5423/A Fair Day In Central Park

A Fair Day In Central Park
Date of Scene:	03 March 2021
Location:	Central Park
Synopsis:	The first truly spring-like day of the year and a small fair in Central Park are enough to draw a large crowd.
Cast of Characters:	Steve Rogers, Luke Cage, Courtney Whitmore, Vision, Hyperion, Elektra Natchios, Reed Richards, Natasha Cranston, Shannon Davis

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Steve Rogers has posed:
For a man from the 1940s who suddenly found himself in the 21st century, Steve Rogers has done a fair job of acclimating to the times. Most of his issues with it are kept to himself for the most part. But not always.

Definitely not the case with his email the other day. There had been an email sent out by one of the superhero luminaries to a wide audience of well known heroes. The topic of the original mail isn't so much important for our story. What is important is that Steve Rogers, in trying to send a friendly comment back, had used the dreaded REPLY ALL option.

So every hero on the distribution list saw Steve's reply that he hoped the original sender was well, and a comment about how it's not quite the same going out to LA to see the Dodgers as when they were in Brooklyn.

His final words mentioned he was looking forward to the warm weather that was coming through on Wednesday, and that Steve was going to hit some fair that was going on in Central Park.

And now it is Wednesday, and Steve is walking into Central Park. Not realizing just how many people his email went to. He's wearing jeans and a warm long-sleeved shirt. A green baseball cap is pulled low. It's his form of disguising himself in public so he'll go unnoticed. It rarely works very well.

The park itself is full of families who took the day off to come enjoy the son. Fathers and mothers are helping their children get kites into the air.

There are vendors with all sorts of food. Clowns who are making balloon animals. Artists drawing caricatures. Face painters for the kids. Performers and musicians are busking, giving people the chance to watch jugglers or people on stilts, or jugglers on stilts, or listen to any genre of music they could think of, nearly.

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage is always glad to see people out enjoying the nicer weather. He's from the South originally and doesn't really dig the whole snow and mittens aesthetic, even if he doesn't feel that cold as harshly as he once did in his invulnerable form. He's still wearing his canary yellow hoodie over a black t-shirt with an upraised fist stenciled in stark white emblazoned across his chest. He had been listening to some tunes, earbuds around his neck, but has turned down the Wu-Tang for now.

He's a big presence and kind of har to miss. Some people, especially from Harlem or Hell's Kitchen, will occasionally shout out to him, getting fistbumps or exchanging quick one-armed embraces. Of course, there are others who don't like him as much, but Luke's used to that. He hopes nobody tries to spoil the fun for everybody, but this is New York City and some motherf*ckers just want to ice skate up hill, as an old friend told him.

Courtney Whitmore has posed:
Courtney has been enjoying New York so far, even if she spent the last few days in Metropolis meeting the Titans! She settled back into her NYU dorm to catch up on missed homework when her roomie mentioned the fair going on. How could she turn THAT down? Math could wait! So, the braces-sporting blonde tossed on a pair of high-rise jeans, cute sketchers, and a Nirvana shirt with the bottom tied to show off a hint of midrift. A beanie finishes the outfit. PURE Gen Z, and she's rocking it.

The girl moves through the crowd with a few other NYU students, taking it all in. She's less interested in their conversation on some philosopher vs some other philosopher, and she's taking it all in with a soft smile.

Vision has posed:
The holographic projection concealing the true form of The Vision is that of a tall slender male with dirty blonde hair. He has been using it more often as of late, wishing to maintain the low profile that being a bright red synthezoid will not allow. He has come here to Central Park first, still running a bit under the radar before presenting himself to the Avengers. It is a fine place to watch both people and nature, activities the AI finds calming.

This is usually the case, at least. Returning to New York has Vision unsettled. Exploring other cultures and places has been... easier. Learning new things is always far simpler than navigating human relationships.

However, an errant email seemed to be an opportunity, so The Vision has returned on what could almost be a whim. There's no logical reason for this to be the time to return, it just seemed like a good course of action. Unsurprisingly, he sees through Rogers' disguise instantly.

Presuming his own holographic disguise is familiar enough, though it has been through some upgrades since they last spoke... "Pardon me, Captain, if I'm not interrupting...?"

