6000/Central Park Hangout

Central Park Hangout
Date of Scene:	21 April 2021
Location:	Belvedere Castle
Synopsis:	People talk in the park! It's a very nice 6000th scene!
Cast of Characters:	Carrie Kelley, Laura Kinney, Roland Livingston, Meggan Puceanu

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Carrie Kelley has posed:
A nice spring day on Earth. Or, in the City. Or in the Park. However you want to put it, finds Carrie lounging on a rock just below Belvidere Castle. She has a bikini top and on, and is apparently getting some mid-spring sun while she can. Not that that's a particularly GOOD idea for the redheaded, pale skinned girl, but damnit she's going to enjoy the sun when it's out and it's warm for the first time in months! She has a book open in front of her, and is flipping through the pages slowly as she reads, laying on her belly. She occasionally looks up to see what is going on around her, perhaps out of habit or maybe because the book she's reading just isn't that good.

Laura Kinney has posed:
Ahhh Central Park. It's one of the places X-23, also known as Laura Kinney, likes to visit when she's in New York.

Not because of the scenary or the open spaces. Not even because the air just smells nicer than her regular haunt in Gotham, although that is a nice upside. But because all the crowds make it the ideal place to perform covert operations. Crowds to blend into, plenty of benches and trash cans to leave secret messages in and there may or may not be at least one secret cache of weapons she buried in the park in the middle of the night.

Today she's here to look for covert messages. Graffiti tags with pre-agreed codes in or chalk marks on the wall. And to help with that cover she's come dressed casually in a dark yoga pants and top combination usually seen sported by the runners who frequent the park.

And of course she's also actually running along the path. Because there's no point pretending to be a runner in the park if you don't actually run!

Roland Livingston has posed:
"Not much of a castle, is it?" Roland asks himself in his fancy English accent as he walks towards Belvedere, checking out the architecture. Who he's talking to is anybody's guess, but he's probably just chatting to himself. "At least they're trying to have some proper buildings in New York." The young woman out sunbathing attracts his attention next, but he's too proper to stare for more than a moment, even if he is trying to make out what she's reading. The fellow is incredibly well read, after all.

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
New York has pretend castles but Meggan comes from a place with real ones. Can't blame her for occasionally missing the familiar sights of home, where you can scarcely throw a rock without hitting a lake or a jumbled pile that belonged to Lord Umpity or Baron Whossit back in the day. A backpack bumps rhythmically against her hip as she walks through the grass. Forget whatever temperature it may be, her trainers are off and knotted together by the laces as they swing from said satchel.

Another Gothamite enjoying feeling the grass under her feet and the blue sky above means the Hyperloop was a much better investment than anyone dares give it credit for. A fast way to move between New Jersey and New York must be responsible. Either way, she frolics and there's no reason to assume the wildflowers turn in her direction when she goes past.

Except several of them do. Nodding dandelions and a few violas perk up and turn, though the sun is one way and she's another twenty degrees off. Stooped in the shadow of the Belvedere, she shades her eyes with her hand. A glance swings back to the woman sunbathing. "Is it actually warm enough for that?"

Laura Kinney has posed:
Laura's covert operation may end up being a little less covert than she likes. As she pauses at a familiar scent, sniffs the air, and glances in Carries direction. Her intended route will take her close by and changing it now might seem suspicious!

Still there's no reason to assume she's being observed or followed. Well aside from her usual paranoia that is. So she takes a calculated risk in the name of politeness and being social and pauses to do some stretches nearby.

A slight quizzical nod is made. As if to ask 'Should I approach?' as you never know when someone might be out on some sort of mission related activity. Even if the bikini top makes it somewhat unlikely...

Carrie Kelley has posed:
"Anything's warm enough if you've spent the last month on Hoth." Carrie comments back to Meggan as she asks her question. She looks over from her book at the girl, closing her book which doesn't look like much of a novel now that people have taken a glance at it. More..a grammar book for what must be some long forgotten language. She slips it into her bag sitting nearby, and then moves to roll over on the grass, "I won't die of hypothermia, I can tell you that at least." She does not notice Laura jogging in her general direction. Not yet anyways.

Roland Livingston has posed:
The other folks approaching the scene are quickly examined and given polite little nods. Can't hurt to be friendly, usually. As the Englishman starts to look away from Meggan he notes the way the flowers seem to move and his attention returns to the young woman. Putting on a smile he says, "Good day, Ms." Hard 'z' sound in 'Ms'. "Your hair is quite pretty."

