Summary:A chance meeting in the botanical gardens Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
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The botanic gardens is a nice peaceful place. A place that people often come to just contemplate … anything. It's getting on midafternoon and the crowds have died down, the sheltered pathways providing a degree of quiet and privacy.
On one such path, not far from the entrance, a huge blue glowing wolf with a demonic caste is pacing. Behind it, a small dark skinned highly tattooed woman stands as it paces away from then returns to shove its head under her hand as she peers into a bush with a frown on her face.
"This sucks…" comes a comment from somewhere down the path, the source of the commentary not seen for several more moments. The voice is definitely female and bears something of a 'New Yawk' accent, but other than that there are no real details about the person who speaks until they happen around a bend, that being when Charlie comes into view.
Looking at a broken drone in her hands and not where she's going, she almost runs into those standing there, it being only at the last moment that she looks up and just in time! "Shi… whooops! Sorry. I need to pay attention to where I am going." She steps back upon noticing the wolf, it dawning on her that maybe this is a 'wrong time, wrong place' kind of scenerio. "Oh… uhm. I will leave you alone. Sorry!"
Bella, that's the wolf, turns and puts herself between the tattooed woman and Charlie. She doesn't growl or put her hackles up, it's a passive protective movement. "It's alright, Bella…" The accent is a mutts - a mixture of south american accents with just a hint of North American thrown in.
Despite Keiko's stature, there's a 'presence' to her. It might be the fact that her arms and shoulders are covered in tattooes of animals, one of that looks remarkably like the wolf in front of her. Or it might be the fact that her pupils are slitted. Or, that she simply doesn't smile.
"You don't have to leave us. I was just looking into something." The peruvian murmurs. The logo on the vest she's wearing says WAND. "What happened to your toy?" she nods to the drone and then glances back to the shrubbery with another frown.
Passive. That's good. Means Charlie won't get attacked just for happening upon the pair. But it really doesn't do anything to make her feel more comfortable. Putting a hand up, palm out, she takes a few steps back. And then a few more when she finally notices Keiko's eyes. Okay. This is New York City. People do things like wear contacts that give them cat's eyes and all that, right? This has got to be the case with her… right?
Asked about the drone, Charlie blinks, snapping out of her stupor. Chuckling nervously, the hand that has been held out is now placed at the back of her neck, her expression somewhat sheepish. "This? Oh. It's a drone I made. I was testing it out, wanting to see how it flies. But I got cocky and flew it right into a tree." And boy, it sure looks like it. Poor thing is mangled!
Bella takes a step or forward and snuffles Charlies hand. She's 'real' enough though not so real. Charlie might just wonder what the Demon Wolf is even though she seems friendly enough.
Keiko might be wearing contacts, it's hard to tell really. Though there is something slight 'off' in her interactions at the moment. That's highlighted by the way the small woman walks right into Charlies personal space to inspect the drone in her hands.
"We got a report about something flying through the bushes here. The witness said it looked like a small dog … was your drone flying around about an hour ago?"
Ohhhhkay! Good… doggie? Hopefully Bella doesn't pick up on Charlie's welling nervousness, the discomfort growing as Keiko steps inside her personal space bubble. The last thing she needs, or wants, is to be bitten because she is feeling twitchy. Breathing deeply, she is quiet for a while, several second passing before she thinks to speak again.
"Wait. What? Oh, no, I don't think my dron would be mistaken for a flying dog." Upon closer inspection one will notice that it is more insect like, perhaps a dragonfly or some other flying bug, not anything that'd be mistaken for being canine in design.
Pausing again, Charlie looks at Keiko, confusion obvious on her expression. "There are flying dogs?"
Bella seems to settle, peering at Charlie, her tail doesn't wag but neither does she growl. If she's picking up the nervousness, it's not showing - that's good right? Keiko doesn't seem to notice, or perhaps it's care about, Charlie's discomfit.
"You'd be surprised. People report all sorts of things and they turn out to be the farthest thing from what they saw." The peruvian answers. "And there are creatures that look like flying dogs, but they aren't in anyway canine."
If they aren't canine, then what are they?
"It's possible they saw your drone and reported what they *thought* they saw."
Charie looks at the wolf and offers her a smile, feeling a little less anxious. Lack of puncture wounds is a good thing. Makes it easier to be a bit more personable while conversing with Keiko. The tension in her shoulders ebbs and the shifting from foot to foot slows some, the blonde no longer looking like she might bolt at any time.
"I have only been here for about twenty minutes," Charlie murmurs while looking at her watch, "so it definitely wasn't my drone." And no, she's not thinking too hard about what it could've been since it wasn't a drone, most likely.
"Then it wasn't this." Keiko answers, glancing back to the shrubs and shaking her head before turning her attention back to Bella. "Bella, go seek…"
The demon-wolf leans against Keiko's leg for a moment and then takes off down the path at leisurely lope, leaving the two women with the drone.
"This is interesting. I've not seen a drone like this. Where did you get it?" beat "I'm Keiko. My partner is always telling me I need to be more … polite."
The wolf is watched for a moment but then she turns her attention fully to the conversation, Charlie grateful for the chance to relax fully. "This? Oh, I made it," she says. There's no bragging to her tone. Nope. Nothing like that. Just a matter-of-fact telling the truth. "Drones are something of a specialty of mine. I make them for fun." Okay, now that's not the truth, but she isn't sure how Keiko would react to the real reason she makes them.
Poking at the little device, she sighs and shakes her head. "I guess I can scrap this for parts, if nothing else." Which is a shame, considering this was one of her best drones she ever made. Oh well. Maybe the next one will be even better.
"You made this?" Keiko asks. Bella is scenting the path, pushing in and out of the shrubs as she moves. The peruvian watches Charlie's face for a moment. "For fun. Why would you do that?" Given Keiko's a luddite when it comes to technology, the question seems fair to her.
Still in Charlie's comfort zone, the tattooed woman reaches out to touch the device. "Is it not recoverable? I thought these things were repairable." Of course, she's used to working with SHIELD and their equipment. Which is definitely not cobbled together from scraps.
"Yeah. I did. It's kind of a hobby of mine." Again, Charlie's being a bit evasive where the real reason she makes this goes, the fact that she is an up and coming vigilante something she doesn't think will go over very well. "You know. Some people read books. Some people watch movies. I build stuff." Insert a sincere-yet-somewhat-discomforted smile here.
As for the subject of repairs? "Most things usuallly are, but I tend to have to build on a budget, so if something bre…" It is at this point that her phone buzzes in the kangaroo-like pouch of her hoodie, causing her to frown. Pulling it out, she reads the text only to then swear under her breath. "Well, looks like I'm being called into work to cover someone's shift. Got to go! Nice meeting you." There's no time for Charlie to exchange contact info as she has to run home, get into her work clothes, and hurry to her job.