Summary:Avery and Gwen meet again, and encounter the artist Angela Carpenter Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
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Now, Avery is generally a pretty active young lady, the one time prior that she and Gwen briefly met Avery was jogging full out while recovering from a gunshot wound a week or so prior. Tonight finds the girl at the park again, but she's not running, nope. Tonight the hyperkinetic young woman is dressed in simple sweats, hair tied up in a simple knot, and is practicing the slow and beautiful movements of Tai Chi. It is like watching a dance in slow motion as she moves in a small circle, using circular motions to go through the forms with good form.
It's a good night to practice Tai Chi, as there seems to be a small gathering of people doing it, not just Avery. Including, as it turns out, Angela Carpenter, who needed to get out of her studio for a little bit apparently. The redhead is just wearing a T-shirt and leggings, with her hair tied back with a yellow scrunchie. She moves fluidly, and with better precision than you'd expect for a typical human.
Someone who is not doing Tai Chi is Gwen Stacy. The young university student is walking through the park, with a backpack slung over her shoulder and a set of earbuds plugged into her ears. She's walking at a fairly brisk pace, winding her ways through the trees, and apparently listening to a lecture on tape (or rather, lecture .MP3 on phone, to be more accurate). Her path eventually carries her into the area where the Tai Chi is happening, at least! And she totally recognizes Avery! Or she would, if she were paying attention.
One nice thing about being Avery - her perceptions are extraordinarily acute, where most people see about 60 frames per second, she sees a LOT more, as in she can see the individual beats of a hummingbird's wing, she can actually SEE bullets in flight. She cannot move as fast as a speedster, but she perceives like one and that allows her to be pretty darn aware of what goes on around her. This allows HER to see Gwen, and recognize the other girl.
She finishes her current form, and then slips out to intercept the other blonde, waving a bandaged hand. "Hello again." Yup, she's hurt again, but hey - not running at least!
Angela passes a glance over towards Avery and Gwen, noticing the bandage on the former, and blinking a bit. She does, however, continue following through on her form. Absently, she sings a little bit, a wordless melody perfect of pitch as it just seems to be an absent-minded affectation, not directed at anyone in particular as she focuses on completing the pattern.
Gwen almost misses a step, but gracefully recovers, when she's greated; even without a name attached, she reckognizes it as being for her, indeed. "Oh! Hello." She thumbs her phone to pause the lesson and pulls the buds out of her ears, as she changes course to meander over towards Avery. "Have we… yes, we *have* met, right around here the other day," she observes. "And I see you're still hurt, but at least it's a less major injury this time? I hope it gets better soon." She comes to a stop by Avery, but tilts her head to listen to Angela's singing for a moment. "She's got a good voice," she comments.
"Oh, this?" She holds up the hand. "Aye, is a different injury at least and not nearly so grim, Gwen." She doesn't seem to be too bothered, and she does look a lot healthier than previously too. A smile to the other girl as she mentions the singing. "Aye, the ginger, she's a lovely voice in truth." Since they're speaking of Angela Avery looks over that way and smiles, before turning her gaze back to Gwen. "How have you been? Were you able to reach work in timely fashion the other night?"
Angela blinks a bit, hearing the other two talking about her voice, and she blushes slightly. Then she smiles and waves, making her way over to the two, "Sorry, couldn't help but overhear that… and well, thanks." She shrugs a bit, "Been singing for a while now, though I don't really do much with it." Her voice is very melodic, really, the pitch perfect even with just speaking, notes rising and falling in her words as she definitely seems to be a natural.
"Nope!" Gwen shrugs her shoulders, "I was a good ten minutes late. Got yelled at by the boss. But, it's totally okay, because I found a new job so I told him he could be a jerk to the next person he suckers into working for him." She shrugs emphatically, just as Angela is approaching. "So how'd you hurt your hand?" She pauses as Angela talks about overhearing. "Oh! You've got good ears, too," she observes, blushing softly. "And, well, you do have a great voice, but what you do or don't do with it is up to you." She smiles pleasantly, "I'm Gwen, by the way. Gwen Stacy."
