3702/Planting Roots

Planting Roots
Date of Scene:	06 October 2020
Location:	Flushing Meadows Park
Synopsis:	The universe has decided some Girl Scouts in a park need some extra help, so some helpers arrive to do helpy things.
Cast of Characters:	Marigold Lockes, Cecily Winters, Jackson Mathias, Aimee Alexander, Viola Fiore, Alanis Bezanero

---

Marigold Lockes has posed:
While the weather is creeping into colder territory, the Flushing Meadows Park is surprisingly bright and sunny for the late morning air. It's a nice day, which is probably why the park's brought a nice collection of people out. Somewhere on some grass nearby a father is teaching his son how to properly use a baseball mitt to catch a ball, while a nearby group of Girl Scouts seem to be having a bake sale to benefit the Queens Zoo's animal rescue.

For the most part, things are an ordinary day. People are walking, sitting, chatting, and nothing seems amiss. Near a bench not far from the grass, though, someone does seem a tiny bit agitated. Dressed in jeans and a peasant-style blouse, tiny dried flowers woven into a small braid in her hair, Marigold Lockes half-sits on the bench. Her attention is drawn from her watch to a hard-covered notebook she rests against one knee.

"I thought it was this for sure..."

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Far be it for Cecily to resist a Girl Scout Bake Sale, the vulpine-accessorized woman is here in the park this morning. She's clad for work, as she always is, though the cooler air has her white blouse with the sleeves not rolled up today. Her shoulder holster sits full where it always is, her vest and skirt professionally pressed, and a bookbag over her shoulder. "Rainbow sprinkles -and- M&M's?" she gasps, tails swishing behind her excitedly as she points at one of the boxes.

    "And which one of you cuties made -those-?" she asks, expression bright, words kind, smiling so wide. Of course she has a sweet tooth, but she's also more than happy to support the local chapter of green-sashed little cookie mobsters, too. "Because I want a half dozen."

Jackson Mathias has posed:
"Some folks are born, silver spoon in hand! Lord, don't they help themselves, y'all!" Jackson is dancing quickly singing as he is moving forward his coat is flying around him, under this is a CCR shirt, and a pair of tight black jeans, tucked over a pair of combat boots, as he leaps up into the air, at his side is a pure white rabbit's foot.

As he lands, he moonwalks towards the others, as he starts to boogie, breaking it down as he spins now, stoping right next toe Cecily."Yo, I'm Jackson. Sup?" His voice is cajun, filled with mirth, as he pulls out a cigrette bent up, water damaged sliding it between his teeth, lighting it with a the flick of a bic, as he exhales the smoke.

Aimee Alexander has posed:
Aimee, a rather expensively dressed brunette, has a curiously flummoxed expression on her face as she wanders the park. She doesn't seem to have a specific destination in mind, but rather seems to be searching for something.

"Heeeeeree kittykittykitty. Pusspuss? I'm sure it went this way. I swear to god, if I spend my entire day looking for a stray cat..."

Brows pulling down into a frown the teenager heaves a sigh, about ready to give up and leave the cat to fend for itself. The agitated looking women sitting on the bench catches her attention though, the teen thoughtfully musing "The owner? Certainly *looks* she could be a crazy cat lady..." before reluctantly beginning to make her way over.

Viola Fiore has posed:
Viola Fiore carries her tablet in her hand, a Gucci purse over one shoulder as the young woman makes her way along one of the park paths. She's wearing shorts and a sweatshirt, as if the warmer top is meant to make up for wearing the shorts in the gradually cooling October weather in New York.

Vi's hair is left down and she could be a college student taking a break between classes, or maybe some self-employed person. She glances around, eyes taking in the Girl Scout sale. The sound of a ball in the leather of a mitt draws Viola's eyes over to the father and son. The father throws the ball back, the boy missing it. As the ball rolls to her feet, Viola picks it up and holds it up so he can see it. The kid gives her a grin, one of his teeth missing which is just so adorable Vi can't stop a big, beautiful smile from resulting. "Here you go," she says, tossing it back to him gently. He catches it and grins, holding up the glove so his dad will be sure to not the catch, before jogging back to join him.

Viola moves over to an empty bench then. Unlocking the tablet, she focuses her attention on it.

Alanis Bezanero has posed:
Alanis was casually watching footage from her latest shoot, readying it for upload to youtube. Out of the corner of her eye though she notices something. The first time it was a digital billboard advertising Flushing Meadows Park. The second, a street advertiser in a hotdog suit twirling around a sign that said Flushing Meadows Park. Then some casual chatter in the background, two people walking down the street talking about Flushing Meadows Park.

This got her attention. She stopped and rewound the footage and watched again. Yep, all three references - and a force, a leaflet for Flushing Meadows Park under the wiper of a parked car. All of this within a single day of filming across all of Bushwick. This is just bizarre. She knows the rule of three - repeat something three times to get it stuck in a persons head. Classic brainwashing and propaganda 101; but this all seemed unrelated.

And so she was in a park, a place she rarely liked to go. The trees feel like they're watching her, the grass wants to touch her. May be, may be that's all just in her head. She hates it here though. She sneezes in to her arm pit.

Now that she's here she feels like a right idiot. What did she expect was going to happen? a big parade? a party? hot dogs.. hey there's a hot dog stand: she wanders over toward it for some food.

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"Oh, oh, it was me! My little sister helped too, I guess. I made her stir. But only the M&Ms, I added the sprinkles." One of the girls, a blonde with her hair in two braided pigtails pipes up to claim the honor of having made them, clearly proud. Near her, a smaller girl hides in her shadow, clearly the sister in question.

As the son rejoins the father on the grass, the sprinkler system kicks on, a spray of water hitting him as he pedals backwards and sputters. His son finds this /hilarious/, pointing at his dad as his dad tries to get out of the way of the sprinkler.

Marigold offers a bit of a wave towards Aimee as she notes her headed her way, looking at her watch for a moment. "Eleven..." She notes, looking around. "Where's the six." It's mostly to herself, but she does let her attention move to Aimee. "You alright? Do you need help?" It's a quick offer of concern.

