Brief Title:
Characters:
Isotopic Man, Dagger, Morbius
Scene Runner/Watcher:
IC Date:
11/26/12
Location:
The Bronx
Summary:
Isotopic Man meets Dagger, while the Living Vampire notices something strange…
Social or Plot:
TS:
No
Log:
Early night. Bronx. The Isotopic man is walking seemingly aimlessly in the bronx, just
casually cruising along, wearing his Eastern European student attire, which in this case
consists of a long trench like greatcoat, a scarf and a hat, bushy wig and bushy false
eyebrows. It gets cold in new york at night, even in the city. Long pants, long sleeves,
shoes, cheap camera tucked away in overcoat one pocket in case he encounters... whatever it
is he is looking for. He'll read strangely to anyone with life detection, whether it be
telepathic esp or other forms of life detection. Something weird, more like the background
rock materials than a normal life form, but nothing specifically threatening or specifically
horribly dangerous.
And indeed, a figure quietly glides over the rooftops, his senses keen, alert for the signs
of trouble, and especially keyed in for the scent of blood that drives him to such
distraction tonight. For while there has been a bit of a lull in criminal activity over the
last few nights, that does little good to the Living Vampire.
And while he does not detect what he seeks, as his eyes pass over the streets below
he takes another look...strange...warm, but the scent...something is rather wrong here. He
turns in flight, his violet, fabric 'wings' fluttering as he drops down to a nearby fire
escape, perching atop the railing, one hand reaching down to steady himself, a dark mass,
tattered at the edges, difficult to see. His thirst not yet so great as to overpower his
curiosity.
Dagger was walking thru the streets in the bronx wearing her jacket and cap as she scannd
the foot traffic and surrounding area, looking for anything suspicious. Blonde hair bouncing
around her shoulders, white legs in heels clicking on the pavement.
Click. The Isotopic man raises his hand discretely, camera in it, and takes a picture of the
abandoned tenement house, seemingly at random. The camera slides back into his pocket,
having only just barely been lifted out of it. He continues walking, becoming visible to
dagger as he rounds a corner, heading towards her rather than away from her on a close
pass-by path, doing his darndest to blend into the crowd and be as generic as possible,
muttering 'wagga wagga' as he passes through crowds so that he appears to be making generic
background conversation, the muttering not audible over other people, so only the moving
mouth would indicate the action, though thats enough.
Strange indeed, Morbius thinks. Taking a picture? The strange body, the murmuring? Not
exactly criminal activity...but with the thirst gnawing at the edges of his consciousness,
he decides to at least look into this. The dark shape detaches itself from he fire escape
and drifts across to the other side of the street. He will not land, of course, not when
there are people about.
Dagger notices the man trying too hard to blend in and keeps a discreet eye on him as she
walks toward him to intercept. Turning her head up as she notices a shadow float above, hmm
something familiar about that..
The Isotopic Man notices the discreet eye on him, and positions himself so that when Dagger
and T.I.M. meet, both parties will have to stop and then change paths either to the right or
the left, T.I.M. Deliberately choosing whichever way Dagger attempts to go the first two
times and then choosing the opposite way the third time, assuming thats how this plays out.
If Dagger has a means of detecting energy she will detect faint background rads during this
period of close proximity.
The woman...does he know her? The Living Vampire ponders as he clings to the side of the
opposite wall, a shadowed smudge.
Dagger goes one way then the other with a smile, that pesky cute C on her face glowing
softly as she gently touched his arm "Next dance perhaps?" she makes a joke about their
shuffling "Are you alright?"
The Isotopic Man smiles politely, nodding his head once. He steps back, then speaks in
swiss. "since I didn't see any indication that dagger spoke swiss, I left this
untranslated". Dagger's sense of touch detects that the clothing contains something other
than traditional textiles, but he steps back before she is able to fully identify it. He
pauses for a moment. Hmms. Picks up a small notebook and flips through several pages written
in chinese, before he writes in plain, painstaking english and shows it to dagger. "I sorry.
Only western language I speak swiss. Name Igor. Understand english but do not speak it."
How interesting. Morbius looks down, Chinese? Igor? The murmuring, the picture, something is
definitely odd, when put all together. But still...the young woman...where has he...?
Ahhh...her eye. The strange crescent mark. Careless. But where is her partner? Lurking
nearby? He raises his head, scanning the shadows for anything darker than night itself...but
finds nothing.
Dagger puzzles at what she picks up but smiles warmly "Well it's nice to meet you Igor, I'm
Tandy. How are you this evening?" offering her hand to shake in greeting.
