Players:
Summary: Hanging out in the park leads to other discoveries and a bouncy alien.
Date: April 8, 2009
Playful in the Park
Rating: PG
NYC - Central Park
Central Park is a large public park in upper Manhattan, largest areas of green with people reading, having a picnic, or playing Frisbee. Walking paths can be found all around the park. In-between the large area's of grass, the park is shadier with many trees. A large road circles the park where joggers, bicyclists, and inline skaters are commonly found.
With Spring gettin' underway, it seems that the weather is trying to keep up with the times. The sky is a lovely sky blue, the sun high in the sky and trying to bake the ground while there is a nice soft cool breeze rolling through the park. With a day off from school, Kaji's lounging in one of the trees. Sprawled out on one of the thicker branches midway up a tree with his backpack hanging off of his leg.
Down below Kaji, on the ground, is Cid. He's not up there because that's simply not where he belongs. He is, however, writing in a notepad as he hums softly. There's nothing strange going on here at all. Nope. "I really worry when you're up there." He offers with a half smile, looking up.
Pallaton seems to be on a mission of sorts, looking around and occasionally stopping to ask people about the latest story in the tabloids. You know, that one about the Fenrir kid and his accomplice at White Castle? Even despite the number of people in Central Park, he seems to be getting nowhere, which shows as his expression dips. Seems like he's getting nowhere fast. Or so he thinks…
It's not clear what brings Nightshade to Central Park today but then again, it's never entirely clear why the oddity does what he does. Leaping from tree to tree, he occasionally pops his head out of the leaves and sniffs the air before leaping to the next tree. A sudden feeling brings Nightshade to a halt. Turning, the strange little being heads right for the tree Kaji's lounging in as quietly as possible.
Dmitri has two words he really wants to write on all of his insurance forms, but since they would never reimburse him for the damage done to his shop in the most recent invasion if that were all he wrote on the forms the Earth Mover has instead decided to take a break form paperwork and take a walk in the one part of the city he feels most at home in. Forgoing his full cover with his prostetic leg and instead wearing one fully undercontrol of his powers thankfully hidden by his pants and shoe. Watching the park aorund him more than most people do Dmitri spots some odd movement in a tree, and Nightshade's leap from there to another tree, curiosity peeked he starts to follow the oddity.
Kaji lets out a small laugh, one of his legs just swaying in the air before he sits up; reaching for his backpack to use that as a cushion for his back. "I have the grace of a cat when it comes to climbing in trees. Used to do it forever when I was a kid." Though the rustling of the leaves around him, even if they aren't on his tree, perk his interest but he doesn't do anything about it really. Just a normal kid relaxin' in a tree.
"Never been one for climbing much. Except during a barn raising." Cid chuckles softly as he reaches a slighting between the buttons of his shirt to feel the amulet dangling there. It sometimes comforts him when he thinks of home. But he wouldn't go back now, not after what he's learned.
Pallaton sighs, slumping down into a bench near the two at the tree, but only because it's the nearest seat available. He looks down, having apparently failed in his mission to find out anything… "Why would this Fenrir hide…" he mutters to himself. "Is he afraid people will hate him too?"
Landing in Kaji's tree, Nightshade grins behind his 'mask', climbing up higher. Unaware or uncarring that someone's following him, the oddity positions himself above Kaji. "Hi!" he exclaims with both voices suddenly.
Dmitri takes a moment to get a good look at Pallaton, Cid, and even Kaji up in the tree as he notices that they are in the same area as the thing he has been following as it jumps from tree to tree. Just because he is not sure of the thing in the trees Dmitri sticks a hand into a pocket to make sure he has his small bag of sand there to use as a weapon in case he needs it. Quiet as a cat he slips up behind Pallaton overhearing his comment, and responding in his Eastern European accent, "Maybe instead of hiding he does not know who he is under the full moon."
Kaji let out a yell at the voices. "Holy shit!" And he falails a bit, making himself fall off to the other side that Cid isn't near and he rolls in the air. With a land in a rather bad crouch; the shifter falls backwards onto his rump and he looks back up at the tree. "… Hi." He growls out up at the tree, namely to the voices. Pallaton sitting nearby is forgotten for the moment.
Though Cid acts rather shy and innocent, he has outstanding reaction times. As Kaji falls, he spins around, dropping his notepad. "Kaji, love, are you alright?" He asks, reaching out and following his eyes up to the tree where Nightshade is.
