August 09, 2017:
Mera and Kitty meet on Coney Island. Mera is searching for Arthur, Kitty is curious about the Atlantean woman.
Coney Island
Characters
NPCs: None.
Mentions:
Plot:
Mood Music: [*\# None.]
Fade In…
It's the height of tourist season for Coney Island. Visitors from all over come to visit this iconic historical amusement park, some from much farther away than others. Oddly, though, the woman dressed in an unusually glimmery green bodysuit with arms and feet bare and red hair in wet, messy waves to her shoulders isn't wandering through the rides or the games of skill. Instead, she's walking along the waterline UNDER the steeplechase pier out past everything else.
*
Kitty is used to a lot of strangeness both in New York and being a mutant. However, she generally doesn't charge out to make note of them. However, when someone is walking out along the waterline and under the steeplechase, she can't help but investigate. Generally, Kitty can walk on air if she really concentrates, but she wishes to focus more on the woman rather than where her feet are right now. Moving up to the surf, she looks behind her and the forward, calling out, "Everything okay, ma'am?"
*
The woman turns at the voice calling out to her, the armor-like coverings on her arms from wrist to elbow and the clearly gold-and-jewels headpiece holding her hair back from her face declare her to be … different.
If Kitty was paying attention to regional news a year or two back, she might remember a HUGE ruckus on the beaches of Metropolis, a gigantic battle between the powered people there and Atlanteans. Or people claiming to be Atlanteans. Some of them might have even worn garments similar to the woman now standing with the surf washing over her feet.
"Ah, yes. I am fine. Thank you for your concern." Even her voice is a bit odd, with an accent that is a mix of coastal Maine and something decidedly NOT American.
*
As a woman generally attuned to the news generally because she likes to know when she and people she knows are in it, she recognizes the armor and what it might stand for. The mutant might not be a high clearance level, but she watches Mera warily, not knowing exactly what is going on here, but starting to understand the forces at play. "Good. That's good. You're…from Atlantis, right?" Kitty's attempt to me nice is awkward, but she's trying!
*
The woman's gaze sharpens a bit at that, and she studies Kitty with the alertness of someone combat-trained. And then, just as quickly, she relaxes again. "I am, yes. I am Mera of Atlantis." She introduces herself with a small, almost regal-seeming nod. "My husband did not have time to bring me here so I thought to visit on my own." It isn't the same without Arthur here, and her expression probably reflects her thoughts.
*
Kitty is, also, combat trained. Though she stands on the shore and looks relaxed, the sharpened gaze makes her tense before the entire moment passes. There's only a few thing she knows about Atlantis and she realizes it's already not enough. As Mera introduces herself, Kitty smiles and offers a hand. "I'm Kitty Pryde. It's nice to meet you! No need to bring your husband, you're in Coney Island and it's great. We can get you a Nathan's hot dog and a ride on the Cyclone. Everyone should do that when they visit. So, is this a vacation? Or, you know, mission gathering?" It's a serious question wrapped around her nonchalant manner.
*
Mera looks at Kitty's hand for a moment, then remembers what Arthur told her about handshakes. So she shakes the young lady's hand with the awkwardness of little to no practice. "An honor to meet you, Kitty Pryde." She tilts her head slightly at Kitty's assertion that Arthur didn't need to accompany her. "I suppose, but as he lived as s Surfacer for a good portion of his life, there are many … societal differences that I am still learning about." Like the fact that she can't bring her own anemones or sea urchins to a nice restaurant. And breaking a man's arm fort trying to slap her ass is frowned upon. Little things.
*
Right, societal differences. Kitty just smiles and shaves Mera's hand. It's an awkward handshake, but it's over shortly and she certainly doesn't seem to mind. "It's good to meet you, too! If this is your first time on Coney Island, I"d be glad to show you around. Do you eat meat? Some people don't and I don't actually eat a lot of pork or bacon, but I've heard the hot dogs here are amazing, so we can get you one of those. That's a good Surfacer thing to experience."
There's a blink and a smile. "Are you here for a particular reason? Or just for a visit? Either way, I hope I can help."
*
"I have been here before. A young man insisted I try something called a 'funnel cake'. It was … much too sweet." As most Surfacer foods seem to be. They're either overly sweet or overly artificial tasting. She thinks that Arthur has given her a hot dog before, but she can't remember for sure. The names are all so nonsensical she can't ever keep track of them. "I am simply here for a visit."
*
Funnel cakes are too sweet, got it. Kitty can't help but laugh at that. "Funnel cakes are pretty sweet. They're basically fried dough with sugar. So, got it. Maybe a hot dog is not the way to go, then. Though, that's more salty than sweet. But, still, pretty artificial. I think." Knowing that she is here for visiting purposes rather than an ocean's might vengeance, she grins. "Cool. So, sight seeing? The Natural History Museum is great. I recommend the dinosaurs. Also, like I said, the Coney Island rides while we're here. I've got today off."
*
The rides hold no interest for Mera, that much is clear. But… "Museum? Arthur has mentioned those before, but I have yet to visit one." And then there's that word: dinosaur. Completely new to her. "He insisted that anytime I visit the surface I carry this with me." She pulls a gold-colored credit card from underneath the front of her shirt near her collarbone. It's as soggy as the rest of her, but doesn't appear to have any signs of corrosion.
*
Blinking at the cold covered credit card, Kitty looks at it and Mera. "Well, you've certainly got options if you want to explore," she tells Mera with a bit of a smirk. The question about the museum is met with a surprised expression, quickly replaced by the joy of a geek explaining something she is passionate about. "Yes! They have a wide array of bones from the creatures the were extinct before there were humans. It's fascinating. I highly recommend it, since you haven't been to museums yet. You won't even need the gold card. But, believe me, that'll open quite a lot of doors."
*
Mera tucks the card away again, clearly having also been warned about giving others the chance to steal it from her. "Let's visit this museum, then. Will these dinosaur bones be similar to whale bones on the ocean floor?" Those are always useful finds for Atlanteans.
Letting Kitty lead the way, the journey to the Museum is uneventful enough, though once they're at the building the red-haired woman pauses. "I need water. Where is there water?" It must be dire straits, her hair has actually stopped dripping and started to dry.
*
Kitty takes Mera to the the museum, though it's a bit through the subway and she's glad to explain what she can. "It'll be similar, but less water," she explains. The museum is always a fun destination for Kitty and she easily explains and shows what she can.
Mera needs water and she blinks. "There's a restroom nearby! There's always a water fountain nearby. There's also bottled water."
Nodding, Mera turns once, then almost unerringly makes a beeline for the nearest restrooms with water fountains beside them. She stops and stares at the water fountain, then frowns. "I can feel the water. It's trapped inside." She reaches as if to twist the fountain's spigot completely off.