Participants:
Scene Title | I'm a Peanut! |
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Synopsis | Everyone plans a nice day out at Splish Splash and 'disaster' is averted. |
Date | August 25, 2010 |
Splish Splash Water Park
The Splish Splash water park on the shore of Long Island has recently begun to enjoy a resurgence thanks to high temperatures and low prices. Under new ownership for the past year, it's become a destination for people who want to have fun in the sun, sliding down slides and spraying each other with hoses while surreptitiously ogling the opposite sex or spending time with their kids as they run and play on the padded concrete splash areas. Some of the schools in New York have started to take students in again, and for a hot day like today (mid 90's, slightly overcast with clouds on the eastern horizon), it would normally be wall-to-wall, but thanks to truancy laws and public schools, the place is blessedly uncrowded, allowing ease of movement and not-too-long waits for the more popular rides, like Dr. Von Dark's Tunnel of Terror, or the Dragon's Den.
Jaiden has decided that today would be the best day for him to take a break and get a little sun. Laying on a chaise lounge half-submerged in a clear pool, his hat is over his eyes and a plastic cup of what passes for beer is held loosely in his right hand. He's smiling - that much can be told from just looking at him and how relaxed he is - and every few minutes a hand dips into the water to splash water over his shirtless form. Jaiden is wearing board shorts, his akubra, and a pair of sunglasses, his feet bare.
"Splish splash I was taken a bath…" Devi sings as she leads the way for herself and a trio of companions into the water park. Yes, people, even gangs have Field Trips. The group breaks off, the men tearing away to wrestle each other for first in line to the highest waterslide available. The Queen Bitch rolls her eyes and tosses her towel over the nearest lounge chair. She stands there a moment, hands on her hips to let the ogglers take in a good eyeful of tattooed flesh - barely a centimeter of tanned skinned has been spared being used as a canvas, plainly notable given her attire of a lime-green bikini. The only fault in her artwork is a large scar running down one side of her ribs, still red with fresh healing, marring up the inverted cross tattooed there.
"Whoop whoop!" The biker diva shouts, and runs towards the water, kicking up a spray over Jaiden as she streaks by him.
Thump
Flesh smacks into flesh with the only warning being a crying out of "Genevieve!" As something under 2 feet whumps into Devi in a pink frilly pre-schoolers two piece. Someone else had the same idea, of running into the water. Jaiden isn't immune either as someone else comes running, same face, same body, same bathing suit as the little four year old who whacked into Devi, thumps down onto his legs and peers up at him with an endearing smile. "Hi mister"
The splash from Devi as she scampers by rouses Jaiden a bit from his relaxation, left hand coming up to tilt his hat up just enough to peer out with one olive eye, squinting against the sun. And at the moment she stops a small wave - maybe a foot or so in height splashes into her from behind, soaking her from about the waist down, perhaps causing her to wobble.
The odd thing, though, is that the wave came from the opposite direction that the other waves were going. How strange.
And then a pre-schooler is laying across his legs, the beer - or what passes for it, tumbling into the pool next to him. Jaiden gives a forlorn smile and fishes his plastic cup (a bierstien with a star wearing a life jacket on it) from the pool and sets it aside. "Allo there, shiela." He sits up. "Runnin' around, all namby-pamby with your sister over there?" He sits up slightly, helping the little girl off of his legs, looking over at the painted, half-wet Devi with a grin.
"Ack!"Between the collision with the youngling and the wave, Devi throws her hands up and gives a few awkward skip-shuffles to reclaim her balance. She doesn't quite catch the oddity of the wave, too busy looking down around her to find the source of the bump.
Blink blink. Blink blink. Devi stares blankly down at the child beside her for a short moment before looking up to notice Jaiden and the matching twin. For a moment the tattooed femme seems uneasy, only to dip at the waist and scoop her hands together, splashing water with an uncertain playfulness onto the preschooler's belly. She glances around in search of a parental figure, and then to Jaiden, as if looking for assurance that this was the proper way to handle the little offspring. It's been years since she was around children.