Hyperion has posed:
    The concept of 'a fish out of water' works just as well for a man from a different universe where many things are the same, but a handful of key events either happened differently, or simply never happened at all. Mark Milton, aka Hyperion.. is dressed in a DAILY BUGLE long sleeve teeshirt that stretches over his expansive shoulders and a pair of simple blue jeans.
    He is leaning against a nearby park fence with a sketchbook in hand, and a pencil working as he just idly doodles.
    Catching sight of a few distinctive people, he works quickly to get some basic sketch work done. This gives him some basic heads of a few folks. I mean he set up an email while he was hanging out with the Avengers for a week or two... and so his new phone chirped when he got the invite. That's why he came here.
    So we have basic drawings, in a cartoony style, of Steve Rogers, Luke Cage, and even Courtney. It's hard for him to -not- draw things when he is inspired. But he's not remotely in costume today. He -is- however, wearing the undersuit that Reed provided him to help control his overjuiced powers... so right now he is enjoying having the ability to hold a pencil without pulverizing the thing.
    He is not remotely being subtle though, his eyes staring intently at one subject after another while he works.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
Elektra isn't the type of person that one might expect to see in these kind of places. But even an assassin needs some leisure time! Or is it reformed assassin? Who knows! What's true is that she *is* here, dressed down from the usual high-end clothing she likes to sport, be it lush dresses or expensive jewelry. Instead it's dark jeans, leather jacket, dark black hair left loose and blowing in the wind and no jewelry in sight. As for weapons none in sight too! But good luck in thinking that Elektra goes anywhere without some kind of weapon hidden somewhere.

Dark eyes are seeking the crowd, perhaps searching for someone but they pause when they note a familiar figure there.

Luke Cage?

She makes her approach. "I see that popularity is only going up." she comments to the man.

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards is flying something like a drone over one of the parks many lakes. He is dressed in his traditional jumpsuit and Lab coat holding a retro style controller mechanism and looking back and forth between a screen and the object hovering in the air. HIs face twisted in a scowl of concentration.

Courtney Whitmore has posed:
"Hey Court, that big guy is totally checking you out," one girl says to the blonde. Courtney blinks and glances in Hyperion's direction. "Huh? Oh. Uh." Another college kid laughs and glances over, too. "Think they know they're barking up the wrong tree?" She blushes at that and waves them off. "I'm grabbing a drink," the girl grumbles. Her accent has a faint Nebraskan twang to it. Not a deep one, but it's there. She steps away from the others and makes her way over to a Lemonade stand, slipping into line.

She fishes out her phone and flicks through some Tik Tok, a smile returning to her face as she does so.

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage arches an eyebrow down at Elektra, "I can't help it people love a good lookin' man," he says with a hint of a smile. "Just goes to show you put in the hard work, you reap some of the rewards. 'course, I wish a few of those rewards went more into my bank account, but I'll be gettin' there, time soon enough. What brings you out today, E? I don't see no ninjas lurkin' around the fried food stands..." he says.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve Rogers wanders along through the park, not realizing that he's become the subject of a drawing. He slows as he watches a few kids get kites up into the air. Most of them are from stores with various designs. A Spider-Man kite goes up into the air that would make J Jonah Jameson twitch. And it's a good bet Spidey isn't making anything on the back end of the kite.

A small smile breaks out on Steve's face as he hears Vision. He turns over to him. "Not interrupting at all Vision. Good to see you," he says, reaching over to clasp the synthezoid on the shoulder. "Just enjoying the weather out here. Nice to see kids out playing the old fashioned way instead of sitting inside playing a game on some computer."

After a second, Steve hesitates and glances to Vision. "Ah, sorry."

Hyperion has posed:
    And after those few moments of intense scrutiny, Hyperion's attention flickers on to a new passer by. For him, this is just practice to keep his skills sharp. Sketching in a few seconds worth of work, and looking back to see how well he's done.
    So after getting a handful of decent heads drawn on this page, he flips the page and begins working on other artwork. Now he draws that twitch... Jameson likely would fire him if he knew he'd drawn the man looking like he'd just seen a ghost, -and- something he wanted to crush with his bare hands all at once.
    But then he turns the page and starts over, sketching full bodies of various folks. Honestly, he just loves to draw.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Luke's casual comment misses a crucial point: if there were ninjas lurking around, they wouldn't be seen... Or at least, they wouldn't look anything at all like what people think a ninja should look like. For instance, the dark-haired woman in casual spring wear buying ice cream looks absolutely nothing like one would assume a fantastically rich CEO would look like, so nobody assumes she might be one...