And that book he'd seen? Long forgotten language? That's right up his alley as well, "Pardon me, but you wouldn't happen to a linguist of some sort, would you? I'm afraid I'm only fluent in half a dozen languages and sometimes I find myself needing more obscure dialects translated for me."

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
That sharp alertness washes over the blonde empath like a wave. Different from the usual assortment of moods most residents out in public face, and Meggan turns away from admiring the pointed arches and weathered rocks. Her brow creases for a moment before she quite catches herself. A smile breaks with sudden radiance, all honey sweetness rather than anything with an edge. "Oh, for certain. The weather's lovely but I thought most people were reluctant to come out before the May long weekend." Which one she's talking about is open-ended, but friendly. Her accent lilts through a muddle of Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, and English; it's not pure London, not by a long shot. After beaming at Carrie, she turns her leaf-green gaze up to Roland and that smile is now his too.

"Hello to you too. That's so kind of you to say." She tips her head and turns curiously back at the grammar book, though her context for identifying what the language might be is a tad limited. "Half a dozen? Oh, goodness."

Carrie Kelley has posed:
The question about the book seems to make Carrie a bit more defensive for some reason. She sits up on her elbows and she says, "No...not a linguist, just trying to pick up something new," she says, before she spots Laura in her general vicinity and gives the girl a wave, "Laura! Hi!" Is she trying to duck a confrontation? More questions? Just happy to see a friend? She sits up fully so the jogger can see her waving better. As if she needs the help.

Laura Kinney has posed:
Laura Kinney moves a little to get downwind of the two people she doesn't know and sniffs the air again. Her enhanced senses checking for signs of danger. A quick check for the telltale smells of explosives, firearms and other warning signs. You never know when the polite stranger is a killer alien intent on eating someone after all.

To an empath it's likely a little disconcerting. Hyperalertness, paranoia and suspicion. But no malice or other strong emotional readings. Cold, clean and clinical.

Regardless of potential weapons she moves a little closer. She's not one to reply by calling out after all. "Good day," she says in response, with a nod of greeting for Roland and Meggan. "I hope I am not intruding?"

Roland Livingston has posed:
"I notice you seem to attract quite a bit of... attention," The young man tells Meggan with a little smile as his eyes flick towards the flowers before returning to the lady. "But I'm sure you're used to that." Then he nods his head, "Yes, I was privately tutored growing up and my family wanted to make sure that I was well educated in some of the tongues I might need someday. I find myself using French and Arabic quite a bit more often than I do Aramaic, Hebrew or Latin, however." There's a chuckle at that remark.

As the bikini clad woman tries to change the topic he smiles faintly. The other young woman giving him a greeting is nodded to, "If anyone is intruding it would be me, but I, for one, wouldn't mind another joining the conversation." He smells like expensive cologne, machine oil and gunpowder residue.

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
Carrie's welcome to Laura warrants a greeting from Meggan, her hands clasped together and shoulders shrugged in a way to make herself somehow less intimidating. Not that she is intimidating in the least, unless someone really hates the climate and environment. "Hello! It's a lovely day, isn't it?" she directs to Laura. It's all relative.

Nothing registers as harmful about her at other levels, unless the fact she walks around barefoot careless of goose droppings, dog patches or discarded trash. None of them come nearby. Her book bag jingles as she shifts on her heel. She wiggles her fingers loosely and raises her eyebrows when he mentions Aramaic. "Oh, that's impressive. Focused then mostly on the Middle East? That sounds fascinating." She could go longer but doesn't out of politeness despite the curiosity. She demurs, a cloud of sun-warmed hay, viola petals, clear water, and the wind wrapped up in ways that aren't quite normal for those with sharper senses. Mostly because the wind physically teases her hair where it ignores the castle otherwise. "It's no intrusion at all. I'd welcome the company. Class is rather dull, no socialising."

Carrie Kelley has posed:
Laura's question is waved off, "Not at all! I've missed seeing you, how are you? How have you been?" Carrie asks, grinning up at the girl. It's then that she seems to notice she's being a bit rude to the others and introduces herself, "I'm Carrie by the way. A pleasure to meet you both. And, nobody is intruding on anything. A conversation in the park can't be like...closed off or anything."

Laura Kinney has posed:
Laura Kinney tilts her head at Roland and her brow furrows slightly. Caculating the most effective way to engage in combat if required. She doesn't really seem like much, just a typical petite teenager out for a run, hardly a threat to anyone! "I have been meaning to learn Pashto at some point," she muses as the topic of languages comes up. It's probably best not to think too hard about why. The answer is almost certainly classified. "As for the day.. I suppose it is acceptable. The weather is certainly within a comfortable range for jogging."