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Cecily beams, nodding to the two girls, "Well, teamwork is important! Make sure you take care of each other, okay?" she tells the girls, then she blinks as she suddenly has company. "Hmm? Do I know you?" she asks Jackson, then gestures to the table covered in baked treats. "I'm about to buy a half dozen cookies..." she says, fishing a small wallet out from an inner fold of her vest.

    That smile falters, though, and her ears go flat against her head when she sees that cigarette. Even moreso when it's lit, and puffed on. "Excuse you... there are children present," she says in a rather displeased tone. Gone is all of that warmth she was so suddenly full of.

    With her free hand, she reaches up and flicks the cigarette off to the side, away from the bake sale, and the children, and snaps her fingers. There's a flash of blue-white flame that engulfs the sailing cigarette, matching sparks on her fingers scattering for a brief moment. It's gone in a puff of blue embers that dissipate on the wind. "...I'll buy you a new pack, don't smoke in front of children," she chastises him, before returning to her transaction. "Make it eight cookies. Two extra for... Jackson. Perhaps their sweetness will help him kick a dirty habit."

Jackson Mathias has posed:
Jackson Mathias watches her and as he is about to exhale the smoke, before it is grabbed out of his lips, as he pouts. Before, he can mouth off it is flicked, and then it is burning the hell outta, with that trick."Sure, cookies yeah...." His eyes narrow now, as he shakes his head dumbfunded, as he reaches into his pocket to produce, a blow pop as he pops it into his mouth, chewing it slowly with a shocked look."Is candy like okay miss?"

Aimee Alexander has posed:
Aimee hesitates in her approach as the woman she's mentally dubbed 'crazy cat lady' enters the range of her power radiating a surprising amount of worry. The brunette teen shakes her head slightly at the question, taking a few moments to choose her words before speaking.

"No, I'm fine. Umm, thank you for asking. I was actually... did you by any chance lose a cat around here? I saw a stray one earlier and I've been trying to catch it so I can see if it has a collar, or just get it somewhere safer than a park you know? But it keeps running away. It headed in this direction, but..." She shrugs, trailing off and looking a little uncomfortable. It's probably weird to be chasing stray cats around a park, but it felt super important at the time...

The flash of a blue-white flame in the corner of her eye catches her attention, her head whipping around and body jerking in surprise. Eyelids flutter closed in relief at the realization it doesn't seem to be anything dangerous, and she settles a hand over her suddenly hammering heart.

"Didn't expect to see something like *that* today..."

Viola Fiore has posed:
Viola Fiore is mostly focused on whatever she's doing on her tablet. The Italian young woman has a pensive look as if the subject is thought-provoking. Rather than, say, playing Candy Crush.

The sound of the father's reaction to getting hit by the sudden spray of water causes Viola to look back up and over to him. She winces even as she can't help a small laugh, if a sympathetic one at the man's plight.

Now that her gaze is back on the park, Vi looks around further. The cigarette being snatched is missed, but the way that it flares into flame catches her eye and Viola looks over. Her head tilts in a bit of a curious way in that direction, quite likely Cecily's unusual appearance responsible for part of that expression.

Next her attention goes over to the woman who was looking for the cat. Aimee and Marigold are just a little too far away for Vi to hear their conversation under normal circumstances. The Italian girl barely needs to concentrate to start up that feeling of warmth in her stomach that powers her senses enhancing slightly. Just enough to be able to eavesdrop even as Vi uses her now-enhanced vision to glance around the park for signs of the cat.

Alanis Bezanero has posed:
Alanis orders a hot dog and adds ketchup and cheese. "Thanks dude," she says and pays in crumpled up bills she had stuffed in to her jeans. She turns around and sees, much to her surprise, a puff of blue embers. Magic? Cecily just snapped her fingers. She stuffs her mouth with a bite and stares with a level of concern that has her slowly drawing out her phone so she can start filming.

She looks around the park.. pilates group, check - that was the flyer.. hot dogs, check. Okay may be this is just going to be a normal day at a park and she's just being paranoid. May be this has nothing to do with the unmarked vans that prowl the streets of Bushwick at night these days. May be this has nothing to do with missing mutant friends.

Or may be somehow this park was insidiously linked to it all and it was somehow one big trap. "Screw this, I'll do a happy puff piece. People need a bit of puppies chasing frisbees from time to time. May be I'll catch some more of that magic on camera," she mutters to herself and starts recording the serene visage of the park on her phone.

Marigold Lockes has posed:
Marigold's a bit distracted, even as Aimee addresses her. Mostly because she heard Cecily mention a /half dozen/. "Six!" She exclaims, briefly looking excited before worry is quickly tugging on her features again. She looks between the table of baked goods and Aimee. "A cat?" Perhaps not a cat lady, but she does seem a little odd at the moment. Another look back to Aimee and Marigold clears her throat. "I apologize, but I need to deputize you for a second here." The notebook she was holding is tucked away in a satchel at her side, a satchel with a red cross on it. First aid kit?

"We need to move those Girl Scouts. /Right now/."

It's certainly odd, but nothing seems to be stopping the woman as she marches quickly towards the bake sale tables. "Sorry to interrupt, but I heard some Karen over there trying to call the cops and claiming that you don't have a permit and wanting to shut you down. I know for a fact that if you move to this spot over here, you don't even need a permit. Quick, let's move the table before she comes back."

With that she's standing at one end of the table, ready to move it, looking expectantly for /someone else/ to grab the other end to move it. The younger sister blinks around a bit, then bursts into tears. "They want to stop the cookies?"

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Cecily offers a genuine smile to Jackson. "Candy's fine. Here," she hands the man a $5 bill. "If you absolutely -have- to smoke, at least get a fresh pack. I just don't want to see you smoking next to kids ever again, alright?" she says in a ... well. It's a very 'mom' voice. She's very good at the mom voice. It's like a gentle, disappointed guilt trip wrapped in a warm fuzzy blanket that hands you a cup of hot cocoa then aggressively folds clean laundry in your direction. Damn.

    Then as she's handing the other money over to the girls to get her pack of six cookies (plus two for Jackie), she hears the approach of Marigold and her claims. "Are you serious?" she asks, incredulous. "That happened to a lemonade stand last month!" she almost growls. "No, dear, no," she turns on a different mom voice, this time entirely soothing and gentle, to the crying girl. "We'll make sure they don't stop your cookies. Come on, let's scoot you over and get you somewhere better," she nods, taking the other end of the table with Marigold.