    Natasha smiles as she pays, then exchanges a polite greeting with the vendor before turning away, looking around casually, her gaze sliding past Elektra as if she hasn't seen or recognized the other woman at all as she starts walking down the path, purely coincidentally in Elektra's general direction...

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"See, would you really see them if there were ninjas lurking around the stand, Luke?" Elektra asks with a quirked brow up at the man. "It would defy their purpose." yet as for being here. "Can't I just simply be out and enjoying the day? I need my quota of fried food to keep me going." a small smirk appearing up on her features.

She watches some of the kids with kites, "Yet I must confess it is sort of relaxing being here. A good change of pace." She admits to Luke.

Dark eyes then briefly rest on Natasha when the woman starts to approach and a faint smile comes to her expression. She inclines her head at the other woman. "Well, well..."

Vision has posed:
Vision's disguise shows the hint of amusement quirking into a half-smile, "Some computers are more physically active than others." His gaze tracks to the playing children for a moment.

"I've been spending some time in regions where the local youth had no real access to technology." He opens his mouth, about to elaborate... possibly at length... about his explorations and recent observations on humanity, but resets to a quicker summary: "The range of human adaptability is astonishing. But yes - Good cheer is a pleasure to see, anywhere."

Returning his attention more directly to Steve, he abruptly changes subject to what is apparently weighing on him. "I wish to apologize for my lack of recent availability. I cannot explain in full."

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage grins and shrugs, "Shit, I've gotten pretty damn good at seein' ninjas. Even if they ain't runnin' around in their pajamas. Somethin' about the way y'all walk, like you're trying not to make any noise, even on grass and shit. Got all that sneakin' ingrained in your bones."

He doesn't know Natasha but, since she seems to be an acquaintance of Elektra's, raises his own hand in greeting, "Wait, you got friends? I didn't know you had friends," he teases.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve motions towards the path that he and Vision are on, and continues walking as they talk. "No apology needed. We've managed to hold things down. You may have heard the Mansion was haunted. But a... well. I'll call it a crab from another world, and you can go to Tony or Bruce for a better explanation if you need one. At least I got my Joe Medwick autographed baseball back from it."

There's a brief pause in Steve's step and he shades his eyes. "I think that might be Reed Richards over there. With the... gadget," Steve says, resorting to the technical language to describe what Reed is holding. He motions over that way, and if Vision is amenable heads that way. Steve Smiles to Courtney Whitmore and the group she's with as they pass, giving them a nod of his head, before remembering he's wearing his baseball cap. Which surely means they won't recognize him, right?

"Dr. Richards," he calls when they are closer. "Nice to see you out enjoying the day," he offers.

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards pulls his goggles out and places them on his eyes, as he nods and the enters a series of commands. The Drone, drops precipitously into lake, okay puddle with aspirations, with a whomp and a splash. Reed nods and is putting away his controller and tablet when he looks around hearing his name. He smiles, brightly, "Ah. Mr. Rogers, yes, it is a beautiful day in our neighborhood. How have you been?"

Hyperion has posed:
    And so, those highly honed Hyper-Senses of Hyperion's take in the scene like a snap-shot. It's not like he is looking for veritable ninja in the underbrush, but he notices Reed and one corner of his mouth lifts in a small quirk.
    He starts to head in Reed's direction, but pauses to approach Courtney. "Please forgive the intrusion." he says. "I just thought it would be rude to draw you and not give you the drawing so you could do with it what you wished." and he tears the page out of his book to offer it to her. It's something of a Caricature combined with a truly complimentary face and such. But he is trying to be polite about it at least.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"I am wounded. Verily." Elektra replies with mock hurt on her tone at Luke's question. "But yes, I have been known to very rarely find a friend or two. And some even manage to stay alive." a brief smirk in the end there but she at least seems to be saying it in good spirits.

"We were in your bar the other day." She probably means the Defenders when she is saying 'we', "I see you have been improving the place." this said while Natasha is still on her way closer.

A glance is given about, she squinting her eyes at Reed. That's a known face! "Well, look at that. Isn't that Reed Richards?"

Shannon Davis has posed:
A small kid of around 11 approaches Hyperion and nudges his side a bit, seeing him tear out the page from the drawing book. "Ooh are you one'a those street performers? How much is it? I want you to draw my brother getting launched into space!" She says, pointing towards an older kid of about 16 years old.