"I'm not Shiela! I'm Dessy! Marlena is at school and daddy is taking us swimming!" No objection to being removed, she squints her eyes looking up at Jaiden all dark haired and pixie faced. "DO you like swimming?" Oblivious she knocked over beer. "Genevieve! Jesus, Dessandra" Which to go after first? Brennan's jogging over, barbie towels and disney princess towels over shoulders and spilling out of beach bags as he claims one of the other lounge chairs with an exasperated sigh.
There's an apologetic look to Jaiden. "Watch her a second?" Brennan's got the other to peel away from a tattoo'd woman. "Sorry, sorry about this, she's been wanting to go to the waterpark for ages, and I just am so sorry she ran into you, my apologies, truly" Not that Genevieve looks like she cares that she might have been rude, delighting in the errant wave with a squeal, followed with throwing her arms up to shield from Devi's onlsaught. "More! No dad! I made a friend!" By that she means Devi.
Jaiden gives Desi a grin at the splash on the little girl, nodding slightly to underscore that, yes, splashing the little girl was a perfectly appropriate way to handle that situation. "Oh, I know you're not Shiela, but where I come from, Australia, that's what you call girls who's names you don't know. That or sprog, but shiela's a lot cuter, I think." Jaiden sits her on the foot of the chaise lounge and nods to Brennan as he scampers past in pursuit of twin #2, chuckling, offering his hand to Dessy. "My name is Jaiden, and yes, I like swimming a whole lot. Say…." he gives a devlish grin. "Want to splash your daddy?" He leans down to whisper something to the little girl who just gives him an odd little 'what you talkin' bout, willis?' type of look before bending and pushing the water with both hands and straightening. From the ripples, a wave starts to build, heading toward Desi, Genevive and Brennan, just high enough to get them damp and, again, opposite the direction of the rest of the waves that are coming. The little girl squeals and claps. "Daddy! Turn around! Looook!" And if he turns he's hit with another wave that seemed to be centered right on the chaise lounge. Thankfully it's deserted enough to not really matter if anyone's looking.
From the east, heavy gray clouds start rolling in slowly, angry grumbles of thunder heralding a potential storm.
As Mr. Father comes jogging over, Devi takes a step back from the munchkin. "Nah, nah. Your kids cool shi-." Devi bites her tongue and looks down at the little one, grinning. "She's cool." Devi makes a fist and holds it out to the kid, taking a moment to gently show her how to bump knuckles. "I'm Devi," she introduces herself to the rugrat and parental unit. She nods approvingly and glances back up at the other twin's squeal of delight. She watches the wave with a quirked brow, hopping and dancing around rolling waters with the twin numero dos.
Just then there's a large shout from the top of the waterslide as Lackey A shoves Lackey B forward to head plummeting down the slippery shoot. The gangster flails down the slide with a wild whoop of laughter and splashes at the bottom, while Devi looks up to the threat of the storm. "Figures," she mumbles.
"Brennan. Doctor Harve Brennan, she can be pretty cool" Fist bumps occur, a littel clumsily by Genevieve who is delighted by this little buddy moment. "Your skin is pretty! I'm going to be pretty like you when I grow uppp" Up devolves into a shriek as a wave hits and then the second.
When Dessandra calls, Brennan turns to see if maybe there's something wrong despite the cheery begging for him to look. The first wave is strange, the second one, with no real sloe and force that could have naturally done it, surprise the doctor as he backs up, taking in Jaiden for the first real time and it's sinking in where he's seen him. "COme on Gene, let her go join her friends, looks like we're not gonna have much time here. Thank you, Devi and again, I apologize.
Beside Jaiden, Dessandra is agog with joy, not caring or paying attention to the impending storm.
"Go splash for a bit, dear. Or better yet…" Jaiden whispers something to Dessandra again and the little girl giggles and flops into the water next to the chair where, instead of sinking right away, she floats on the surface and is slowly propelled across the water by some unseen force. Fast enough to make a wake, in fact, and so low it may look to other observers like she's swimming, but her arms held out in front of her like Supergirl and no kicking mean that something else is moving her. It may be obvious to the people near - it's Jaiden, more than likely.
The storm on the horizon moves slowly closer, circling around the eastern side of the park, the sky above still mostly clear with a few shards of sun still coming down, but outside the park, it's starting to come down with a few flickers of lightning and a crash of thunder. The radio on one of the lifeguard towers crackles into life. "Attention Park Guests; A thunderstorm is approaching. We're watching the radar, and if it comes closer, we'll be sure to get you out, but for right now, enjoy your visit at the Splish Splash Water Park." Apparently the pool is not closed just yet.