She glances back at Carrie. "I have been well. Although we have been experiencing an especially cut throat period at work.. A lot of back to back shifts."

Roland Livingston has posed:
"Yes," Roland replies to Meggan with a smile. "I'm quite fascinated by the history, especially the magical history of that part of the world. I'm a scholar of the arcane, you see, so it pays to know a few languages."

At the introduction the Englishman grins and nods his head politely, "I'm Roland Livingstone. It's quite nice to meet you all."

Laura is given a smile, "Ah, one of the two official languages of Afghanistan, along with Dari. Though Farsi is also commonly spoken there as well. Fascinating languages, the little I know of them."

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
Conversation comes easily to the English blonde, though she curbs her tongue out of respect for the others. "Meggan," she adds as a greeting. The lilt of her explanation might link well with the massive social media profile behind her climate activism, but it may not connect. She certainly is memorable. "Central Park is good for jogging, you're quite right. Certainly better than running up and down the streets, risking traffic." Since New York drivers are particularly bad, that's not without hazard for anyone risking their necks.

She doesn't quite double-take at Roland, but her assessment through her loose golden hair sharpens a few degrees. Green eyes widen, marking surprise on some front where the Englishman is concerned. "That's quite an unusual thing to study? I imagine you've gotten well-acquainted with the bookstores round about." A light wave of her hand follows. "Alas, most of my languages aren't much help here." Another impish smile alludes clearly to more than she's saying.

Carrie Kelley has posed:
Carrie Kelley grimaces a little bit at Laura's comment about work, "Right, sorry about that...I've been...away. Don't think I'll be coming back for awhile either. Got a somewhat better offer." She is clearly trying to apologize while being vague enough to not arouse too much suspicion. A wind blows through the park, and a cloud covers the sun for a few moments, which makes her shiver. She reaches into her bag and pulls out a hoodie to put on over her bikini top. It's gray. It has a logo that looks like a demonic bunny skull plastered across the back. She asks, "Any good gossip from work?" of Laura. The talk of linguistics is rather pointedly ignored.

Laura Kinney has posed:
Laura Kinney raises an eyebrow at the comment about the arcane. "I've been told it's good to have hobbies," she notes to Roland not sounding entirely convinced that the statement is true, then she shrugs at Carrie. "We'll manage without you I'm sure. So long as you are doing something you enjoy now? You should stop by sometime to visit. Even if only briefly. I'm sure the others will be happy to see you're okay."

She blinks a few times. "Gossip?" Another few blinks. Clearly gossip isn't her strong point. "Phoebe had some family troubles and both Conner and Cassie took extended trips of their own."

She nods to Meggan. "I jog or take public transport whenever possible. Although the last time I got the subway there was a bombing scare.."

Roland Livingston has posed:
"I'm intimately familiar with all manner of stores of knowledge," Roland replies to Meggan with a grin. "I have other scholarly pursuits, but the mystical is my primary focus. I'm one of those world traveling adventurer types constantly in search for ancient texts and relics and whatnot. Occasional monster hunter, too. Also, an assistant high school teacher." His chin lifts, "What languages do you know, may I ask?"

Laura's remark about hobbies gets the young man to chuckle, "My studies are more than hobbies, I'm afraid. More of a calling. My family has been studying the mystical side of our world since the middle ages." At the mention of a bomb scare he sighs, "Public transportation is just not for me, I'm afraid. I attempted to take a commercial flight recently only to have it taken over by Nazi terrorists. I had to wait for someone to defuse the bombs they strapped to a number of us before I could engage the scum without risking the non-combatants' lives."

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
"You sound a fair bit like my partner," says Meggan with a merry laugh ascending the scale to a gentle volume. Mirth becomes her. "I don't know how much he studies. Some of it just seems to pop into his head, and the rest is all kinds of made up." Her wrinkled nose summons a sense of further laughter to come, though she spreads her hands. "World travelling monster-hunter, you sound right like some people I know. Rather a few that get together for drinks now and then, talking about things that sail right over my head." She's quite calm in admitting that, freely pegging herself on a different spectrum. Laura and Carrie's caution is a peculiar thing held up against the vast transparency that whirls around the girl who so easily wears her heart on her sleeve.