Reed has to deal with the deadly intrusion of a frisbee slowly gliding its way towards his head. "'Ey, watch out dude! God damn it, Kevin, how hard is it to throw the thing straight?!" A voice sounds out from behind him, followed by the sound of the guy running after the deadly plastic disk.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Natasha certainly doesn't look like she spends her time jumping out of dark corners in black pajamas. In fact, she looks exactly like any other twentysomething enjoying an afternoon in Central Park - up to and including a tiny smudge of ice cream on the tip of her nose as she takes a slightly bigger bite from her cone than she'd intended, then wipes it away quickly.

    She slows down as she reaches earshot of Elektra and gives her and Luke a smile. "Miss Natchios, good afternoon. I don't believe I've met your friend--?" she prompts.

Vision has posed:
Pacing alongside Steve, Vision's expression is one of clear confusion, "Haunted, you say? In the traditional fashion, like..." his brain scans for references, cross-references those with Cap's most familiar frames of reference, "...The Tell-Tale Heart, perhaps? In what way was a crab alien involved?" This is all deeply fascinating.

It sounds as though all ended well, however, "I'm pleased your item was returned. A signed Ducky Medwick I imagine to be quite valuable." Hall of Fame. 1968. Collectors would be envious, indeed. "Though I cannot guess what use a crab ghost might have had for it."

As they approach Reed, Vision offers a polite smile and nod.

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage offers his hand to Natasha, "Luke Cage, ma'am. Pleasure's all mine," he says. "And if you were really wounded, I'd be runnin', E. My skin might be bulletproof but you're scarier'n any gun I ever saw."

"I'm a bar owner and a Hero for Hire, ma'am. Even been on the news a few times, in case this handsome noggin looks familiar to you." He follows Elektra's line of sight and agrees, "Looks like the doc, yup. He came into the bar last month for a bit. Nice guy, I got a little distracted by this weird Japanese guy who didn't like how I made his drinks."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve Rogers tells Vision, "Well it was stealing all sorts of things. Including at one point, Tony and Pepper, though we got them back. It was giant and we trapped it in a..." Steve says, trailing off and then pulling out a small notepad from his back pocket. "'Like something from Ghostbusters, which is a movie you should see'," Cap reads. Vision will see the pad has a bunch of other culturally or historically significant things written down, some of them crossed off, others not.

"But it's taken care of now, so far as we know," Steve finishes, before he looks back to Reed Richards to greet him. "Yes, nice to get some warm weather back out. Are you experimenting," Steve asks wit ha gesture towards the crashed drone in the water, "Or just enjoying yourself?"

Elektra Natchios has posed:
Elektra's gaze remains on Natasha for a time, her brow furrowing at the woman's face. Some surprise there? But whatever it is she finds surprising she makes no comment. She smiles politely. "Ms. Cranston. Been a while. But I must say you look even more rejuvenated than last time." a small chuckle of amusement before she looks at Luke, "He is one of those famous heroes." then a brow arching. "And noone better to train your sharpshooting on."

"And this is Natasha Cranston. We have ran across one another in some of those high-end galas where absolutely nothing ever happens." she explains to Luke.

"And a weird japanese guy? What, you didn't have sake?" She asks.

Hyperion has posed:
    Having handed Courtney the sketch he made of her, Hyperion glances to the kid nearby and he smiles, "What do I charge? How about a smile?" he asks before gesturing to the older brother. "Why don't you introduce me and we can make sure that he doesn't mind me rocketing him into space, huh?" he asks, truly diverted from saying hello to Reed by the entirely understandable distraction of an eleven year old.

Shannon Davis has posed:
She puffs her cheeks for a second, rolling her body in the direction of her brother. "Of course he minds, that's the point!" She says with a mildly devilish tone and smile. "Maybe then you can draw him turning into a fireball on re-entry. Gyeheheh." She rubs her hands together evilly as they walk towards the brother. "Make sure you get his features well! I will hang the pictures up on a wall."