"Peanut, when you get old enough, you come see me - we'll get you some nice ink," Devi replies to the child. Oh, yeah, way to be a role model. The tattooed femme inclines her chin, taking in the announcement with an easy smile. "Good deal." She flops down into the water beside the youngling, despite Mr. Dad's instructions. "I'd rather hang out with you than those dorks, Peanut," she says with a theatrical expression and a nudge of her chin towards where Bozos One through Three are wrestling in the water.
She looks aside, though, as the other twin comes gliding across the pool. Without pause, her dark gaze wanders over to Jaiden, with a single brow lofted. "You're brave," she calls out plainly, but takes a look around to note the mostly deserted nature of the water park. Still, she shakes her head disapprovingly. Frickin' Evos.
Dessandra soon joining Genevieve and Devi as Jaiden manipulates the water and makes for an interesting and intriguing experience despite Brennan watching the horizon in his swim trunks and keeping an eye on the storm. He doesn't like it, not in the least. Call it paranoid parenting but… "I'ma peaaaaanut, I'ma peaaaaanut" Genevieve sings at the top of her lungs, and Dessandra soon joinging in singing, "I'm a peaaaaanaut!"
Jaiden gives a little shrug from where he sits, whatever propels Dessandra cutting off just as she's approaching Devi and Genevive, sending her into the water just shy of them with a splash. "Again!" she shrieks, popping out of the water. "Do it 'gain, mister!" Jaiden rises to his feet and wades over, sinking down in the vicinity of the group. "I can't do it that much, girly-girl. I might get in trouble showing off. It was a lot of fun, though, wasn't it? Maybe if it's okay with your daddy, I'll do it again with your sister too, so you can share."
Genevive pushes her sister playfully. "Yeah, Desi! You gotta share!"
Right about now, a few miles down the road, the storm is reaching it's peak and, with a rumble, lightning splits the air and knocks a branch from a tree, severing the power lines for a large portion of the city - and the water park too. The lights flicker for a moment, then die, but after a few seconds of silence the rumble of a generator can be heard firing up and all the lights go back on. A few seconds later, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we've just had a power outage. There's no danger. The storm is passing to the east. Take your time and enjoy the rest of your day while we get full power back on. Right now, we're on back-up power." In the background a voice can be heard over the radio "….big slide's not getting enough power. Generator's needing some help….*static* Not enough pressure to keep the Doc running right….*static*" And then the radio shuts off. Jaiden looks to Devi for a moment and sighs. "I don't suppose you know anything about generators? You seem to be pretty good with kids and they're basically generators with legs…"
Devi stiffens a bit as Jaiden approaches for one reason or another. As he speaks pleasantly enough with the children, though, her tensions visibly ease. She tips an ear up to take in the announcement, finally turning to Jaiden when the matter of the generator is posed to her. She looks at the kids' hopeful faces and around to the few visitors stuck waiting and disappointed in line for the large slide. Even Lackey Three jogs down from the stairwell with a disappointed frown, coming up to Devi's side. "Dude, the slides totally fu-" he looks at the kids and glances back to Devi, "broke."
With a grumble Devi pushes up to her feet and pats the girls on the head before lacing her fingers and bending them out to crack her knuckles. "Alright, Peanuts, I'll take a look." She steps out of the water and wraps her towel around her waist, nudging her chin to encourage Jaiden to follow along. "If I'm helpin', so ain't you," she demands with a friendly enough tone while the lackey runs off to grab her tools from the back of her Jeep. "It's goin' to take me a few to get it straight."
"A mechanic" And a hydrokinetic. "We want to help!" CHimed in unison, but brennan's hands coming down on the shoulders of his daughters to steer them away. "Another day, I am sure, but I think, that there are some… fruit snacks in the bag and some goldfish with your names on it" He drops a tap to each of their respective noses with one hand and starts steering them towards where their bags were dropped. "Godspeed, call if you need a doctor"
The twin girls 'Awwwwww!' in unison, looking to Jaiden and Devi with the same forlorn expression before the lure of gummis and goldfish change their tune. "I want the strawberry ones!" "No I do." "No, Me!" Brennan gives each girl a playful swat on the rear. "come on girls, on the chair, let's let our two new friends go to work."