    "I'll even buy some brownies for our new friend once we've gotten this squared away," she promises, tails waving back and forth. She can be scary and stern. But she can also be so fluffy.

Jackson Mathias has posed:
Jackson Mathias sighs softly watching it all, as he thinks for a moment looking down at his white rabbit foot, dammit this is why that lady give me a huge tip."I got it....I'll buy all the cookies." His voice is sounds annoyed, as he fishes out a 600 dollars of pure cash, as he offers it towards the girls, as he looks at the table."Buying the table too okay."

His eyes moving over towards Marigold, with a wicde smile, as he thinks for a moment, as he looks over at Cecily."Nah, I'm buy em all, candy and sweets good right."

Aimee Alexander has posed:
"Deputize...?"

Already regretting having approached the apparently *actually* crazy lady, Aimee mouths 'Six?' to herself as she follows in Marigold's wake. The story told to the Girl Scouts seems like a complete fabrication, especially since Aimee had just been standing with the woman when she abruptly decided the girls needed to move. Nevertheless, the teen says nothing. No real harm is being done after all, and refusing the whims of a crazy person might be more dangerous than just playing along.

Pinching the bridge of her nose she sighs; already feeling the numerous hightened emotions, especially from the upset girl-scouts, jumbling together into an unrecognisable mass that gives her a headache. Still, she forces a weak smile for the girls, and does her best to look supportive in spite of the fact she's just standing there not actually *doing* anything.

Jackson gets a slightly suspicious look when he buys the table and everything on it, a look which moves to Cecily and Marigold in turn. "Did I miss something?" Despite intending to mutter it to herself, her words are perfectly audible to everyone nearby.

Viola Fiore has posed:
With her hearing enhanced, Viola is able to follow the conversation going on over at the Girl Scout table. She glances around for a moment, looking for the complaining Karen that Marigold mentioned. Vi's eyes go to Aimee. Maybe she said something before Viola started eavesdropping? Though that doesn't look like the case if she's being deputized to help.

Viola locks her tablet and slips it into her bag. She stands up slowly, debating if she should drift over to help. As she does, she spots Alanis standing there taking video of the park. "Did you catch the guy getting hit by the sprinkler? Right to the top of imgur if so," she tells Alanis with a soft grin.

Viola makes up her mind and wanders over nearer to the Girl Scouts. "Anything I can lend a hand with?" the twenty-two year old brunette offers.

Alanis Bezanero has posed:
Alanis stares in wonder at the sudden commotion for the Girl Scouts. "Geezus christ... would you get a look at this shit," she says as she zooms in on Marigold and then the suddenly crying young girl, "The ovaries on this one." Now this was juicy content, even if it wasn't about the plight of mutant kind.

Professing a Karen is calling the cops, her camera pans around trying to see if she can see police or a particularly nosey white woman... which brings her back to the hippy lady who seems to be doing a good job of ruining the cookie sale all on her own.

"Hey lady there's no such thing as a cookie selling permit in a public park for minors operating under the authority of a non-profit vis a vis the Girl Scouts. If you don't like her cookies just walk away, don't spoil their thing," she says. Hah! Yeah, take that hippy lady. She starts walking forward and then stops at the edge of the path. Grass. Ugh. She's wearing shoes but... grass. She teeters a moment but takes a step back from it.

Then the guy who was smoking is offering to buy all the cookies. "Damn, capitalist hero saving the day for some tears. This is the problem with capitalism folks, it's an abstract for social interaction when the dude is literally standing right there." She picks up her voice, "Yo it's not about the cookies, white knight!"

Still, there's something niggling at the back of her brain.. that voice. Cecily's voice. She's heard of it before. The ears and tail? .. no, she couldn't be. Is she the sniper from the roof top in Bushwick?? Well, she's at least helping the crying girl. But really, whose the bigger jerk here? Yup, Alanis, filming the whole thing. "What? Sprinkler? Dang. No sorry I missed it," she says and looks to Viola and then motions to the cookie debacle, "Can you believe this shit?"

Marigold Lockes has posed:
Tap-tap-tap-tap.

There's a sound, sort of a hollow thumping for the moment, though it's likely unheard by most over the din of the cookie debacle. Marigold's gaze only goes to Alanis briefly, but whatever's being said doesn't seem to phase her. Instead, her single-minded task seems to be moving the Girl Scouts. Given that Cecily's aiding her with the table, it's moved quickly and effeciently even with the confusion of the Scouts and their leader, who follow the table with puzzled expressions. The table is moved, but Marigold's back at the prior location moments later.

TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP.

She makes a shoo'ing motion, trying to herd everyone and anyone away from the spot and towards the Girl Scout's new location, harmlessly moved across the way. "See, now no one's going to disturb you over there." But she's not shooing just the Girl Scouts away, she's trying to hustle everyone away from that location.

Jackson Mathias has posed:
Jackson Mathias moves away now that his hands are filled with cookies, as he sighs softly trying to figure out what to do with them, as he wonders out of the area. As he sighs softly, biting his lips."I had that money for 3 days, I should have spent it." His voice is mutters, with rage.

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Cecily has no hesitation with the help of the table-moving. She looks at Jackson, though, utterly bewildered. "You know, you really didn't need to do that..." she purses her lips at him, though she does hold on to her half-dozen cookies. Was the guilt trip too strong? She wonders. But her ears twitch. They perk, they swivel, and slowly her head turns back to where the table once was. And Marigold now is.

    "Hey.. hey.." she heads back over towards her, frowning, seeming... concerned now, and not just for the kids and the cookies. "...the hell is that sound?" she looks around, frown deepening even as she slides her baked gains into her bookbag. "I can't be the only person that hears that..." Or maybe she is, she doesn't see anyone else with animal ears, nor can she detect the heightened senses of others.

Aimee Alexander has posed:
Aimee allows herself to be herded away with everyone else, still looking terribly confused and a touch suspicious. She'd probably be more suspicious if she was able to feel any ill-intent amongst the emotions around her.