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards smiles as he blinks at the warning and catches the frisbee. He looks at it curiously and then grins brightly, "I have not used one of these in quite a few years. They are deceptively simple. Kevin is it? The key is the release." Reed snaps the frisbee into the air at a steep angle with enough force to carry it as high as some of the lower buildings, it plummets back to the park, and snaps into his waiting hand, "You see it's all physics, aerodynamics, gyroscopic stablity, a touch of gravity and wind." He flicks the frisbee into a spin on his palm and then lets it roll along his arm, which of course elongates until the frisbee makes a circuit of the pond. Returning to its starting point. The tricks continue as Reed explains the tips, techniques and especially the science of the thing to anyone interested enough to listen. He finishes up by bounce passing the Frisbee to Steve with a wink, "A bit of both, actually, the fantasticar blew a quadristator after a rough re-entry from bleed space over the park. Its was during that snow storm a few weeks ago and everything was too cold and freezing over to retrieve it in the moment, so today is the day. Reed Smiles, and the drone emerges from the water lugging a much large piece of equipment under it.

Shannon Davis has posed:
Both young men seem to be enjoying their day with a few drinks and blink in astonishment at what he does. It's kind of like letting a cat watch you do simple daily things like opening a can. Kevin elbows his friend in the ribs particularly hard but the other doesn't seem to notice. "Dude! Duude! It's, uh, Dr. Stretchman...yeahh." He makes a pause at the end, trying to make sure he was saying the right name, seeming to be convinced it was. "No dude, didn't you see how good he was with the frisbee? That's definitely Captain America." They go on about arguing on the differences between them.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Natasha's smile widens briefly at Elektra's comment, as if the woman has passed a test. "The benefits of healthy living and a good diet, I assure you. I trust your own health is as good as ever?" she asks, then turns her smile on Luke. "Ahh, Mr. Cage! I recognize the name now; that dreadful business with that human trafficking ring, wasn't it? You look a great deal more imposing in person, I must admit..."

    She laughs briefly at Elektra's comment. "I think I'd rather not; I doubt there's much a bullet could do besides annoy him..."

Vision has posed:
Vision's expression goes blank for a moment as he diverts a portion of his attention to the task of researching Ghostbusters. His brow furrows abruptly, "Oh. There are three." Rather than digging deeper into a side diversion, the synthezoid puts this bit of pop culture aside. Perhaps something to watch as a bonding experience with his daughter?

"I imagine experimentation and enjoyment are one and the same for a man of your proclivities, Doctor Richards." Offering a polite smile, he glances over to observe the drone's progress, quickly analyzing its prize and content to merely be a bystander to Dr. Stretchman and/or Captain America.

Hyperion has posed:
    Bending closer, Hyperion says to the young girl, "I suppose I can break a rule... just this once." he states before he moves to sit down and start working. He draws very fast... not superhumanly, just fast.
    For the first few minutes of it, it's just outlines and basics... before fleshing it out. In the end, it is the older brother's face... rocketing like the Human Torch. Legs looking like a fiery jet, and a big grin on his face because.. flying is fun! And it should be drawn that way. He is rocketing skyward and there is even a comic book word bubble that reads: FLAME ON!!
    When he finishes, he tears the page out and says, "Can I get my smile?" before handing it over.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve Rogers catches the frisbee as Reed Richards sends it his way. "Here you go, son," Steve says giving the frisbee a hard spin so it stays stable as he tosses it in a slow arc over to the waiting boys. He watches to make sure Kevin has it again before he turns back to Reed, grinning softly at hearing what the kids are saying.

"Ah. Well, yes, probably better to come get it yourself than to wait for Damage Control to do it," he agrees. "Though I'm not sure if that is how cleans up at city locations or not. That's normally a Tony kind of topic," Steve says.

He looks back to Vision and says, "I imagine that's true. You don't reach the levels if understand Dr. Richards has without it being something that you have a true passion for."

Shannon Davis has posed:
is utterly amazed by his artistic abilities, she smiles brightly, as it was even better than what she had expected so far. "Whoooa. You're like, a super artist! I bet you're a superhero with drawing powers in disguise. Is this what you have to do to make a living?" She then blinks, thinking about it for a moment. "Wait but you didn't charge. Are you a DEMON?" She then comes to the only logical conclusion, he must be a demon who feeds on smiles.

Luke Cage has posed:
"I had sake, I just didn't pour it in the traditional Japanese way, I guess. Dude was a whiner, but at least he didn't try to test me. I always got guys comin' in at least once a week who think they're tough and end up fracturin' their knuckles on my chin," Luke says.