Jaiden waves. "I don't think we'll need a doctor, but thanks!" Jaiden calls back with a wave, falling into lock-step behind Devi, feet leaving little wet footprints on the path as he walks, following behind, and doing his best to find interesting things to look at instead of the tattooed woman in front of him in the briefest lime green bikini. "Let me guess…" Jaiden says once the crowds have thinned slightly. "I get to keep the slides running while the generator gets hammered out, yeah? Should be interesting."
Devi steals a last glance over her shoulder, taking in the herding of the children with an amused expression. As she continues forward, Jaiden's words passing over her inked shoulder, she lifts her hands in a helpless fashion. "Hey, dude, you wanted to show off." She chuckles and snags her tool bag from the Lackey before he runs off. She spins around, walking backwards.
"I know you were doin' it for the kids and all, but…" She shakes her head. "I hear tell there's some dangerous fuckers out there…" She tips her chin down, giving Jaiden a serious and warning expression.
Amusingly, she acts as if she isn't about to the same damn thing for the rugrats. Her ability is simply that much easier to conceal. With a quick exchange between the lifeguards and a gesture to her bag, they are directed to the generator behind the stairwell. She squats down before the machine and pops the maintenance door, scratching behind her pierced ear as she looks inside. "Huh…"
The tattooed woman closes her eyes a moment, taking a deep breath, as she recalls a previous conversation. An outlet. She grins as she opens her eyes, pupils dilating as if to absorb every detail of the sudden rush in information that floods Devi's mind. She cants her head to the side, as if to get a better angle on the mental blueprint. Finally, she grabs a wrench and casts a quick glance to Jaiden. "Well, get to it," she teases with a smile, pleased to be in her element. The expression seems to warm her tattooed features and dark eyes before she looks back into the depths of the machine and gets to work.
"I know there are. S'why I don't do it often, and only where it can be chalked up to somethin' other than me." As they walk, Jaiden takes notes of signs and cameras, where things are, this way to the Doc, this way to the pump room, etc, until they reach the generator. "Good luck. You'll know when I'm workin' because the Generator'll not work as hard. You'll be able to shut it down in about three to four minutes. Just don't dawdle…I can run this park for a while, but I don't like to push myself." He steps to the side where the massive pumps sit, squat, like rhinos about to charge, chugging under the load of having to move a few thousand gallons of water around a park with not enough power to run them, and rubs his hands together. Devi may notice a freshly healed scar on his back, still pink, the edges still a little red as he takes his hat off and hangs it on a protruding bolt, crouching down, then kneeling, his hands moving to rest on the pipes.
For a moment, nothing happens. The pumps whine and chug and the water slows down slightly but then the whine of the pumps gets a little less as the pressure increases, water being pulled from the underground tanks and forced through the pipes. Throughout the park, the rides that were broken due to lack of water give a soft shudder and then a gush as the stuff starts to flow with the right amount of force, more and more of the movement of water taken over by Jaiden and off the backs of the pumps. "Ready when you are…" he says, his voice halting slightly, his eyes close.
Devi watches Jaiden with a degree of curiosity. The noted scar upon his back brings a certain level of intrigue and interest before the man's words break through the tattooed diva's wandering thoughts. She smacks the switch, the whine of the generator winding down to silence. Rag in one hand, wrench in the other, the clangs and grinds of metal on metal sound. After five minutes of disassembly, she ratchets out a few tube clamps, and yank out a thick line with a large *SNAP*. She glares at it like a surgeon might a tumor and tosses it over her shoulder. She digs through her bag o' goodies and finds a hose with which to replace it, taking another ten minutes to reassemble the tube and then the gears that had been required to remove around it.
"Feed for the core wasn't getting enough fuel," she grumbles. She wipes her hands and forearms with her rag, affectively smearing the grease only further around. She kicks on the power with her bare toes before wandering over to Jaiden and putting hand on his shoulder. "We should be good." She leans forward, looking over his expression. "Ya'all right?"