"I take public transit when I can afford it. Rest of the time, it's my own two legs. Terribly sorry to hear about that bomb, though. Awful." For the moment, Laura tallies up the only frown she has given in weeks, and that is that. "What, Nazi terrorists /now/? I thought they were gone, like the original ones. They couldn't possibly be alive still? Neo-Nazis, maybe? That's right awful, I am truly sorry to hear it. Makes the whole going up somewhere else away from New York that much more reasonable. I hope you resettle easily, Carrie."

Being a rootless spindrift has its advantages, though they sometimes come to the fore. She sounds compassionate about it, at least. Though to the side query not forgotten from Roland, her smiles a tad pained. "Sort of situational. I get more fluent when around other speakers, bit different muddling through a book or standing stone, y'know?"

Roland Livingston has posed:
"I don't make things up, generally," Roland replies to Meggan with a chuckle. "There's more than enough strangeness in the world for me to worry about having to do that." At the mention of her friends his eyes widen, "I might like to meet them some time. It would be good to expand my list of allies."

"Oh no, they're not gone," the fellow says when asked about the terrorists. "Might not call themselves Nazis, but anyone who espouses a philosophy of genocide is certainly worth punching. Or doing worse to. And these fellows had some manner of science weapons. Wanted to get the scientists and engineers who were aboard my flight to help them wipe out a group of people because of their genetic difference. I don't tolerate that sort of thing so it was quite nice to bust them up a bit."

Some more laughter escapes him, "I think I understand."

Laura Kinney has posed:
"If you aren't being paid to do it then it's a hobby," Laura points out. "As for Nazi's being around still.. I expect they never really went away to the extent you are imagining. The world is full of people with opinions that are unacceptable and likely will remain that way for the foreseeable future."

Clearly Laura's not an optimist.

She shifts slightly, likely moving in response to the wind picking up to stay warm. She attempts a re-assuring smile for Meggan. Although it doesn't take an empath to know it's not an expression she uses often... "Thankfully no-one was hurt."

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
Meggan breaks into a grin. "For the better, I have to imagine. Making things up in the weird and mystic seems like a fine way to have it all blow up in your face, burn down your house, and leave you without shirt or pants on. Rather dangerous." A crackle of amusement sparkles and she spreads her hands. "Oh, I'd be happy to drag you along. You have a right proper drink and accent, you'll fit right in. Helps not being about nine feet tall with red skin too." She's probably teasing on the latter. Probably.

A slender smirk descends into a hinted frown as talk of Nazis rises and swells. "No, people with that viewpoint haven't ever gone away. But actual Nazi ideology? Like, want Hitler? Bother." The shiver of her shoulders earns a quick cross of her arms to avoid her hands flexing into fists. "Science weaponry. Ugh."

She is endlessly optimistic but Laura certainly dents that. "I suppose losing the bloody War didn't help. Obviously people with twisted thoughts never went away. Though if one's about..." Her teeth are bared slightly. "Good we don't have to worry much about injuries for the bomb."

Roland Livingston has posed:
"I suppose, technically, that's true," Roland admits to Laura with a thoughtful frown. "Seeing as how my income all comes from investments and such I suppose everything is a hobby now." There's some laughter at that before he gets a bit more serious, "I'm not particularly keen on Nazis of any stripe. A number of my ancestors fought them during the Second World War and I inherited their distaste for power mad fascists and murderous bigots."

Meggan is given a big smile, "I do enjoy a drink now and then and I certainly wouldn't mind meeting you for one, with or without your friends."

Laura Kinney has posed:
Laura Kinney glances between Roland and Meggan, then sniffs the air. "I think perhaps I will give you two time to get to know each other better," she informs. "I do have my run to complete after all." And those dead drops won't check themselves!

"People often tell me I should make more time for social engagements, so if you find yourself with some free time Carrie please feel free to stop by and say hi." There's an awkward wave, then she sets off at a remarkably quick jogging pace for such a petite young woman.

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
Laura's comment bites. Oh, but it's damnably funny, for the blonde puts her hand over her mouth and quirks a bright grin in spite of herself. "Oh night and stars. Is it that bad? Forgive me, I didn't mean to make you feel that uncomfortable if I did." She's not unkind about the admission, falling on the sword and giving Roland an out for any sort of offence done.

"Alas, we've no Nazis to kick about right now. More's the pity I figure."

Roland Livingston has posed:
"I'm not uncomfortable," Roland says with a slight smile. "No need to apologize or anything." Then he laughs at the remark about fighting Nazis, "I'd rather there not be any of those sorts of people at all, but if they do show up I know you're up for helping me deal with them."