"I have never understood the use of 'good' when added to being late, it seems like a not so good thing, mm?" A smile though at the news of Gwen's getting a new job. "That is most excellent news! I take it the new job be an improvement over the old? The boss less of a jerk?" She is about to answer about the hand when Angela joins them. "Ah, very nice to meet you miss, I am Avery Aaronson." A hand is pressed splay-fingered to her chest, and she inclines her head politely. Of course this greeting is /way/ out of fashion for 21st century New York.
Angela smiles warmly at Gwen, "Angela Carpenter, and thanks. I do a little singing at the karaoke nights over in SoHo, since that's right by my studio." She pauses, then adds, "Oh, I own an art studio there, since… well, that's where everyone seems to gather for that. I specialize in blacksmithing, though I dabble in a little bit of everything." She smiles genuinely at Avery's gesture, and returns it easily, "Likewise, good to meet you Avery."
"That. Is. Cool." Gwen is suitably impressed at Angela's decleration of blacksmithing, and it shows with raised eyebrows. "I don't think I've ever met a blacksmith before. I'll definitely have to come check out your shop sometime!" She grins, and nods to Avery as well. "Internship at Ishiguro Industries, in their Biotech division, which fits nicely with what I'm studying at University. It's Japanese owned so the management is just… really really polite, basically. Much better than a guy who gets his socks in a twist if you leave the corndogs in the deepfrier for thirty seconds too long."
"I never really sang much, I do like dancing however." Of course she likes the physical activity! Avery also lights up at the mention of blacksmithing. "Blacksmithing? Or weapons? Or armor?" She beams when Angela greets her in the same fashion. With Gwen chiming in about the smithing, she nods agreement. "A trip to see the shop would be most intriguing I am sure." Avery's eyes take on a teasing light. "Well, I should think that corndogs in the frier too long would be a bad thing in a biotech company, would it not?" Yup, she's teasing alright.
Angela chuckles, "Well, I'd be more than happy to let you see the studio. I keep the display pieces in the front… and yes, I actually do most of my business forging weapons and armor. Mostly for the cosplaying crowd and such, so it looks authentic." She grins, "No edges on the blades, honest, but I try to be accurate, and I daresay the work shows." She hmms, "Well, you would hope they were corndogs, in that case…"
Gwen smirks, "Yes, well, luckily I don't cook corndogs anymore. Now I get to just eat 'em. The new job is research, so I get to see how computer equipment holds up to bacteria. I mean like, the space age computer stuff, like you have to be wearing one of those thin white snowsuits if you want to go into a clean room with it." She pauses, "Well, I guess we could try contaminating something with corndog crumbs, and see what happens." She clasps her hands behind her back, and looks suitably impressed once more. "Okay, you said blacksmith, and I'll admit I was thinking like… horseshoes and tools and stuff, which was awesome anyway, but now you've just gone to the next level and I'll be there to see your swords as promptly as I can arrange it."
"Why would you not make a sword to do swordly things?" Avery doesn't appear familiar with what cosplay is. The concept of a sword without an edge is baffling to her too. Which might strike Angela and Gwen as a little odd, then again, so's Avery's accent. Rather British - only /off/, like what an actor in the US might do, kind of. A laugh. "Hope and corndogs, one could write a sonnet."
Avery nods to Gwen. "Quite right." Though the research angle of things leaves her a little lost, until she gets all excited about the studio. "I don't suppose one could commission a sword on trade?" Avery asks with a grin. "I should like very much to see your work, Angela. A skilled metalworker is a rare thing."
Angela chuckles, "Well, it's for display, like an accessory. And frankly, seeing some of these people try to use a blade, it's for the best that they aren't real edges." She tilts her head, "Well, trade for what I suppose would be the question, but some sort of bartering can be done, easily enough." She grins, "And it is pretty rare these days. Everyone does mass production or 3D printing and such, and that just loses… something, in the art of it." Her voice sounds a little sad at that.