Jaiden's expression is one of concentration, his eyes closed, a few beads of sweat running down his back and off his brow to spatter on the floor in front of him. Strangely, a few of the droplets hover slightly above the floor, orbiting him in a strange little dance of water as his power is used - something the girls would no doubt find extremely cute and would as him to do over and over again. He shifts slightly as she speaks, his head coming up, his eyes slipping open as the pressure he's been maintaining slowly transitions over to the generator which starts to growl softly under load. When he finally does remove his hands, looking up at the woman behind him (and the greasy handprint now on his shoulder), he gives a shaky smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just controlling that much water at once was a little tiring, y'know?" He tilts his head back to look at the generator sideways, shaking his head. "That'll teach 'em not to maintain their generators. You ought to bill 'em, or at least see if you can get free admission the next time you decide to make an appearance." He offers a hand. "Nice t' make your acquaintence, Miss. Th' Name's Jaiden."
Devi watches the display with a keen attention. As disconcerting as Evos can be, they were amazing at times. Besides, this guy seemed friendly enough. Devi smiles and slips her greasy fingers around the man's palm in a firm grip. "Ain't worth it to bill 'em. I got other means and as long as the girls are happy. I'm Devi." She uses her grip to help Jaiden to his feet before turning away to pack her tools. It's only a few moments before they're headed back poolside. "What happened to your back?" she inquires a bit daringly. "Fightin' tigers in New York?" She grins and drops her bag by her earlier claimed lounge chair, looking around to find Peanut 1 and Peanut 2. It's apparent she's already grown fond of them.
Peanut 1, Peanut two are back in the water, trying to sneak up on their father in the shallow end, the man starfished in the water and floating in the inches of water, potentially oblivious to the sneak attack that is upcoming by the twins. So the kids think, the adults know otherwise and Dessandra - peanut 1 - looks up to see the two adults returning with a squeal.
After snagging his hat and getting helped to his feet, Jaiden follows along with. His hand is rough in places, like someone who's used a lot of tools in his life. "Nah, got caught in a flood during that big rainstorm a few weeks back and got slammed into something hard and wooden that decided imbedding itself in my skin was the way to go. A regimen of antibiotics and a few dozen stitches." Jaiden rocks his shoulders slightly, giving a little wince. "Still pulls a little, but it's almost done healing." There's more to that story, it seems, but he's glossing over a lot of it.
The Peanuts are given a wave with a greasy hand and a smile. "I'm not too bad at fightin', though."
Devi lofts a brow at the story, but chuckles at the finely placed comment made at its completion. She theatrically casts an eye over Jaiden's frame, scrutinizing him. "I'll believe it when I see it," she taunts. She lifts a finger, excusing herself for a moment. Another quick exchange with a lifeguard, and she returns, smiling as she struts by Jaiden and makes a bee-line for the kids and their parental unit. "Here. Free passes. Come when the weather's nice, yeah? Let me know if yer girls ever need anything, kay?" Wedged within the passes is Devi's card, a blank white slip with the raised image of a Raven and the words Anarchy Customs stylized above it with a little scripted telephone number. She winks at the kids. "You girls have fun. I need a shower." She makes a jest of reaching at them with her greasy hands, grinning, before straightening up and walking back to Jaiden.
"Don't worry, I didn't forget about you." She passes the man a free pass and another copy of her card. "I suppose I owe the hero of Splish Splash a beer at least," she grins and finally heads for the gate, the Boyos all rustling themselves up and jogging after her with shouts encouraging her to wait up.
Free passes. THe surprises BRenna, random acts of kindness odd, but understandable. She'd seemed to take the kids. Brennan offers a wave to Jaiden from afar the girls boucning up and down in return and then because of the promise of further adventures in the splash park. "A pleasure to meet you Devi" cards and free pass taken with great care so as no to get them too wet. "You and the young man have a great day"
"I'll hold you to that, Devi." Jaiden says with a grin, tucking the ticket into the brim of his hat, turning to wave to the two girls and their father. "You two be good, okay? We'll meet up here again sometime and do some more swimming and such with magic." He splays his fingers by his face and a splash fans out from around him, getting the girls wet with a hiss of mist and the spray. "Pleasure seeing you again, Brennan. You take care of those girls, yeah? They're a treasure."
With the thunderstorm going off to the east, power restored to the park, and new friendships partially started, the three make their separate ways across the park.
The End.