Cecily's question causes her to look around in confusion, though she keeps moving since Marigold seems so insistent. The teen calls back to the fox-woman "What sound? Wait, you don't hear a cat do you?" There doesn't seem to be much hope in her voice, in fact she's fairly certain the cat is probably long gone by now. She still feels the need to ask however.

Viola Fiore has posed:
It looks like Marigold and Cecily have the moving of the table handled, and Jackson has lightened their load by buying up the cookies. Viola doesn't particularly want to be involved, but seems content with the outcome if the girls are not crying and there isn't a Karen walking up with a police officer.

Viola is probably about the opposite end of the spectrum from Marigold in so many ways. A few decades younger, and where Marigold has that earthy, folksy, or even hippie feel to her, Vi's outfit even when casual shows signs of its expense. Carefully chosen items that paid heed to style when chosen.

She looks back to Alanis at her comment. "Definitely not a quiet day in the park," she agrees, Viola's eyes going back over to the commotion. That's when she spots Cecily's ears moving. Surprise radiates from Vi as she stares for a moment before saying, "I don't know if that's cosplay or... what's it called. LARP? Something like that? But that's the best costume I've ever seen," she tells Cecily.

The odd sound catches Viola's attention. She's moved back away from the area the girl scouts were in, back over to Alanis, but Viola's eyes sweep the area looking for a source for the sound.

Alanis Bezanero has posed:
Alanis needs more angles.. which means stepping on to the grass. She winces and shuts her eyes, takes a deep breath and then places her first shoe on the squishy green ground; then the second. It's very subtle, though those better attuned to plants than others might tell, the grass sort of... leans in toward Alanis's shoes. She takes a few steps to pan around the absurd scene and grins hearing Viola's notice of the ears.

"Yes I see them too. And that voice. That's no cosplay. That's ..." She says a little louder to Cecily, "Hey, you, remember me? You saved me from those guys in Bushwick with your rubber bullets. I'm Alanis by the way. You left a comment on my video right?" She looks back over to Viola and says, "She's an actual fox person? may be?"

Marigold Lockes has posed:
TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP.

/POP/!

The pop is loud, not quite like a gunshot but similarly sharp and the cause is almost immediately visible. A sharp, powerful spray of water erupts from the ground nearby. With enough pressure and force that it's almost like a small explosion. The water sprays high into the air--likely a water main, but even as it does, there's still a softer tap-tap-tap-tap from somewhere else nearby.

Marigold, in her attempt to herd people away is sent flying. Her body skids across a nearby path, the first-aid satchel ending up a dozen feet away from her, but she's still moving--it didn't knock her out, but there'll certainly be some painful scrapes and bruises.

Tap-tap-tap...

Jackson Mathias has posed:
"Well....f.....u....c....."Jackson watches, stoping the naughty word, kids and well Cecily. His hand is reaching back to shove a girl scout back now, as his eyes watching it all. His hand is reaching into his pocket to produce, his deck of cards, ready in case of attacks or trouble, his eyes moving over it all."That was lucky to move than kiddos." He watches as all of his cookies are launched into the air, with a mutter of sadness."Well, my cookies!" His right hand is reaching for them, trying to will them to him, with the force!

But then he notices Marigold, as she is flying through the air, he throws a card towards her it's the King of Hearts, wishing good luck towards her, as the card is flying up with her, making sure she is not going to break or get too hurt.

Cecily Winters has posed:
    "Huh? No, I don't hear a cat, it's like.. a tapping.." Cecily's still frowning, responding to Aimee as she glances around. She's trying to find the source of the noise when Alanis grabs her attention. "Oh! Yes, hello, dear. Not getting into any further trouble lately, I hope?" Says the woman who's spent nights in Bushwick lately, regularly posted up on the rooftops as freelance security. It's a good-natured little jab, though, and the fox is still smiling.

    Then her world is water. The explosion of the burst pipe sends her flying, too, a mess of wet clothes and flailing limbs and tails. She manages to re-orient herself somewhat, hitting the ground with her limbs towards the concrete, but she hisses loudly as her knees and palms are scraped hard along the path. Her hands and stockings are a mess, the latter shredded over her knees.

    "Hells...!" she spits, "Watch out, there's still more noises...!" her ears stay erect, perked and intense towards more tapping noises, even if she's gritting her teeth from the pain. She looks more like a drowned fox now than the consummate professional gunwoman. At least her cookies are safe in her bookbag.

Aimee Alexander has posed:
Aimee continues to look confused at Cecily's description of the noise. "I don't hear anything..." She looks around as if trying to find whatever's making the supposed noise before a mini-explosion behind her draws a surprised scream from her. Immediately wheeling around wide-eyed she spots the thin tower of water and swallows thickly. A moment later her gaze finds its way to Marigold, the woman who seemed to know something was going to happen.

A muttered "Fuck..." with no regard for any young ears that might hear, and the teen jogs her way towards the possibly-not-so-crazy woman to check on her.

"Hey, umm, lady? You okay?" Spotting the apparent first-aid satchel nearby, the teen diverts to grab that first, before angling back to check on Marigold and throw concerned glances towards the others caught by the water.

Viola Fiore has posed:
The possibility mentioned by Alanis that Cecily might not have on a costume was one that Viola hadn't really considered. Not until it's pointed out. "Oh, wow, I guess, yeah," she says as Viola takes another look at the young woman. The mention of rubber bullets and such in Bushwick just further heightens the feelings of surprise and intrigue from Viola.

Until the water line explodes, that is. Vi is far enough away that she doesn't get hit by more than some spraying mist. Though she covers both of her hears and grimaces in pain at first after the loud bang. Thankfully her hearing was only enhanced a little at the time!

Vi recovers soon enough though. Alanis was the person closest to Vi who was near to the blast, and she's the one that Viola looks to first, ready to move towards her to help if the other girl is injured or needing help.

The repeating sound coming from a new area distracts Vi though. She looks around the area, turning her head to try to use her improved hearing hone in on where sound of the pipe failing is coming from.

Alanis Bezanero has posed:
Alanis starts to circle more trying to get some good footage when suddenly a branch from the tree above falls down in front of her, "The fuck? Hey, you don't get to do that," she tells the tree as she takes several steps back ... just in time to avoid being right on top of the explosion. She is, still, knocked back on to the grass by the expulsion of water and dazed, staring up at the sun.