Pallaton spins around to Dmitri, looking up in surprise and shock. "You know about Fenrir?! What do you know?" He looks quite… dedicated, to say the least…
A little confused, Nightshade lowers out of tree hanging upsidedown on a webline. Ignoring Pallaton and Dmitri for now, the little purple oddity stares at Cid for a few moments. After a bit of telepathic conversation, Nightshade waves. "Hi!" the human voice repeats. "Nightshade wants to know if you hurt your bum when you feel," a second, alien voice states simply.
Kaji lets out a mutter before he looks over at Cid and nods. "Yeah, I'm alright. My ego's hurt though." He grunts a bit as he gets up to his feet, looking up at Nightshade before he says, "I'm alright. Just a bit of a bruised pride is all." He rubs at his rump absently, to get the grass and dirt off of it. Though now, the name Fenrir hits his ears and he can't help but smile just slightly.
Dmitri raises an eyebrow at Pallaton as he spins on him. "Only what was said in the papers, and that I heard you mention his name. That, and I know a few things about werewolves if that is what he really is." Given that Dmitri was born not far from the birthplace of the infamouse Dracula, his accent should give an intereating harmonic addition to his comments. Dmitri blinks as he watches Kaji fall from the tree and Nightshade lower himself. "Hmm, did not expect him to be a little version of Spiderman."
"Oh good. I was worried." He says, offering an arm as Kaji gets up. He looks at the Nightshade creature and wrinkles his eyes, trying to look closer. Strange. He doesn't know the people of this area yet, really. He's spent most of his time trying to slowly acclimate himself to the English.
Pallaton pauses, looking to Dmitri, then looks away, thinking. "Can you… no, you're not one yourself. Nevermi-" He's cut short by Kaji falling, looking over and… Hey, hasn't he seen that weird kid somewhere before?
Nightshade sniffs the air a few more times before going still. His attention is drawn by the words 'Spider-Man' for a few seconds but it doesn't last when the arachnid Avenger doesn't show. "Puppy-Man!" Nightshade's human voice declares suddenly, the little strange thing leaping at Kaji in attempt to tackle and hug him.
Dmitri looks over at Kaji and Cid for a moment, even going so far as to raise an eyebrow as Cid calls him love. Pallaton's stutterings cause his stoney face to smile, jsut slightly. "No, I am not one but I have a very…interesting past shall we say?" Nightshade gets a blink and a stare, "Puppy man?"
Even as a human, Kaji's apt at making canine noises in this form and he lets out a yelp as he's tackled and hugged up against a tree. He blinks a few times, looking down at the thing hugging him before he lets out a soft laugh. "I'm… guessing… you were there last… night… weren't you." His voice quiet as he says that. He looks over at Cid, laughing a bit nervously once more.
The tackling has Cid very nervous, as usual, worried that there's nothing he can do. He holds his arms against himself before deciding it's not a threat of any kind. "Aye. It's a nickname." He says with a soft nod. He'll let Kaji explain more than that if he'd like. Of course, it's better that way.
Pallaton glances over at the bizarre exchange also, certain he's seen the other boy before somwhere. He seems to take that time to sniff the air slightly, trying to take in the scents. Something seems off about those two…
Nightshade lets out a happy noise in both voices before picking Kaji right up off the ground, apparently unphased by the weight. "Nightshade lives near the castle," the alien voice chimes. "The castle people told us about you and scardy-boy beating up the bad guys," the human voice adds.
Kaji lets out a soft gerk at the lifting and he looks down at Nightshade. "THey did… did they?" He grunts a bit as he looks over at Cid and laughs, "That thing in the paper? You're lookin' at Fenrir." His eyes flick over towards the other two before he looks back down at Nightshade. "Can… you let me down now."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Cid says, giving a bright smile. "If I'd known thee were going to do that, I would have waited up for thee." He says with a laugh, shifting into his archaic dialect as he waits for Kaji to be let down. After all, with his man doing something like that, he's proud, as he should be, but in the proper ways.
Pallaton tilts his head. Fenrir? He's up and heading over to the trio, looking hopeful. "Wait, did you say 'Fenrir'? You're Fenrir?" Sensitive hearing has it's upsides, especially when all hope seemed lost on finding him.
"Okay, Puppy-man," Nightshade's alien voice states, setting Kaji down but staying close to him. "Yeah. The castle people told us when we woke up for breakfast," the human voice adds. Nightshade then rather quickly moves into a Spider-Man crouch near Cid, sniffing at him. The oddity pauses, looking at Kaji curiously and then back to Cid. Shaking his head, Nightshade perks once more at the sound of a familar voice. "Big Puppy!" both voices exclaim as Nightshade launches himself at Pallaton for a tackle-hug.