"I couldn't imagine 3D printing a sword," Gwen replies, "I mean… that'd… lose a lot, I feel? I'd much rather have one made by a skilled craftsman, even if I have to pay extra. And personally, I totally don't mind it not having a sharp edge, so I don't accidentally chop my head off or something." Not that she would, not with a recent infusion of superpowers, but that's not something she can admit to, is it? "if you can write a sonnet about corndogs, Avery, I'm impressed… and that'd by why I'm a biochemist, and not a journalist or something."
"Well, I have little enough to offer, Angela." Avery smiles. "I was mostly being wistful, though…were I to seek a sword I would want a proper one." A grin. "I could pump the bellows and such, do the grunt labor to your art." A shrug. "Still, even just to see your works would be most fun methinks."
Avery grins to Gwen. "Aye, that seems a tad off, though I suppose if you only needed a replica twould serve well enow." A smirk. "I shall work on one ere we check out the studio." Avery promises. "I make no promises as to quality of course."
Angela grins, "Well, we can see how things work out. Here, have my card." She pulls out a pair of cards, offering one each to Avery and Gwen, complete contact information for Carpenter Studios on there. "But I wouldn't mind having you come by to visit. The studio is… pretty expansive, and I'm always taking commissions when I can. SoHo rent is not cheap." She grins, "But, for now I should probably get back there. It was nice meeting both of you, and I hope you do stop by."
Gwen takes one of the cards, and disappears it promptly into one of her pockets. "Perfect," she grins, and bobs her head to Angela. "Thank you very much, I'll definitely make it over. With any luck, I might make it at the same time as Avery does." She stretches lightly, and tugs on the shoulder straps of her backpack. "On that note, I should probably vamoose as well. I have studies I've got to get on with." Not to mention crime to fight, but that thought doesn't leave her skull. "Enjoy teh rest of your Tai Chi, yes?"
"Thank you." This to Angela, and then Avery looks to Gwen. "Thank you. I hope you enjoy your studies." A thought then, and she takes out a pen, and if permitted will jot her number on back of the card Angela gave her, then holds the card out to Gwen. "A trade perhaps?" Along with a quirky grin.
"Seems like a good trade, so yes!" Gwen pulls her card back out, along with a pen (she's a student so she's got lots of course), and scribbles her number down on the back of it, along with her name. "Here you go," she offers, taking Avery's card in trade. "I was just thinking, you know, this would be a lot easier if we traded phone numbers and didn't rely on chance ot meet up."
"Well, then, we have done this and well done indeed." Avery happily accepts the card from Gwen. "Thank you for this, perhaps you might join Carin and I for the next movie night, or something? Movies are fun, they are much -more- fun with friends." The card and pen are tucked in her pocket and she smiles at Gwen. "Twas very nice to run into you again, twice met is good, but I don't know that a third meeting was likely, mm? Better to exchange numbers as we did."
"Movie night? Count me in." Gwen grins, "Especially if it's a Kung Fu movie, I love those. Subtitled and full of corny effects and everything." She disappears the traded card, before taking a backwards step. "Alright, I'd better be a responsible adult — man it feels weird saying that — and finish walking home so I can study." And fight crime. "See you soon for a movie!"
"I look forward to it. Be thee well, Gwen. Enjoy your adulting." Avery ponders, then will hug the girl very briefly, before she returns to her Tai Chi practice. Sure, it is still exercise, but at least it is at a slower pace than running full out, right?
The hug catches Gwen just slightly off guard, it being rather on the unexpected end of the scale, but if she's shocked in any way she doesn't show it. After a moment's awkwardness, she returns the hug, just before Avery breaks off to return to getting good at Tai Chi. "You take care, too," Gwen replies. "See you later!" And with that, she's off. To go fight cri— study. Right.