She can feel the tickle of the grass against her exposed skin and it feels like it's moving, seeking her out. She tenses and lets out a shriek and scrambles back off of the grass on to the path; now soaking from head to toe and shivering. The fear from her is palpable. She tries to catch her breath with slower forced breathes through tight lips.

"The hell," she says staring at the gushing geyser and then over at Marigold who somehow knew this was about to happen, "Did you do this!?" She looks up at Vi in surprise as she rushed to help her and blinks, "Uh. Thanks." Then looks at her phone with a fresh new crack over the screen, "Ahh damn it!"

Marigold Lockes has posed:
Whatever that card did, it seems like Marigold isn't nearly as banged up as she might have been. While there are minor scrapes on her hands, she doesn't appear to have broken any bones. When Aimee approaches with her bag, she's dragging herself to her feet with a grateful nod as to the bag retrieval. "I'm alright," she assesses, perhaps a little surprised that she's better than she expected to be. "Did everyone get out of the way?"

Marigold didn't really get the chance to check out the rest of those near her, though she does recall Alanis and Cecily had been in closer proximity, so her eyes are scanning to spot the two, gesturing to Aimee to follow her with the first aid bag as she spots Cecily. She catches Alanis' outburst and blinks at her in confusion, but her attention is back on the potentially injured woman. However, as soon as she hears Cecily mention there's more, she stops in her tracks.

"Everyone freeze, it might happen again!" She looks in Cecily's direction. "Can you hear where it's at?"

TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP. It's louder.

Jackson Mathias has posed:
Jackson Mathias leaps up quickly, as his hands are throwing cards to each of them, girl scouts all of them, as he is trying to keep everyone safe, that rabbit foot is black as night, darkest night. A green lantern would be pissed to see it, as he nods slowly, that should keep everyone safe.

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Cecily's still somewhat clinging to the sidewalk, staring at the streaks of red she's left scraping the sidewalk in her slide. Her ears, though, swivel, trying to catch that noise. They twitch at the sound of the tapping and she looks around, holding her breath. She's trying to focus on where exactly it's coming from. Twitch twitch. Tap tap. Twitch twitch. Tap tap.

    "There!" she hisses, taking a breath and pointing a bloodied hand at a patch of grass, hauling herself to her feet and standing up straight, even if she looks a bit wobbly for a moment.

Aimee Alexander has posed:
Not having much choice in the matter, Aimee follows after Marigold. The first aid bag is clutched protectively to her chest and the teen picks each step cautiously, concerned that yet *another* weird thing is going to happen in the vicinity of the seeming trouble magnet she's now trailing behind. The random card being thrown in her direction doing nothing to ease her anxiety.

The sudden request to freeze gets no protest, in fact Aimee stands stiff and tense; perfectly still besides a head that turns this way and that as she tries to look for the source of the danger. Cecily's pointing gets her attention, although it's more a wide-eyed look of horror at the woman's bloodied and swaying form than it is any effort to check where she's pointing. She glances down at the first aid bag in her arms, then back up. With a grimace, she lifts the bag and waves it around a little to get attention from everyone even as she directs her voice towards Cecily specifically "Uhm... first aid kit here. Once it's safe to move I mean..."

Viola Fiore has posed:
Viola Fiore is looking around the area on her own, her eyes focusing on the grassy spot where the father and son had been playing catch. Then she gives a soft, "Ouch!" as something hits in her in the arm. She looks down, seeing a playing card on the ground, but no idea where it came from. Not so much a painful hit as just surprise drawing the reaction from her.

Vi is looking back then when she hears Cecily drawing attention to the spot Viola had been looking at. "You should probably back away more," she calls over to the father and son, even though they are a bit away.

Vi looks back around and her eyes go over towards Jackson. Towards him, but then looking at the ground near his feet. "I think maybe it would be a good idea if we all just get out of the park and call 911?" she suggests loudly and starts moving away, trying to start a migration with her own movement.

Alanis Bezanero has posed:
Alanis rises back up and then gets a small playing card thrown at her. She blinks and picks it up, then looks over to Jackson, "What the hell dude? ground is erupting everywhere and you're throwing cards at us?" She then quiets down as Cecily starts listening for the next eruption and then she makes sure she's backed far enough away from it, "Thanks again." She nods to Viola and holds up her phone, "My phone is broken. So.. someone else should call 911." She stuffs her phone in to her pocket and says, "I knew I should have just left thing alone. Figures."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
The tapping is a little different. While it was clearly near the sprinkler before, the pressure seems to have decreased there as it is less of a spray and more of a bubble, indicating the pressure's /elsewhere/ now. The tapping moves along a pipe, vaguely in the direction of Jackson. Vi's suggestion of people moving gets a nod of agreement.

"Alright, everyone move out, stay together. The police and the park workers will get everything right-as-rain in two shakes of a lamb's tail."

She's ready to herd as well, keeping a close eye on Aimee with her bag and the injured Cecily in particular. It seems that Vi's suggestion and Marigold's loud call have started to get the park clearing out. The Girl Scouts fall in line behind their leader who directs them towards the street, father and son have gone by the far side of the park, and those farther away seem to have seen the water and retreated as well.

Jackson Mathias has posed:
Jackson Mathias as he is turning to move back, it happens again launching him into the air, as he soars higher, as he looks down at the ground. As heis soars likea real hero, as he is plunging down his eyes closing now, is that his end, his bad luck leading to this ending. He is soaring towards the others, like a missle now.

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Cecily frowns when nothing happens, her ears twitching some more. She exhales a big sigh, starting to move, albeit stiffly, with the group. "Is everyone okay?" she asks, focusing on Alanis and Marigold in particular. As for the fox herself? She's had worse, even if she looks a fright right now. In fact, since it was really just some harsh scrapes, there doesn't seem to be any fresh blood anymore, like they're already closing up.

    The shift in pressure elsewhere earns a look of surprise, and consternation. "There's some days I wish I'd stayed home..." she stares up at the man launched like a water rocket. "Please tell me he can fly... please tell me he can fly... pleasetellmehecanfly..." her words start to bunch together as she picks up her pace, moving in a dead sprint. She's not the Flash or a Kryptonian by any stretch, but she can move. A rush of black and white, tails fanned out behind her, bag dropped on the ground with a heavy metallic -thunk- and she scrambles and jumps.