The Isotopic Man writes in the next line, "I do well tonight. New York very different from
where I from. Remote city in siberia. This is bronx?" Then shows it to tandy. He doesn't
look up or make any attempt to give any indication whether he even knows morbius exists or
not. At least, he doesn't till he randomly looks in a direction as if he heard something. He
didn't, it was an artfully concealed means of checking for a follower, though he blends it
into his casual behavior well. Very well. Then he writes, "Are you dancer? Remind me of
ballerina in cultural theater." Showing it to dagger once more.
Little to do but watch, it seems...Morbius pushes the thirst down again, his teeth grinding
softly. He will -not- be ruled by his base, predatory instincts. And again, this is all so
very strange, and some of his more refined instincts are telling him this certain
strangeness bears watching.
Dagger smiles with a nod "It is the bronx yes, part of new york city. Are you here on
vacation?" then reads the next message with a blush "That's very observant of, I took
lessons for a number of years yes, a favorite past time of mine" well when she found the
time for it amidst her own crime fighting
The Isotopic Man noticing the out of place shape but giving no easy indication of it, he
writes on the page. "I work in cultural theater as lights technician. I see many famous
ballets performed by troops from russia, china." Shakes his head to the question of
vacation, and writes in the book. "Seeking temporary job in industry here. Graduate level
student. Winter break, need to boost grade and can do so with temp job. Has to do with
computers." He shows both written quotes to her then writes and shows a question. "Where you
heading, if you don't mind me asking?"
Dagger smiles reading "Oh I see, you must be looking forward to graduating then? I always
loved the ballet" then looks up scanning the the buildings above, well least it wasn't
spiral again, she still had to ask about that crazy woman. Then looks back to the paper and
smiles with an easy shrug "No place in particular, at night I like to just wander the city,
it's so pretty withg all the lights, I never seem to get tired of it"
The Isotopic Man writes in the little book and shows it to dagger. "I look forward to
graduate. I find that ballet of the later 19th century lack the style of ballet from 18th
cent." Then the next sentence. "I see. I wander as well. Not totally new to new york, just
new to this area. Know where good chinese place is. You come? Not to far away. Mother was
from china, so trust when say I know good chinese food." Well that does explain one detail
that was only slightly obvious at first. Igor has slanted eyes.
Dagger smiles nodding "You definitely know your ballet" taking a moment to consider. She
didn't have any money, never did, but she was hungry and getting him inside would get
atleast one person away from a certain lurker up above but she hated taking advantage of
such a nice foreigner "That sounds wonderful but I must give you a tour in return"
The Isotopic Man writes in the book. "Sister part of chinese troop." Then writes, "That a
fair trade. Walk with me?" He puts the book in his pocket and crooks his arm in a way that
means join me. Whether she joins him in that way specifically or not, the place he's heading
is still in the bronx, which means if morbius decided to follow the stranger, who makes no
attempt to throw morbius off of his trail or even indicate awareness of morbius, morbius
still could follow, easily.
The Isotopic Man leading dagger up a block, across 2 blocks, and down another block, T.I.M.
leads her to a chinese food place thats labeled first in chinese and second in english. He
walks casually in, walks to a booth where he can both see out the front window and be seen
from outside, and gestures, allowing dagger to sit first if she wishes to do so, sitting
down after her but only after her, a pair of menus being brought out.
Dagger walks with him thru the city blocks and once inside she smiles dipping her head
graciously as she slid into her seat "Thank you very much Igor. So your mother was chinese?
And your father?" finding the idea of family interesting as hers was somewhat like a
revolving door.
The Isotopic Man sits and writes in the book, which he then shows dagger. "Mother chinese,
father nuclear technician. City a secret soviet era installation." Its well known that when
the soviet union existed certain cities within its borders were not published in maps, since
they were invariably small, remote, and dedicated to either varying levels of classified
research, or varying levels of covert industrial production. "Home near the russia mongolia
border." He writes after that, then, "Where your home? Family?" He looks over the menu,
reading it to himself calmly. Hmms. He writes on the notebook, "You like seafood?" then
slides it back over to Dagger.
Dagger smiles "That must have been a very interesting upbringing...and difficult too. I'm
glad you've done so well for yourself" she says genuinely. "My family? Let's see, home was
in Ohio, long ago. New york city is my home now, Holy ghost church. My mom is Mellisa Bowen,
of the Bowen family, and father figures...well they came and went like a revolving door. I
left home a lifetime ago"
The Isotopic Man glances up to a waiter and orders something very specific in flawless
chinese. Its not something on the menu, but whatever it is, its inherent to the chinese
enough that they know what it is and how to make it even though it isn't on the menu. He
then says something else to them in chinese, before looking back to dagger. He writes on the
paper. "I tell them it your birthday, Tandy from ohio. Holy ghost church catholic or
orthodox?"