To Natasha, he nods, "Yeah, big bust down at the docs. I don't normally wanna take credit for stuff like that, but hell, don't get much of a better cause than that, does there? Plus, helps steer people towards my Hero for Hire business. I like runnin' the bar plenty, but I don't see much in the black on that particular venture."

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards nods and considers, "Yes, we don't tend to use DC, or insurance premiums a re lower if we do the work ourselves." He shrugs with a chuckles, "Sue is a pure pragmatist. You are correct Vision, when you love what you do, you never work a day, and I have not, well, maybe a few." He glances at Steve and gives him a sad smile, "a very few, hard days. But that talk is for darker days then this, Vision, have you tried Italian Ice?"

Hyperion has posed:
    Inclining his head, Hyperion just chuckles softly, in a resonant way. "I am not a demon." he explains, "I am just an artist. I work for the Bugle actually." he says, pointing at his shirt. "I am just doing this because I like drawing." He grins and adds, "I also like smiles. So, enjoy the drawing, and look for my work in the Bugle. I do cartoons." he offers before giving a little salute and preparing to return his focus to the one person here he knows pretty well.. Reed Richards.

Shannon Davis has posed:
The young man catches the plastic disk by virtue of it colliding with his body and then fumbling with it for a good five seconds. "No dude, I'm telling you, see! You're getting it wrong, you can have a PhD and be in the army, dude!" Says Kevin, the more intellectual of the two. He then approaches Reed again, in a very respectful way. "Mr Captain Dr. Can I take a picture with you going like this?" He says, holding the frisbee like a shield.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Ah..." Elektra murmurs when Luke clarifies the source of the asian man's displeasure. "Perfectionists, who can stand them right?" she then doing some 'fishing', "Guy had a name by any chance?" maybe it's one of her old friends!

The assassin folds her arms together, glancing back to Natasha for a bit, "No worse than last we met, Ms. Cranston. If anything is that those kind of events are a constant in my life now." some innuendo there? Maybe.

"Human trafficking ring?" She then inquires at them, looking to one and then to the other. "Ah, I believe I saw that in the news as well..." she says, "Dreadful business, but I am sure they got what they deserved."

Vision has posed:
Giving his head a quick shake, Vision offers, "I have not." Considering his audience, he engages in a bit of explanation, "While I can simulate the process as well as draw energy from the ingested mass, it is not nearly as efficient a process as solar conversion. After a moment, he adds, "I do often find the various textures interesting. And cooking for others is an enjoyable process."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve Rogers reaches out to put a hand on the elder superhero's shoulder. "From what I've seen you have a wonderful wife and family. And have had a great team that has had your back for decades," Steve tells Reed. "A few hard days are part of the price for what we do. But I'm willing to bet the good ones far outweigh those."

The green baseball cap is tipped up a bit higher, making it easier for Steve to look up at the kites flying overhead. The Spider-Man kite darts over towards a Spongebob square kite, the lines for the two getting wrapped up. Spidey circles the other until they finally meet and both come falling down, thankfully in a nice empty grassy area. The kids involved head over to try to untangle them.

Steve turns back as the kid comes over wanting a picture. "Sure," he says, giving the boy a smile. Steve takes the frisbee and looks to Reed to make sure the picture is ok with him, before moving to pose with the boy and the Fantastic Four member.

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards smiles and glances at Steve, "You are of course, exactly, right. There is sometimes a price for what we do, but we never signed up to ride the merry-go-round." as he assumes a more dramatic stance, and joins Steve and the and the kid. He even tries to pull Viz into the frame. "Fascinating, texture, well, we will have to try it and you can tell me what you think? You up for some Ice, Captain?" he nods to the photo letting them take the picture

Hyperion has posed:
    Slowing in his approach, Hyperion makes sure to -not- interrupt the picture taking process. He grins, remembering posing like that back home with his friends and.... and now his face goes a bit maudlin at the memory, and the knowledge that he's never going to see any of them again.
    But then he takes a breath and forces a good mood onto his face before approaching once more. Only after the picture is taken of course. "You are popular Doctor Richards." he says. "I wanted to thank you for the help the other day. That device is working flawlessly." he adds as he offers the man a hand.