Dmitri shrugs as he hears Kaji announce he is Fenrir, "That should count as weird enough." Not wanting to be left out Dmitri moves to stand near the group following behind Pallaton. "Very personable kid.."
Kaji looks down at Cid. "I'd've told you. But you were sleeping when I got home, so I just went to bed to think about it. Kinda liked it." He looks back over at Pallaton and nods slightly, "Yyeah… I'm Fenrir." He watches the two come closer before he watches Nightshade bolt towards one of them.
"Well, I'm proud of you." Cid says happily as he leans in to kiss Kaji's cheek. He doesn't know there may or may not be anything wrong with public displays from two men, since he's only discovered recently that two men is possible. He looks at the kid with a shrug. "Who is he anyway?"
Pallaton looks about ready to burst with joy, but that's cut short by Nightshade leaping into him and bowling hi-OH GOD WHAT WAS THAT?! For a split second, the little kid there seemed to flicker and be replaced with a giant wolfman. And even when on the ground, something seems off. For one, Nightshade seems to be floating just above the kid's stomach yet still pinning him to the ground. Pallaton, though, just looks worried, even with Nightshade on top. After all, things went whoops…
Nightshade lets out that happy noise again before getting to his feet and picking Pallaton right up off the ground. "Two puppies!" the human voice seems very pleased with this. "Nightshade is Nightshade," the alian voice remarks in Cid's direction.
Dmitri watches as Nightshade causes a whoopse with Pallaton's looks by tackling him, and manages to pin hom to the ground by floating a few inches above him. Well that explains that he thinks to himself as he watches the others, not doing anything besides leaning on the tree for now.
Kaji lets out a soft laugh, kissing Cid back on the forehead before he looks back at Pallaton. A brow quirks at the obvious fact that Nightshade is sitting up above him though still holding him down. And the fact that he saw what Palla was really made him chuckle softly. "I'm loving this city…"
"Strange." Cid says, rubbing his eyes. He isn't sure he saw what he saw, but that's how it is when you're new to all of this. "It is much of an improvement over Lobelville, I can agree."
Pallaton hands by Nightshade's strength for a while before shaking his head, mumbling. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this…" Then using all the strength he can muster, he does his best to break free from Nightshade and flees, a burst of sand from a hand that swipes upwards covering his apparent escape as he disappears just like that into the crowd. Or at least the crowd that stares in surprise at the sudden burst of sand in the middle of Central Park…
Danger senses flare up as Pallaton starts to squirm. He lets go and leaps away as the sand comes up, landing near Cid and Kaji again. The oddity blinks a few times before sitting down. "Big Puppy?" the human voice asks, sounding hurt.
Dmitri holds a hand up as Pallaton makes a blast of sand, and causes the sand to hold in mid air a moment before falling back to the ground harmlessly. Darn kids showing off and making a mess. "WEll that was…interesting."
Kaji's eyes go wide at the moment of the sand blasting up and then falling back down, then he looks back down at Nightshade as he lands near the two. "Looks like you scared him," says Kaji; speaking to him like one would a young child. He looks back over at Dmitri and says, "And I have to agree there. That was interesting."
Muttering in German, Cid shakes his head. There's not much he can do to compare to all of this, so he simply remains quiet and looks between the three.
Nightshade sniffles, looking up at Kaji. "Nightshade did not mean to scare him…" the alien voice trails off. Hopping back onto his feet, Nightshade looks around before attempting to climb up onto Cid's shoulders. Why Cid? Who knows.
Dmitri shakkes his head. ""In mmore ways than one. Please, forgive my rudness I am Dmitri. I almost wish I had gotten the name of that Terramancer…" Dmitri shrugs and then looks at Izzy climbing on Cid. "Do not worry, leetle one, we know you did not mean to scare him."
Kaji laughs softly as he watches Nightshade try to climb on Cid, and he looks over at Dmitri. "It's nice to meet you, Dmitri. The name is Kaji." He looks down at Cid once more before he says to the little being. "Next time, don't tackle people."
Cid makes a squeak as he's climbed up and looks to the kid, hoping he doesn't mess with much. After all, if the shiny amulet on his chest were to be pulled off… well… things get weird. He offers a hand to the kid. "Uhm, hello. I'm Cid." He offers.
Sticking to Cid's shoulders, Nightshade looks down at the offered hand. He considers for a moment before giving a very…firm shake…with a tentacle from his shoulder. "I'm Nightshade," a third voice, a fusion of the previous two, states.
Dmitri watches that shoulder tenticle carefully as he nods at the others. "Or perhaps do not tackle him, unless I am mistaken he seemed more afraid of the…side effects of that tackle than he was of you leetle one."