Dagger blushes with a smile "It's been a very long time since I celebrated my birthday, I
may have forgotten when it is, so thank you. My name is Tandy Bowen but I just go by tandy.
The holy ghost church is an old catholic church" abandoned and falling apart but catholic
The Isotopic Man smiles smoothly as the dish arrives. Its some form of eel nuggets in a
light yellow sauce. He writes on the paper, "I figure why not. Father was orthodox
christian, that why he was in siberia. I pay for your order too." He eats the eel nuggets
with a pair of chopsticks, one nugget per bite, the eel nuggets a bit like sushi, sitting on
a cabbage leaf.
Dagger smiles warmly "I can't tell you how thankful I am for your generosity and I regret I
don't cary money with me" carry it? Heck she rarely /has/ it. Thankfully there was a bonus t
such a couture upbringing, you tended to be versed in an array of cuisines. Picking up the
chopsticks she took a moment to position them in her fingers before beinning to eat "So what
religion was your mother?"
The Isotopic Man writes on the paper. "My mother an atheist. I reserve judgement." Using the
chopsticks he continues to eat. "What you do for a living?" He writes on the paper, sipping
a small cup of something to drink as he finishes around 1/4th of his dish.
Dagger ate quickly but with the delicacy of an aristocrat but the speed of someone on the
streets. Ohh the dreaded question of a job, what to say what to say..without lieing "Well I
was raised catholic and since leaving home a priest was a very good friend of mine, even
though we didn't always agree. As for a living, you could say I work to keep people safe"
well it wasn't a lie!
The Isotopic Man hmmms. Writes on the paper. "A dagger in disguise as a flower is twice as
deadly. Are you a superhero of some sort? No specifics are needed, just yes or no." Eats the
eel cuts, finishing the second 4th of his meal now, sipping the drink again. Writes again,
"Priest stayed in our town, but he wasn't a practicing member."
Dagger smiles softly in respectful admiration "Not really, I just do what I can" admitting
that she was indeed a superhero, though she didn't consider herself a hero at all she just
fought crime and tried to help people where she could even if it meant she had nothing.
Something she never thought about as she put others before herself.
The Isotopic Man writes another line in the notebook, several waiters appearing carrying a
cake that resembles a cinnamon bun with chocolate on top of it. They wave sparklers, sing a
song in chinese, and leave. T.I.M. Laughs softly, showing the note to Dagger. "We all just
do what we do, its natural to be pragmatic. Theatrical, aren't they?"
Dagger blinks at smiling surprised at the flashy show, clapping her appreciation as they
finished "They're very sweet and this cake looks quite interesting" pragmatic might be one
way to put it, truely she simply didn't consider herself in the same class as other super
heroes. She was no hero, just a simple person doing her part to make things better for
others.
The Isotopic Man laughs again, finishing the last bit of his food. He writes. "Its an old
tradition. The cake is some sort of chocolate cinnamon eclair, I think." He speaks in
chinese to someone, who brings a ticket, which he easily pays, writing on the notebook
again. "We should meet again some time, if you care to, shouldn't we?" Sipping the drink.
Dagger smiles with giggle "Sounds amazing" now how to divide it? "Yes we should though I
think we may have garnered someone's attention. Perhaps next time above the hustle and
bustle?" Somehwere above the streets.
The Isotopic Man chuckles and writes. "It isn't hard for you to garner people's attention is
it? Have you looked in a mirror lately? As for the cake it's all yours." He chuckles and
drinks the last bit of drink, sliding the notebook over to Dagger. He writes one more
sentence, "I'm going to have to go fairly soon, are you safe to go home on your own?"
Dagger smiles dipping her head to him in gratitiude "Are you sure you don't want some?" then
at the notebook slid her way she smiles warmly to him with a nod "May I borrow your pen?" if
given she writes down 'I'm Dagger' then slides it back to him "Yes thank you I'll be fine to
find my way home though do be careful yourself please"
The Isotopic Man writes in the notebook. "I'll be fine to get home by myself, my ability is
deadly." The next line reads, "I'll get up and walk off in one direction and you in another.
There is a chance whomever is watching will follow me, rather than you. Once I get a few
things out of the way I'll look for you at the church." He then smiles and stands, slipping
the notebook into his pocket.
Dagger smiles brightly "Very good then, I shall see you soon" did that just come out like
something her mother would say? yikes. Dipping her head before offering her hand to shake in
good bye. She'd eat her dessert and leave the opposite direction, following the plan.