Vision has posed:
Pulled into a photo, The Vision's human disguise makes a relatively awkward Smile for the Camera smile. It's unlikely he would manage a more relaxed and natural expression even if he weren't becoming distracted by the talk of families. His most recent experiment in such matters resulted in a virtual family going rather dysfunctional.

Much simpler to ask about mundane matters of detail, "Is the ice imported, or merely inspired by Italian cuisine?"

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards stops and turns to regard the newcomer, it takes but a moment, "Ah! Mark. It is good to see you, so glad you're doing well and it worked out. This is Steve Rogers and... Vision. Mark is a work colleague. Would you like some Italian ice? You know, Vision, that is an excellent question, I believe it is Italian style Ice but I'm not sure."

Steve Rogers has posed:
After the photo, Steve passes the frisbee back to the kids and then nods to Reed. "Sure, that sounds good." He looks to Vision and gives a soft grin. "Inspired by. Or, I'm assuming? I have a hard time imagining they would ship or fly ice over. Though honestly? There are a few things that are probably more surprising to me. So maybe I should check first too."

Steve turns to Hyperion, head tilting just a little bit. "Am I correct that you had a brief stay with us, Mark?" he asks as he offers Hyperion his hand, and recognizing him from the mission reports and files that would have been updated about his presence in Avenger's Mansion back then.

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage lets Elektra play dumb about the human trafficking ring. Truth is, he was glad he didn't have to deal with any of that secret identity mess. "Don't look at me, I don't drag you into nothin'. I don't ever start problems, I just end 'em."

He grins a bit at seeing Cap and Reed giving out selfies and doing shots with fans. He has to do that every now and then, but not too often. He's probably a little scarier than them, though. And he's okay with that.

Hyperion has posed:
    "I did." offers Hyperion. "But it's not really something to discuss in the park, is it?" he asks with a smile as he shakes Steve's hand and then he nods to Reed. "I would love some ice." he adds before looking back to Steve. "But your people were very helpful to me, a recent... transplant, shall we say? When I did not know anyone in this city. Now.." he grins and gestures to his shirt's logo, "I work for the Bugle."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    "Not a burdensome constant, I hope?" Natasha asks. "Stability and constants are good things, but it doesn't do to get stuck in a rut..." She turns to Luke and nods. "I take it the heroism does pay, then? That's good to hear; it's all well and good to state that doing the right thing should be its own reward, but that always struck me as entirely too lofty a philosophy. We pay police officers, Coast Guard, and firefighters; why wouldn't we want those who risk their lives on behalf of strangers on a daily basis to at least not have to worry about whether they'll be able to make rent this week?"

Vision has posed:
The inquiry meeting uncertainty, Vision silently researches the matter to satisfy his curiosity. In an improvement to his social skills, he does not immediately blurt the answer and reveal the question as merely a social gesture. Instead, he returns his attention to Reed's earlier activities, "Might I inquire as to the nature of your equipment? I don't believe I can find schematics to this quadristator..."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
A brief laugh escapes Elektra and she quirks the corner of her mouth into a smirk, "No, no burdensome constant. I make sure to keep it varied. If anything I hate boredom. I am sure you feel the same." as for playing dumb, well of course she does so, shaking her head at Luke. "Remind me to always make sure to keep you in front if trouble ever finds me, mmm?"

Seeing Luke taking a glance at the other heroes gathered she suggests. "Maybe you should go for a group pic. I remember watching in the news you teamed up with the Cap, didn't you?" liar, she was there watching it!

"Wouldn't being paid mean becoming part of the system and government? It doesn't sound like what most want to do."

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage snorts, "Oh, I done been in the system, for one reason or another," he sighs. "If I could take all my payment in cash and stuff it in a safe under the bar, I'd be fine, but truth is, you make any kind of bank these days, you gotta...put it in a bank. Only way to get interest and invest it to retire my ass to a beachfront property someday. Preferably with a few senoritas and some o' them umbrella drinks. That I don't have to make myself for once."

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards catches the man selling ice's attention with a bit of stretching and places the orders, rainbow all around. "Really? What do you do there?" to Mark, and the to Vision, "Hmm? Oh, it provides gyroscopic stability and mass shunting during high torque and high G maneuvers. It's most useful during transition from and to Bleedspace. Going from ultimate to trans ultimate speeds but to a relativistic framework is taxing."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve Rogers nods at Reed's comment to Hyperion. "Congratulations, I hadn't realized you'd settled in to that job. How are you enjoying it?" he asks as he lets Reed lead the way.