Kaji lets out a small laugh before he looks over at Nightshade. "An enthusiastic wave or a tight hug would've been best. Tackling would've made some people lash out against you." The tentacle is watched carefully as well; but Kaji isn't that uptight about it.
"I don't know how I would have responded. I honestly don't know how I AM responding." Cid says with a half-laugh. Of course, his own siblings used to climb on him, so he's not bothered by that. Just the weird tentacle thing.
Tentacle retracting into his 'suit', Nightshade pouts. "Nightshade just wanted to hug Big Puppy…" the alien voice trails off. "Yeah…we wanna plaaaaa~aaaay!" the human voice sing-songs.
Dmitri eyebrow raises at Nightshade as he starts singing in two voices. Interesting, very interesting. As Nightshade is wanting to play, and he is feeling oddly playful himself, Dmitri reaches out with his powers and makes the sand thrown up by Pallaton startt to roll towards him, and then shape into the form of a small puppy dog which starts to hop around Cid. "Hmm, not knowing you I might have reacted less than politly myself in his position…"
Kaji looks down and crouches himself to look at the puppy made of sand and he looks back up at Dmitri afterwards. "You're talented with that." He looks up at Nightshand with a chuckle, "If I had a way to conceal myself without wearing my normal clothes, I might take you up on that offer." He lets out a soft laugh before he stands back up and leans against a tree nearby.
"Kaji, I could… fashion something." Cid says, biting his lip. "I've… I think I could change your shirt into something else temporarily." His voice is barely above a whisper. He's obviously been practicing a little at a few things. Ever since he learned that he has something there.
"Puppy!" the alien oddity's alien voice exclaims as Nightshade leaps off Cid to try and hug the sand dog. When Kaji mentions clothes, Nightshade glances at him. "You don't need clothes to play, Silly Puppy Man," the human voice laughs.
Dmitri shrugs at Kaiji and waves his hand a little, making the puppy change to resemble a little huskie as it bounces around Cid. "It is part of my nature, and sand is easy. Working with solid rock is more difficult." As Nightshade pounces and hugs the puppy Dmitri hardens it to sandstone to keep it from crumbling. "He is not quite as soft and furry as a real one…but he does not tire the way they do."
Kaji quirks a brow as he looks down at Nightshade. "If I had little to no modesty, I'd be willing to agree." He chuckles a bit. "But seeing as I kinda have an image to maintain, though small, I like wearing clothes. It keeps harmful things away." Like bullets. And knives and such.
Kaji quirks a brow as he looks down at Nightshade. "If I had little to no modesty, I'd be willing to agree." He chuckles a bit. "But seeing as I kinda have an image to maintain, though small, I like wearing clothes. It keeps harmful things away." Like bullets. And knives and such. He glances over at Cid with a smirk, "Oh? What do you have in mind, hon?" With that, he slips an arm out of a slee, letting his hang freely from his other shoulder.
"I don't know. But I'm sure I could keep your modesty covered as you change." Cid says, biting his lip. "It may not be fancy, as I'm not used to such fancy things, but…" He scratches his head, now that it's bare.
Rolling with the sandstone puppy a few times, Nightshade looks up at Kaji again. "What's modesty?" the human voice asks. "Nightshade does not need clothes to keep things away," the alien voice adds, puffing out his chest slightly.
Kaji lets out a soft laugh as he looks around, past the trees before he slips into a shadow. He shifts into his anthro form and grins at his man, "Change it to what ya want." He slips the shift back on and looks down at Nightshade. "You're different than I, little one. I still bleed easily."
Dmitri watches Nightshade as the sandstone puppy trys to lick him with its sandpaper like tongue. "Modesty is an outdated concept that is of little worth other than through social convention. And some people like our friend here are not bullet proof."
There's a sound, like a warp zone from the original Super Mario Brothers as Cid focuses. To those with spirit sight, there's something jumping from his chest. As it touches the shirt, the shirt suddenly changes into something completely different. A pair of shorts designed with a few rear buttons around a hole to keep Kaji's tail free. Cid himself grins brightly as he laughs. "I got it." He says, proud of himself for actually doing something well. However, he flops down next to the tree to rest a little, watching everyone else.
Nightshade watches Kaji curiously, letting himself be licked as he watches the transformation. "Puppy-Man!" the human voice exclaims happily. Nightshade starts to say something about not understanding what Dmitri said until Cid does his thing. Nightshade jumps back a few steps, wondering what the odd feeling just was. Shaking it off, he moves quickly to pounce on Kaji.