    High speed, extra height, and a bone-crunching impact as she intercepts Jackson, diverting the downward force somewhat, lessening the velocity, and crashing into the grass hard enough to lose her shoes, knock the wind out of her, and probably break a few bones.

    But it's better than a bodybag? And her cookies should be okay.

Aimee Alexander has posed:
Aimee looks visibly relieved at Viola's suggestion, and even moreso when it seems Marigold is going along with it. Her shoulders slumping as tension begins to release, the teen siddles up next to Marigold as the group make their way out, giving her a speculative look.

"So, Miss.. uhh... I didn't get your name. But... oh, I'm Aimee by the way. So... you know how to use this, right?" She gestures to the first aid bag she's still holding on to, chewing her lip with a touch of nervousness. "I maybe kind of offered first aid to that bleeding lady over there but I have no clue how to-"

There's another explosion, and this time the guy who bought all the girl scout cookies is literally flying through the air. Deciding that discretion is the better part of valor, Aimee quickly picks up her pace; not even waiting for a response from Marigold in favour of getting out of the apparent danger zone as soon as she possibly can.

Viola Fiore has posed:
This time the exploding pipe doesn't seem to cause Viola the aural discomfort that the last did as she's made herself quite a bit more durable. Not just against that, but should one of the pipes burst beneath her feet.

She turns, seeing Jackson flying, and the woman who it does seem isn't a LARPer, rushing over to help cushion his landing. Possibly saved some broken bones there?

As she sees Marigold is herding people out of the park, Viola rushes over to Cecily and Jackson. Not seeming to mind if she gets blood on herself, Viola will try to help them to their feet. If either are showing trouble moving, whether from injury or just the disorientation of the blast or the impact during the catch, Viola will try to slip their arm over her shoulder, and her own beneath theirs to help walk them out of the danger zone quickly.

Alanis Bezanero has posed:
Alanis lets out a sigh and says, "This would have been amazing footage." She looks at the people staring and says, "Okay you heard her, shows over. I'm soaking wet, you don't want to be soaking wet like me too. Consider your phones people, consider them and move along."

She waves her hands and starts to guide people away. Dealing with crowds who want to stare at the bull is something she has some experience in. She can put a little bit o humour in it even as she squelches with each step. "The authorities will come turn off the water any moment now I'm sure but until then let's all scadoodle." A few families, some kids, seem to get caught up in her drag net and are ushered toward the park exits.

Marigold Lockes has posed:
The good news is, there doesn't seem to be any more tapping. The bad news is, that's certainly a rough landing with wherever Jackson and Cecily ended up. Marigold waits until she's got people herded out to safety before she looks to Aimee. "I'm a nurse," she offers reaching for her bag. "Stay here, see if you can keep people calm. I'm certain help is on the way. Marigold, by the way. Some folks call me Goldie." She spots Alanis' herding, giving her a quick nod. "Make sure no one goes back in."

She can't just not go back herself, so once she's retrieved the bag from Aimee, she's sprinting off towards where Vi, Jackson, and Cecily ended up.

Jackson Mathias has posed:
Jackson Mathias lies there dazed, as he rolls on to his back with a moan of pure pain,as his eyes close now."That sucked!" His breathing is shallow, as his body tries to stand, but he tumbles back to the ground, as he moans out in pain again, his teeth biting his lower lip."I can't fucking stand."

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Whatever boon of luck that Jackson's weird sorcery had given her seems to spare Cecily the worst of the landing. She doesn't move, though, eyes clenched shut. "...this is... what you get... for smoking... around kids..." she grunts at the man next to her. She's just going to stay flopped on the grass for the moment, exhaling and glancing towards Viola when the woman comes to her aid.

    "Broken ribs... don't feel any internal bleeding... I don't think? Pretty sure my left shoulder is shattered..." she rattles off her personal assessment of her own damage, and doesn't move. "Everyone else okay?" she asks. "I'll be fine, just give me a few days in bed and some shitty monster movies..." she laughs, or tries to, before her body tenses up with the pain of the attempt.

Aimee Alexander has posed:
Aimee opens and closes her mouth, but eventually settles for just belatedly nodding as Marigold sprints off to help the injured. Turning to face the rest of the group she dredges up her power, forcing away her discomfort and turning up the good cheer as much as she can. Using this aspect of her power, even on herself, is never something she likes to do, but it's for a good cause at least. So with a genuinely bright smile and bubbly voice, Aimee all-too-cheerfully giggles "Well *that* was certainly an adventure, wasn't it?"

Hopefully at least the kids are calmed by the excessive positivity, even if nobody else is.

Viola Fiore has posed:
Viola Fiore can probably get Cecily onto her feet even with her injuries, and help her. But there's no way one would expect her to be able to do so with Jackson. Not if he's not able to stand on his own. Viola is just looking around for help when the father who had been playing catch sees the situation. He sends his son off to the sidewalk outside the park, and jogs over.

"Can you help him? We need to get out of the area," Viola says, the twenty-two year old seeming comfortable which making such calls and directing the older man. He replies to her, "Sure, think I can manage it. Come on, walk as much as you can," he says to Jackson, "or I can carry you if not." Whether he's got his arm under Jackson's shoulders, or carrying him over the man's own shoulder, he'll try to help get him to safety.

Viola will try to help Cecily up, giving support on the side of the non-injured shoulder. As Marigold runs up, Viola repeats the injuries they said they had. "We should get away from those pipes first though," she says, trying to get everyone moving the rest of the way out of the park.

Alanis Bezanero has posed:
Alanis shoots Marigold a confused look in return to the nod. She mingles with the people as a few of them call 911 about the exploding water. "Don't forget to tell them.. it looks like two people got seriously hurt," she says to a man on the phone with emergency services.