Steve glances over towards where Luke and the others are talking. He raises a hand to wave over to the Harlem-based hero. Nearby someone has out his bass while another man has a large plastic bucket. The latter pulls out drumsticks and begins using the large bucket like a drum, using his feet to lift edges off the ground at times to change the drum's pitch. The bass player starts in overtop the drum, laying down a gorgeously filthy bass line.

Hyperion has posed:
    "I love it. I get paid to play with pencils, inks, etc.." says Hyperion. He grins and adds, "I am the newest member of their cartoonist department. Though, I may also be the senior member. Difficult to say." he adds with a smirk. "But either way, I am making enough to have a tiny little studio apartment. So, roof over my head, groceries in the fridge... and work I enjoy. Difficult to overstate how fantastic it feels after my... odd arrival."
    Hyperion actually tunes down his hearing as the first sounds of potential music start up. Difficult to listen to music when you are so sensitive. "But mostly, I just wanted to say thank you to both of you." he says to Steve and Reed. "But I have a deadline, and this was just a short break for me." he adds.

Courtney Whitmore has posed:
The teen takes it all in silently, finally getting her lemonade. She smiles and sips it as she makes her way into the crowd again. The fair is nothing like the fairs back in Nebraska, but it's nice. She likes it. But there are SO many people. She chews her lip a bit restlessly, sinking back into the crowd a bit to let the world pass her by.

Vision has posed:
His imagination captured by the implications of relativistic speed safety considerations, Vision grows noticeably more animated by Reed's explanation, "An extrasolar craft? Incredible. I simply must interface with your craft at some point. Sensory logs alone must be absolutely fascinating."

After a moment of watching the Italian Ice Process, he considers adding, "And your own subjective experiences making use of such a craft, surely unique." Talking directly to the ship might be more efficient, but certainly strikes Vision as less considerate.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Who are you kidding, Luke? You love what you do, and having a bar is a dream." A roll of her eyes, "Don't see you retiring anytime soon." and it's not like anyone can retire him with a arrow or bullet to the knee...

Elektra smiles in the direction of the famous 'gang' of Reed, Captain and their .., awkward friend. It has Elektra quirk a brow curiously at the odd trio and she suggests.

"Maybe we should go for ice cream as well, mmm?" because nothing like meeting important people. Must be that ambassador's blood in her. Or is it on her?

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke Cage shakes his head, "I ain't sayin' I'm doin' it next week. But a man's gotta plan for the future, E. Ain't all of us inheritin' millions, you know what I'm sayin'? Don't get me wrong, I like my life, but I'm gonna get old someday and my grey-haired ass will thank my current ass for preparing a safety net for his future life on the beach with a bevy of hotties."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    "All too true," Natasha agrees. "I suspect the vast majority of heroes wouldn't have donned the mask or cowl if they had faith and trust in government and law enforcement," She glances towards Captain Rogers. "... Some exceptions omitted, of course..."

    She turns her smile back on Luke. "Mr. Cage, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'll make certain to keep your venture in mind if I ever find myself in need of some heroics on call. For now, however, I must be off. Miss Natchios, good day and the best of health to you as well."

    With that, she turns and walks away, just another civilian on a casual stroll in the park, moving through the crowd... And for just a moment a few passers-by obscure her from view, but when they separate again... She's nowhere to be seen.

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards bursts out laughing at the social nicety or interfacing with the subjecive experiences of the pilot. He pats Vision on the arm and his eyes twinkle, "Vision, I respect your appreciation of the niceties." He pulls out a tablet and pulls the last six months of logs from the ship. "This should get you started. Go ahead and borrow it." He offers the tablet.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve only partially suppresses his smile at Vision's politeness when it comes to both human and machine interactions. "You'll have to let us know if it says anything good," Steve tells the synthezoid.

He gets his Italian Ice and then sits down on a park bench, watching New York enjoy the sunshine. Like the city itself had just crawled out of hibernation and was coming back to life.

Vision has posed:
His fascination with the opportunity to review logs overrides his interest in performance eating, so the logs get far more of Vision's attention than does the ice. Accepting the tablet with a heartfelt, "My thanks, Doctor..." The synthezoid becomes absorbed with some rapid reading punctuated by the occasional exclamations of, 'Fascinating. Amazing...' and the like.