulder, a wash of dark hair. Glasses, blocked out. That's a given. "Aha, I'm the girl who pulled a scroll of donations from a hat instead of a bank account. The rabbit was incidental." Her laugh plays in smoke, velvet, and a jot of good brandy. "Have mercy on me, I'm disregarding the obvious, Mr. Murdock. Zatanna Zatara." No need for the other titles; Man of Steel, Man Without Fear, Mistress of Magic. It all goes down on digital paper weird, anyways. "I'm going to get up -- excuse me, ma'am, move that bag, would you?" There's a helping hand when they need one, but hers is still on his arm. Like she could lift him herself - probably not. But he can get aid going up, the way she's hauled higher too.