She looks back in to the park and sees Cecily and Jackson being helped to move and furrows her brow. "Not even a riot and people are getting hurt. Tree tries to club me with a branch, then the ground erupts. I think this park wanted me dead," she says casually to a tween who just stares at her like she's mad and walks off giving her the finger, "Hey screw you too."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
Sirens indicate that help is indeed on the way, and it's not long until there's a collection of firefighters, police, and an ambulance there to assess the situation. They even seem to have found a park maintanence worker who seems to be discussing with the firemen how to proceed and take care of things. Police seem to be checking to make sure the crowd of parkgoers are alright.

One of the Girl Scouts is watching Aimee in particular. It's the little sister. The extra perkiness seems to assure her that everything's alright--fake it until you make it. She sniffles a little, then smiles up at Aimee. "Kind of fun..."

Marigold approaches the cluster of people. Getting Jackson moving seems to be the first priority. She places a hand on his shoulder, as if to help steady him, but there's a flood of warmth from where her palm is. With any luck, the pain should ease and it should be a bit easier for him to walk. Subsequently, the flowers in the braid in her hair dry out and fade in color. Her gaze moves towards Cecily and her assessment of her own injuries. "Good to walk though?" She's double checking, so that as soon as everyone's able to walk they can quickly exit the park.

Jackson Mathias has posed:
Jackson Mathias feels that pain leaving him, as he walks slowly forward leaning on Marihold."Thank ya, it feels a bit better. I aint' trust it all da way." As he leans against her, as he leans on Vi too with a chuckle."Two girls, but not in dat good way ya, no."

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Cecily grunts as Jackson is helped up and off. "You're welcome," she practically spits in his direction before laying out flat again.

    "Right," she sighs at Viola. "Not... a safe place..." she reaches her good arm up, pulling her legs under herself. The helping hand is appreciated, greatly, but she's definitely taking it slowly. Her other arm hangs uselessly at her side, but she nods towards her discarded bookbag. "...let's not leave that sitting around..." she alludes to the fact there's probably not -just- cookies in there at the moment.

    She's straining to talk, and her motions are slow. Everything in her that's broken hurts like hell, and her muscle tension with every step shows it. "...thanks..." she says quietly, at least, to Viola and Marigold.

Aimee Alexander has posed:
Back over on the sidelines, Aimee is getting her heart warmed by the little girl she's actually managed to help.

"A little bit scary too, but then all the best adventures are just a little bit scary aren't they?" She isn't really sure where the heck she's pulling this BS from, and she certainly doesn't believe it herself, but the good mood and wide smile she's forced upon herself with her power make her words suitably comforting nonetheless. She ruffles the little girl's hair with a hand, then turns to look at the group of injured and rescuers as they slowly trudge their way towards safety.

"And look, even the people who got hurt are going to be A-Okay!"

Viola Fiore has posed:
Before Viola can ask, someone else has moved over to get Cecily's bookbag and bring it over, allowing them all to get out of the park more quickly. Viola helps Cecily over to a bench on the sidewalk outside the park. "Have two injured people here," she says as the police and paramedics start coming over.

Viola motions to Jackson and to Cecily. She has some of Cecily's blood on her, but waves off a paramedic when he comes towards her, motioning towards the injured pair.

After that, Viola begins to slip away. Waiting until the attention is on the wounded people to slip off behind the ambulance and across the street. Then wandering down the sidewalk on her way. She'd just as soon not have her name taken down in relation to the incident, perhaps.

Alanis Bezanero has posed:
Seeing the police and ambulances arriving, she knows her time here at the park is up. There's no denying though, a lot happened here, a lot more than should happen on a random trip to a park because of some literal signs in some footage she shot. She starts to blend back in to the crowd.

It's then she notes the kindred spirit of Viola doing exactly the same thing. She's across the street now. A small smirk and she says to Viola who is out of regular human earshot, "Yeah. I hear you. Time to bounce." She trudges away in her soaked clothing, her mat hair and.. a twig tangled in it? "Ugghk. That blood tree," she mutters and snaps it to work it out of creating a knot.

Marigold Lockes has posed:
It seems like Aimee is that little girl's hero now. She definitely looks a lot less scared and a lot more hopeful by the reassurance. "Yeah, everyone is okay," she agrees. The girl's sister takes her by the hand, and they both offer a wave as the troop leader herds the scouts out of the flow of things.

Paramedics are right there to meet the injured, Marigold offering them a quick wave--sort of looks like she might be familiar with some of them. Once she's passed Jackson off to the paramedics, she takes a step back out of the way to make sure it seems like everything's being cleaned up alright.

Jackson Mathias has posed:
Jackson Mathias sneaks off, nope no ambulence, no names, no cops his one rule. As everyone is distacted, he is limping down the street taking side alleys to escape, as he starts for home. Little did he know, he left his business card in the palm of Marigold's hand, as she is moving with a little chuckle thinking he got away safe and sound.

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Cecily is caught up trying to explain that she doesn't actually need long-term medical care to the ambulance crew, as well as talking to a chuckling police officer that she knows from her past life. She doesn't notice the others slipping away to the shadows, else she'd probably give Jackson a piece of her mind--and maybe a smack upside the head for being so impolite.

    But during a break in the chatter, she fixes her gaze on Marigold, watching her, taking what measure of her she can, and then simply calls out to her. Well, more like tries to raise her volume while hissing through her teeth. "...how did you know?"

Aimee Alexander has posed:
Aimee lets her power ease off as the little girl is lead away, but finds the smile on her face remains, her mood more naturally bouyed by the girl's smile. The people dispersing, the teen finds herself looking around and once again catching sight of Marigold.She weaves through the crowd and stops shoulder-to-shoulder next to the woman.

She doesn't immediately say anything, just watching the paramedics taking care of Cecily, and the police and firefighters doing their work for a few moments. Finally however, before her courage fails her, she gently nudges the woman next to her and is about to speak when Cecily steals the very words from her mouth. Instead, she just nods and looks at Marigold expectantly.

Marigold Lockes has posed:
Marigold reaches over to touch Cecily's shoulder (the uninjured one), and should she be able to she'd offer a warmth the way she did to Jackson. An easing of pain, almost as if whatever energy she had exerted in helping Jackson was being restored. She doesn't seem to pay it too much mind, looking between Aimee and Cecily. "You ever feel frustrated cause you don't know what to do and you wish the universe would just give you direction or something?"

