Brief Title:
VSDSW
Characters:
Sandman, Spiral and Topaz
Scene Runner/Watcher:
IC Date:
02/06/2013
Location:
Central Park
Summary:
Bill and Topaz finish the conversation from the previous day. Spiral has bad timing.
Social or Plot:
TS:
No
Log:
==[ Central Park - New York ]==
Stretching half a mile wide down two and a half miles of the island, Central Park is the green heart of Manhattan. Despite an occasionally ugly reputation, fewer than a hundred crimes occurred in the entire park last year, and fewer than half of those were committed by strangers - the legendary Central Park mugger is a thing of the past. Instead, the park is a thriving place, filled with artificial lakes, footpaths, joggers, playgrounds, sculpture, children.
There are dozens of landmarks within the Park: the Great Lawn where open-air concerts and rallies are regularly held; Cleopatra's Needle, the obelisk donated to New York by Egypt; the Alice statue north of Conservatory Water, its giant mushroom usually swarmed by climbing kids; Belvedere Castle and Bethesda Terrace and Literary Walk and the Delacorte Theater and one of the last stands of American elms in the northeast - nearly two thousand trees protected from plague by their isolation.
Near the south end of the park, the Imagine mosaic in Strawberry Fields is frequently marked by flowers or candles left by visitors. Nearer the north end, the Reservoir covers a hundred and six acres, almost an eighth of the park's total space - though it no longer provides drinking water for New York residents, a decision that has cut down significantly on the number of supervillain attacks on the Park.
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It's a brisk afternoon in the city on Manhattan, winter clings like a cold iron fist and even dumped an inch or two of snow overnight. Winter weather doesn't stop the city or its denizens, and the park at the center of the Island is as busy as usual, with locals and tourists alike.
Amoung the casual strollers is Topaz, hard to miss in her bright, multi-colored duster. Her destination or business is unclear, though she does have a backpack slung across her shoulders which hangs low.
Coming up from the subway, which is unusual for him, Sandman is somewhat dressed for the weather as well. Despite his usual garb of green and black striped shirt and brown trousers. He wears a black pea coat over it. The weather does not affect him as much, but still, he opts to wear it. In the distance he can see the Avengers Mansion and almost shows a bit of bitterness, but he presses forward not paying much attention to anyone around him as his head is slung low, but the sight of Topaz and her amazing Technicolor duster does catch his attention o which be blinks and shouts her name rather loudly, "Yo! Topaz!"
Perhaps she was heading to the subway, she is heading in the right direction for it and it would be a warmer way of getting back to her bar than walking. With this many people around she has empathy drawn in tightly, not wanting to influence or be influenced by a stray emotion otherwise she may have detected the familar man before he called out. Giving him a warm smile she picks up the pace "Why, laadla, you are a pleasant surprise.
Standing a bit near the subway entrance, Sandman was exiting while Topaz was entering, "Well, this is weird. . .but cool." He smiles and appears genuinely pleased, "Yes a pleasant surprise. I don't think I have seen you outside of the bar." His body takes a more relaxed pose and his smile beams, "And what are you doing uptown?"
Making sure she isn't going to be in anyone's way, Topaz makes sure she isn't standing in the subway egress, "Shopping in Chinatown mostly. Meeting with a vendor or two. Mixing a little business with pleasure." she rotates her shoulders, pulling down on the straps of her backpack to hitch it up some, "And you? Taking another break from your hectic schedule?
Spiral abruptly pops into existence near the subway entrance. "So hectic." she echoes, eying Sandman with her white within white eyes while adopting a casual pose. "He ends up everywhere. Reminds me of someone.".
Then Spiral looks over at Topaz, blankly. Even more blankly than normal. She has no idea who Topaz is! "Hmm... poor timing, perhaps." she mutters, all her hands going to her hips. Somehow.
"Not quite. I was just leaving one. . .responsibility and heading towards another." as he gestures to the Avengers Mansion in the background. Sandman rolls his eyes at the mansion and returns his gaze towards Topaz, "So you know, there was something I wanted to ask you yesterday at the bar but I was feeling so rushed. It is important to find time and relax, right? So I wanted to know if you and I. . ." And then Spiral pops up. Poor timing indeed.
Her eyes follow his to the distant building and her expression changes to one of concern "One you wish you didn't have?" while it is phrased as a proper question, there is doubt there that she meant it as one.
Topaz nods in affirmation, though if she knew what the question was it doesn't show. A wrist turns, setting the bangles there to ringing, the movement giving her the focus for extending her empathic senses, just in time for the arrival of the multi-armed woman. It's enough to surprise her into taking a step away.
Spiral is the sort of person who generally causes people to step away, so she just smirks a suitably villainous smirk at Topaz. And for a moment looks her over intently - not a pleasant intent, either - before she switches to pleasantries. "Good morning, good afternoon, good whenever it is in this current frame of reference." she tells her breezily, before focusing back upon Sandman, the main person here who she is interested in. "The second meeting, and it's been much too long from your point of view, given present circumstances.". And she holds out one of her six hands to him, to be shaken.
Giving Spiral a rather annoyed look, Sandman sighs, "Spiral. . .Topaz. . .Topaz. . .Spiral." Knowing the two are somewhat mystics, he presumes they know each other of have heard of each other. When her hand is held out, he offers his and shakes it rather firmly, "Yes, it has been too long, I suppose."
The fact that Sandman knows this woman as well as not picking up any rampant hostility, at least not directed at her, Topaz relaxes. The name doesn't necessarily sound familiar, but most of the people she knows don't after give thier real names to other mystics. "Nice to meet you Spiral." she tells the woman, not even batting an eye at that fact she has multiple arms "This sounds serious. Should I make myself scarce?"
"No, not at all. It's not serious, just a little visit. We've met before, we meet again, under different circumstances, is all.". Spiral retreats a little. "Never mind. Bad timing, as I said.". And she waits, a little distance away, arms wrapped about herself.
"No no. . .Spiral is just odd. We never really know with her." Sandman then smiles and tries to salvage the situation, "Well, I have tried to ask a couple of times and since I have you here now, I may as well." He scratches the back of his head awkwardly as flecks of sand fly out most likely getting on Spiral as she goes a distance away, "Do ya want to maybe meet up some time outside of your bar and just be me and you and we can talk or somethin ?"
The smile returns to Topaz's face and there may be a bit of amusement at the man's nervousness. She probably arleady knows what's coming, since she has activated her empathy. When the question finally emerges she /doesn't/ ask the obvious 'like a date' question, not exactly "You mean like over dinner?
"Oh yeah. . .I'll even dress up and show ya a good time." Sandman blushes slight or the sand that composes his face reddens a bit more than usual. "But yeah, dinner and whatnot."
She could make this difficult for Sandman, but that really isn't Topaz style. Not if he doesn't deserve it. "Would a week night be alright?" since she runs a bar with a lively weekend crowd it would probably be impossible for her to go out on a weekend evening.
Spiral's smirk returns at all this, and she shakes her head a little. "It's good to see he has plenty of time off. Lots of time to waste... I see we're not going to get along very well much, either." she mutters acidly. "I'll leave you two to it for now, I think.". And with that she starts dancing, and eventually fades from view.
As Spiral heads out, Sandman grins widely, moreso that Topaz has agreed to the date, but also that Spiral is leaving. However, his Avengers id card goes off. He sighs as he shows it to Topaz and looks towards the mansion, "A week night it is." He slumps a bot and then his body shifts fully to sand and swirls around into the air aimed for the mansion. Though his disembodied voice speaks out, "I'll call you."
