January 20, 2018:
Time Displacement. Transmutation. Strange Creatures. — A typical New York bus stop.
Brooklyn
A bus stop. In Brooklyn.
Characters
![class="image1"](http://cmbeta.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images//class="image1"/medium.jpg)
NPCs: None.
Mentions:
Plot:
Mood Music: [*\# None.]
Fade In…
It really was nothing. Literaly nothing. As far as she was concerned it was pretty much hear reaching out and slamming a man into a pole. The woman screeched as her purse was snatched and then Astrea snatched the man who had taken the purse and slammed him into a pole. He let out a groan and slid to the ground unconscious. She then returned the purse. The woman insisted on buying Astrea a meal. Astrea couldn't really decline because…well she was hungry but did mention it was nothing still. Now, she sits on a bench near a bus stop eating on a hotdog and sipping at this odd fizzy drink she was given, "Strange." She looks at the drink again. Her mask is pulled down so she can eat to reveal the face of a young woman, possibly not even out of high school age.
Erik Stevens is a man that hasn't been in America for quite some time. A lot of people think he's dead. Others know where he's been. Right now, though, he's out for a walk. His hands are in his pockets and he very much seems to be just be passing through on his way to relearning his way around. He's cleverly paying close attention to his surroundings even though it looks as though he's likely not. He's just a man that's wandering up to the bus stop and leaning against the pole there. As he did such a long time ago.
He turns a bit to look at the other person at the bus stop and raises an eyebrow at her statement. He can't help himself. He has to engage. Not to mention, the bus probably won't be here for another twenty minutes or so. "What is?" Might as well find out what's so 'strange'…
Looking up from her meal, she looks at him, "This drink." She holds it up for him to see, "They call it cola. It is very strange. Fizzy and interesting, tasty to say the least but acidic in nature." She nods her head, "I can't imagine it is healthy overy time." She then shrugs and takes a sip, "Not that it might really harm me all that greatly." She nods her head as she looks over at the hotdog, "Of course, this is also interesting as it is said to be a hot dog and yet is made not at all of dog."
"It's delicious though, isn't it?" Erik remarks with a bit of a smile. He's figuring that this girl is just playing her role of whatever character she's dressed up as even better than she probably should be. Normally, he'd be a little weirded out by someone dressed as she is and talking as she does but this is New York. He has to remember that some very strange things are going to be going on around here. Even stranger than what he's used to. "There's nothing quite like a street dog from this city. Except maybe a street dog from Chicago. But this is the next best thing." Erik grins and continues his leaning against the pole. "Careful with those sodas, though. Once they get you, they got you." Erik attempts to warn her against that sugary deliciousness and its addictive taste!
Looking over at him, Astrea blinks, "Chi-cago?" She asks and there's definitely an irish lilt to her voice as she looks at him, "And they get you?" She looks at the drink and then dumps it out before looking back at him, "Thank you for the warning, I do not need to be gotten by some soda." SHe nods and then sets the cup aside, "I am curious, what is your name? I am known as Astrea."
"Yeah. They make it taste so good that you can't get enough of drinking it. Happened to me when I first got to the States. I shook the habit, though. Found something else to obsess over. Y'know how it is." Erik extends a hand when greetings become the next part of the conversation. "I'm Erik. Nice to meet you, Astrea." He motions at her chosen attire. "I gotta' say, I'm definitely diggin' this whole Medieval Times vibe you got going on here. Well done." Compliments away!
"You are diggin'?" She then tilts her head before looking to the side, "I am not entirely sure what it is you are sayin'. You have a strange way about ye." She nods her head and then looks to the hotdog and finishes it in a single bite before looking back to him, "Thank you, I suppose. Not really somethin' I did for compliments." She nods her head before looking back to him with a shrug, "I am not really sure how to take your uh…vibe though I'm sure it is a good one."
Currently the pair of Astrea and Erik are sitting on a bench near to the bus stop in Brooklyn. An empty soda cup is next to Astrea and a wrapper of a hotdog is being folded up to be throw aside as she finishes up. Alice, if she is fast enough, might see the face of a girl, just barely a young woman, under that scarf that she pulls back up into place as she finishes up.
Erik grins a little bit more. "Diggin'. Like, y'know, I'm feelin' it. Uh…" It takes Erik a moment to figure out the proper translation but he goes for broke. "Ye attire is most fetching." Erik even tries on a bit of an English accent while saying that, as if he could get away with saying those words without it. He continues his leaning, getting more comfortable at this point, although he does lean over to scoop up the soda cup and gives it a toss towards the trash a little too far off. He makes it with a humble ease and turns his attention back to Astrea. "Basically, I like your outfit." Just in case his various attempts at compliments were lost.
There is a high pitched screech and clunk from a fancy vehicle coming down the street. White smoke starts to pour from the BMWs backside as it pulls over into the only available place. The bus stop. The car is stopped, emergency blinkers going, and the hood pops upwards. Steam pours out and a faint clicking is heard."I do not need this today," A crisp English accent precedes the petite blond who climbs from the driver side. Dressed in business casual, and layers, she comes around to the hood and lifts it up. Alice stares at the inside of the hood as her lips purse. The bad English accent, however, draws her gaze. "Ye is a bit dated,? She comments in her perfect and polished native accent.