She fishes out her notebook with her free hand before using both to open it up and reveal a page. It's full of scribbled notes, mostly stuff that seems unrelated to anything else, but there's a crude drawing of a sundial, with one shadow on the 11, and another on the 6. "Maybe the universe is, and we just don't know where to look for it." She looks at her watch. "11 am, six cookies." A weird conclusion to come to.

Cecily Winters has posed:
    There's a long, soft exhale when she feels some of that pressure and tension easing from a sharp presence to a dull throb. Cecily just blinks, and then takes in the information presented to her. "...what?"

    It doesn't come loudly and disbelieving, it just... comes. With bewilderment. "If you jump at every shadow, you won't have time to jump at the important ones..." she says quietly, closing those eyes again and slumping back with a groan, and a sigh.

    "New stockings... new skirt..." she mutters, then bites on her lower lip for a moment before letting it go. "..hot bath.." she adds.

    Then finally, "...are you telling me you're some sort of prophet or seer? Where.. did you even.. get these... details from?" she opens her eyes partway, looking to Aimee, wondering what her reaction to all this is.

Aimee Alexander has posed:
Aimee listens, taking it all in and resisting the urge to comment on how much of a stretch Marigold's leap in logic was. It helps that Cecily seems to agree. *Definitely* a crazy lady. A perfectly shaped eyebrow arches and the teenager has to struggle to not sound completely derisive when she chimes in after Cecily. "Look, I get the whole wanting a purpose thing. Believe me! But I don't think making up-" *Meow*

Twisting itself around her ankles is the cat she's been looking for. It's with a rather more spooked expression that Aimee glances between Cecily and Marigold, before kneeling to check for a collar (there's none) then pick up the surprisingly compliant feline.

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"Prophet?" There's a distinct laugh from Marigold at that. "Honey, I'm just an old hippie who figured out when to sit down and shut up." There's a look of pure amusement that lingers in her eyes as she looks between Cecily and Aimee both. "The universe works in weird ways. It doesn't tell you things in a conversation like you and I are having, because you're listening when you should be looking. Talking when you should be listening..."

Well, at the least, she does sound like an old hippie. She flashes a smile at the two of them. "If you ever want to see if the universe is talking to you, go to Alley Pond Park. Big, beautiful park, hard to miss. Get a park ranger to take you down to the tree. Big one. Just ask for Ranger Rick. That's not his name, but he'll know I sent you if you call him that. I like to have a little fun at his expense. Good natured, of course."

She looks at the two of them very intently. "You sit. You listen. You see what the universe tells you. /Anything/ it tells you. A rock, a leaf, a breeze. You'll see."

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Cecily's heard stranger things, to be sure. But usually it's not first hand. Still, she shrugs. Half shrugs. One shoulder. "Right. Give me a couple of days to recover, and I'll go take a trip to the park. Care to elaborate more? This something you do often?" she asks, voice soft. She's not disregarding it all out of had, on the contrary, she wants to know more. "I can't sit on rooftops in Bushwick all the time, after all..." she gives a lopsided smile.

Aimee Alexander has posed:
Aimee still seems sceptical, even as she's slightly distracted by petting the purring feline in her arms. "And... what? What do we *do* with this special information? Become superheroes or something?" She shakes her head in disbelief, though maybe not as much disbelief as even she herself might have expected to feel. "I mean, I've got no problem with superheroes. But I don't have any fantastical powers for saving peoples lives. I'm not extra smart or strong or tough. It might be fine for Miss Awesome Fox Lady here but I'm just an average girl!"

There's a visible wince, before she meekly amends "...mostly."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"What's today..." Marigold seems to be counting for a moment. "October? Eh, been doing this for something like two years now. I do it whenever I can figure out what the universe is telling me. Things aren't always clear, y'know? A lot of it is just paying attention to the things you see and hear. Awareness. Also helps you appreciate the world around you."

Aimee's mention of being 'just an average girl' gets her attention. Marigold's lips curve into a smile, but it's sort of a gentle one. "You ever watch Mr. Rogers?" She pauses. "They probably show reruns of it still, I think. Great guy, one of the greatest people I'd say that was ever on the planet and he gave advice to kids. He gave advice his mother told him when he was young when something went wrong. She told him to 'look for the helpers, you can always find people who are helping'."

She does a broad sweep of her hand. Police, paramedics, firemen, maintence workers, civilians who happened to be passing by and inquired, there are even some reporters getting some information on the situation. They're all covered under the broad sweep of her hand, but the end of the sweep ends up with Marigold pointing in Aimee's direction. "All helpers. You helped."

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Cecily both snorts and blushes when she's called 'Miss Awesome Fox Lady'. "Not all heroes wear capes..." she says absently, watching the activity around, much as Marigold gestures to everyone present and doing their part.

    "Good people don't need powers... good people just need to be good. So many, too many, wouldn't do what you did today. So many would just keep walking. So many wouldn't come looking for a stray cat on the off chance it's being missed by someone," she says quietly. "...choosing not to do nothing when clearly what can be done is something, anything, is what makes a hero. Not superpowers." A grin is given to both women, "...arguably, doing the right thing when you don't have..." she gestures vaguely to herself with her good arm, "..all this, any of this... makes you the stronger, better person anyway."

Aimee Alexander has posed:
Aimee focuses on the cat in her arms, petting it and giving it a scritch under the chin while she mulls over Marigold and Cecily's words. In the end she sets the thoughts aside to worry about later, and forces a smile while giving a nod to both the women. "Well, uhm, anyways, I should get this guy to a vet. Make sure he's healthy and see if he's microchipped. So uhh, nice meeting you both."

She's already turned on her heel and is walking away before either woman really has a chance to respond. She stops after a couple yards though, and asks without looking back "Ranger Rick at Alley Pond Park, yeah?"

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"Ranger Rick at Alley Pond Park," Marigold echoes in loud agreement as she watches Aimee head off. She gives Cecily an amused grin, then nods in her direction. "Rest well and take care of yourself. I'm sure you'll be right-as-rain in no time. The universe'll wait for you to come listen. Take your time. It'll still be there. Everything in its time." She winks in Cecily's direction before she tucks her notebook away into the medic bag and heads off at a comfortable pace, who knows where to.