Kaji is more ready this time as he catches Nightshade mid pounce and he lets out a low laugh. "Aye, I'm a puppy man. But, can yuo at least call me Fenrir when I'm like this?" Though he can't stop his tail from swaying behind him; happy to hacve some fun but also happy to have some shorts that keep his tail free.
Dmitri does not laugh, he is not the jolly laughing man type, but the faintly amused look on his face is his version of falling over busting a gut as he listens to Kaji. "I don't know, puppy man sounds like a pretty good code name to me."
Nightshade wiggles around and laughs in both voices as he's caught. "Okay, Fenrir-Puppy!" the human voice chimes. "You have a tail…" the alien voice trails off. "Tail!" it laughs, trying to wiggle free of Kaji's grasp and chase his tail.
Kaji lets out a sigh and laughs once more. "Finefine. Fenrir puppy works just as fine." He lets Nightshade slip out of his arms as he flicks his tail in and out of his grasp as he looks over at Dmitri. "As good as Puppy Man is for a code name. I'd rather not have it over the tabloids. Fenrir has a nice sound to it."
Dmitri nods at Kaji, "It has a nice mythic sound to it, but given what Fenrir is supposed to do one day not one I would choose." As Nightshade trys to go for Kaji's tail the silent little sand puppy prances around Nightshade before launching at his haunches as if going for a tail.
Nightshade laughs, jumping and grabbing for the tail. While it's clear he could grab poor Kaji's tail if he really wanted to, Nightshade's enjoying playing far more. He yelps when his backside is nipped at, jumping up onto Kaji's shoulders and wrapping around his head.
Kaji lets out a laugh before he lets out another yelp, his hands coming up to grab at Nightshade's arms to pry them off of his face. "While I agree." He grunts a bit before he continues. "You'd have to admit. It has a nice strong sound to it. Better than anything else I could've come up with."
The sand puppy sits up on its haunches and lets its tongue hang over the side of its outh as it appears to pant silently. Dmitri has been practicing some of his fine control with his powers, and at the moemnt is just standing there impassivly as if not doing anythign at all. "Yes you are right there. It is a good thing my abilitys lend to an easy name, Lithos."
Nightshade laughs as Fenrir pries him free, not holding on too tightly. Rather quickly, the little purple oddity wraps himself around Kaji's arm and holds on tight.
Fenrir gerks softly at the oddity clinging to his arm and he just lets him hang there for the moment. He isn't that heavy to him anyway. "That's a name that just rolls off of the tongue. I'm going to guess that it just means Earth or some varient of it?" He looks down at Nightshade, flexing his arm under the teen. "Having fun?"
Dmitri nods at Fenrir, "Its root is the Greek word for stone. It has the gravitas for a a good name and is esay to say.
Nightshade nods quickly, holding tighter as Kaji flexes. "Yeah!" the third voice replies. "Lots of fun!"
Kaji lets out a bright laugh, his tail swaying happily behind him as he says, "That's a good thing to hear." He looks over at Dmitri, a smile over his muzzle before he says, "So I'm guessing Lithos would be your hero name, right?"
Dmitri watches Kaji a long moment before holding out his hand and freezing the puppy into a solid sandstone statue. "Interesting you assume I am a hero. Some might think it shows an optamistic point of view. Not to say I am a Villian, either, but I do not think of myself as a hero. I am. Like the Earth its self, neither good nor evil, simple existing…and waisting time that I should be spending working. It has been interesting, perhaps we shall meet again. Good day to you as well Nightshade." Dmitri grins, and instead of running awya in a spray of sand like Pallaton simply lets himself sink into the ground as if it were water.
Nightshade blinks, staring at where Lithos was. Still doesn't let go of Kaji's arms though. "Rock-Man is weird," the alien voice says simply.
Kaji watches Dmitri vanish into the earth before he looks down at Nightshade. "I'm beginning to agree with you, Nightshade." He shrugs a bit before he pets over Nightshade's head with a grin. "Still wanting to play?"
Nightshade lets out a happy noise at the petting. The oddity then nods quickly. "Yeah!" the human voice exclaims. "Nightshade wants to play!"
Kaji lets out a laugh before he looks up at the trees around him and then he grins softly. "Tag through the trees? I may not be as fast as you are, nor can I shoot web. But I might able to give you some sort of chase."
Nightshade considers this for a moment, going into telepathic conference. Suddenly, he reaches over and pats Kaji on the chest. "Tag! You're it!" the fused voice declares. He stays log enough to laugh before launching into the trees.
Kaji blinks a bit as he's patted on the chest and he watches the little oddity burst into the trees above him. "Sneaky little devil." The wolf leaps up, pulling himself up onto a branch before he crouches down on that branch before he takes off through the trees after Nightshade.