A laugh and the girl actually puts a hand to the scarf where her lips would be, "Now, ye are a charmre, Erik." She stands up slowly and her accent is old irish in nature, definitely not faked and much older than what one might hear today. She glances over at Alice's…thing and then tilts her head. Astrea walks over toward it, taking a few steps and then states, "Ye strange carriage is makin' quite the odd sight." She nods her head, "I suppose they are not supposed to be doin' that?"
Of course, they are not alone and aren't even fully aware of it yet. Something slips from an alleyway nearby. A strange creature, its form hidden in darkness and odd undulations as it peers at the trio. The way it sees them, nothing more than heat and blood. The creature stalks carfully out of the shadows, moving along the street and behind cars, slithering almost in nature with its emaciated body seeming to flicker in and out of existance. As the creature nears, Astrea stands bolt upright and whips her pistol up in the general direction of the cars just as something vaguely dog like vanishes from sight as it comes out from behind a vehicle, "Move, ye two. Get behind me and prepare to run…" She glances left and right, eyes wide.
Alice turns and stares at Astrea as she speaks with very wide eyes. Surprise is evident as she says, "I haven't heard that kind of lilt in a long time." She looks the stranger over with new interest and a little worry. "Uhm, yeah. I blew a head gasket I believe," She explains with dismay. As the gun comes out she does back away with a frown, but mostly at the other woman. Noting it is pointed elsewhere she turns to look, no fear registering on her face. The business woman instead pulls her heels off and chucks them to the side.
A glance to the woman, "IN a long…err never-Move!" She screams suddenly as she leaps to the side with speed that is most certainly inhuman as what appears to be an emaciated dog leaps from out of no where and tries to pounce the woman. A claw merely catches part of her outfit but it doesn't get purchase as it skids to the stop and that odd hammer like weapon she pulls out comes swinging down. The creature gets clipped with a whine and then suddenly vanishes again as she looks to Alice. Astrea frowns, "Ye need to find cover or get inside. It's not safe." She nods her head and then her gaze starts to turn, following something unseen with her eyes, possibly that very beast, "I can't fight it and protect ye at the same time."
Alice frowns at the whispwolf as she takes a step back, crouching a bit. "Don't worry about me, I have military training," That is always the easiest, and most truthful, way for her to put things. Without the damned heels she can move easier and darts for her car's trunk. It pops open as she approaches and she pulls out a…water gun? "What is it?" She asks in that crisp old-money English accent. She pumps it and runs her pinky across the valve that lets her transmute the liquid inside. She is alert as she runs and puts her back near to Astrea. "Sorry, valuable research in there and I'm not leaving it."
Looking at the woman with some confusion, she shakes her head and states, "A beast. Blood hound or shadow hound is what I always called 'em but this one…" She blinks, "To your right!" She whips her pistol around, turning to fire it directly over the back of the beast who ducks under it while attempting to race in and snap a jaw around Alice's leg and yank her right to the ground if it can get at her, "This is naw for military, take care."
"Weaknesses?" Alice asks snapping into an old and familiar way of working. Yet she is no slouch when it comes to these things. As it goes for her legs she leaps back, teeth only causing scratches along her calf and tearing her nice slacks. "Oh now you did it. These were my faves!" And she unloads a blast of acid onto the creature from the water gun. "Eat acid, whisp-wolf!"
A look over at Alice as she fires what appears to be acid at the creature. A great deal of it hits the creature's flank as it was busy attempting to get her leg and missed. It screeches and bounces away a few steps before it seems to fade out. As it does fade away it whines and stares at Alice for a long moment. All that is left are its eyes for a brief moment before it is gone. Astrea looks as it fades and then states, "Never can be sure with creatures like that." She states, "Usually something beyond what man can bring is what is needed but fire always works best." She watches it carefully and then takes a breath, "I think it might be leavin' though, I'm not sensing or seeing it." She nods her head as she watches the area slowly scanning around, "Ya alright?"
Alice stares those eyes down as the fade with a deadpan seriousness. When it vanishes fully she looks around suspicious. The scratch barely has oozed, seeming to instantly coagulate, and she glances down. It looks deep, but she seems only irritated by it. "Hmph. Annoying, but acid usually works on most things. She runs her finger over the calve, changing the liquid back to harmless water in the barrel. "I will be fine. Where do they come from?? She asks still frowning as she looks around. "And do they keep a grudge? If so I don't want it following me home. The cats would object."
Shaking her head, Astrea states, "I do not know." She frowns as she focuses and her weapon flips open a moment. It seems like a bullet forms in the chamber as she snaps it shut and lets out a slow breath. She slides the weapon away and states, "Take care, those types of things…they get a taste for ya and they want more." She looks over at Alice, "From what I seen of 'em, you can't really kill them." SHe then looks forward, "Glad to know you are alright." She nods her head, "I think now I must be going."
Alice purses her lips at the anachronistic Irish woman. Thoughtful green eyes search her face and she nods. "I am very careful. You be careful too. Doubt We shall meet again, but let it be better circumstances," She says and moves to grab her flats and chuck the gear into the car. Then she is back in the driver seat and on the phone, pulling off wet and icy socks. Frostbite is bad mmm'kay?
Where did Erik go? When the car trouble began, Erik seemed to have disappeared. Stealth training makes it very easy to slip away. Perched above, on the pole of one of the street lights, a muscled figure in all black rises up to a standing height that really shouldn't be able to balance on such a thin surface. As the light of the moon passes by, the features on the costume look almost… cat-like.
And in the next moment? Its gone again…