Participants:
| Scene Title | Little Red Riding Hood |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Someone put themselves on Adam's radar and then he finds her. |
| Date | April 28, 2009 |
Central Park has been, and remains, a key attraction in New York City, both for tourists and local residents. Though slightly smaller, approximately 100 acres at its southern end scarred by and still recovering from the explosion, the vast northern regions of the park remain intact.
An array of paths and tracks wind their way through stands of trees and swathes of grass, frequented by joggers, bikers, dog-walkers, and horsemen alike. Flowerbeds, tended gardens, and sheltered conservatories provide a wide array of colorful plants; the sheer size of the park, along with a designated wildlife sanctuary add a wide variety of fauna to the park's visitor list. Several ponds and lakes, as well as the massive Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, break up the expanses of green and growing things. There are roads, for those who prefer to drive through; numerous playgrounds for children dot the landscape.
Many are the people who come to the Park - painters, birdwatchers, musicians, and rock climbers. Others come for the shows; the New York Shakespeare Festival at the Delacorte Theater, the annual outdoor concert of the New York Philharmonic on the Great Lawn, the summer performances of the Metropolitan Opera, and many other smaller performing groups besides. They come to ice-skate on the rink, to ride on the Central Park Carousel, to view the many, many statues scattered about the park.
Some of the southern end of the park remains buried beneath rubble. Some of it still looks worn and torn, struggling to come back from the edge of destruction despite everything the crews of landscapers can do. The Wollman Rink has not been rebuilt; the Central Park Wildlife Center remains very much a work in progress, but is not wholly a loss. Someday, this portion of Central Park just might be restored fully to its prior state.
Central Park may well be one of the most relaxing places to find in New York proper. At least, for Amy that might just be the case, if how relaxed she is while seated on a bench in front of a pond is any indication at all. She has with herself a bottle of water, as well as an almost healthy looking sandwich, what with the array of vegetables that appear to be lodged into it along with meat. She nibbles lightly on the sandwich, while her finger lulls about. At the same time, swirls form in the water of her bottle. Light waves form, waves that are barely noticeable, especially as she is holding the bottle to keep the water from the view of anyone that might stand in front of her, or to her sides.
Adam has been looking for a short tomboyish homeless girl. And Adam has begun to receive a lot of contacts as of late. His latest quest brings him to central park. He walks with his hands in his trouser pockets and makes his way to study the lake. At least, that's what people would see. Instead, he's scanning the crowd, looking for his quarry. He purses his lips until he notes a girl eating a sandwich and hmms. He steps back from her line of view and starts to slowly make his way towards her from behind.
Amy sets the sandwich aside for but a moment. As it is wrapped securely by your typical foil, she does not appear at all bothered with setting down the sandwich on the bench. She does not, however, stop playing around with the water. Perhaps she finds it relaxing? However, her growing thirst does get the best of her and she moves her free hand to uncork the bottle, then bring it up to her lips to drink. Yum, water.
Adam waits until Amy gets the water bottle to her lips and then suddenly leans over the bench, "Hallo." he says in a calm, but friendly voice, "Remember me?" he asks, "I remember you." his eyes narrow as if to convey some message of danger or at least the insistance of obedience.
Caught very, very unaware by Adam's sudden greeting, Amy sputters out the few drops of water she had managed to get into her mouth. Those drops fall rather harmlessly down on the grass, while the bottle itself fortunately doesn't spill any of the liquid. Her face grows substantially more pale, an uneasy smile forming on her lips as she draws in a short breath. "H-hi," she mutters, softly. Well, what else could she respond with?
Adam sets about the side of the bench and sits down right next to the girl. He looks out at the lake and sighs, "Oh, it's beautiful, isn't it?" he questions. He turns then back to the girl, "What's your name most felonious one?"
Amy blinks a few times, seemingly thinking very quickly, while her gaze remains focused on the water. It would not due to look upon Adam's face and show her caution, even fear, even more than it already shows. "Amy," she says, her eyes closing for a while. She pauses, "I didn't think you'd be coming after me," she admits. "You didn't seem to care earlier, in any case."
Adam chuckles slowly. He leans over and puts an arm around Amy's shoulder and laughs a bit, "Oh, Amy, silly girl." he says, "Do you really think I'm here over a little…what is it you kids call it? A walkman?" he shakes his head, "No, I'm not here for that at all. But you should keep it in mind if things go south, you might deserve what happens if they do."
Amy's hold on the bottle of water grows a little tighter, as she herself seems to tense up. Yet, she still can not turn that uneasy smile of hers into a frown, as if the situation was both amusing and dreadful to her at the same time. "I… uh, guess my next question would be what you actually do want, then?" she asks, her voice quiet.
Adam glances over with his arm still around Amy's shoulders as he looks out across the lake, "Amy.." he pauses, "Do you have any skills other than slowly running off after grabbing cheap electronic equipment to pawn?" he questions.
Amy almost seems to take offense to the wording 'slowly', but does not voice any such thing. "I, uh…" she begins, glancing about as if to make sure no one else is around either. No one else seems to be, nor does she seem to be able to find a way out of this. "How long were you standing behind me?" she asks, sounding inquisitive. Perhaps, she reckons, she does not need to say it out loud. A finger begins rubbing a little at the water bottle, although no specific reaction shows in the liquid itself.
Adam mms, "A little while." but then he lets out a contemptible sigh, "But when little red riding hood meets the big bad wolf, she doesn't stall for time or propriety, she feeds him all her muffins and hopes he gets full, yes?" he glances over meaningfully, "If you can't tell, you're little red riding hood."
This causes Amy to nod. "I can tell," she admits, "And I figure the cat's out of the bag anyway." She bites her lips a little, setting the bottle of water down upon her palm, which is held forth, just enough for herself and Adam to easily see it. "Whatever you want to call it for…" The water begins to, one could say, storm inside of the bottle. Waves considerably more huge than the earlier ones beginning to form, only to die down seconds after, as Amy stops. "That is what I can do. Ah… controlling water. Sort of like telekinesis I guess. Except, not." She chews on her lip, still, both scared and curious by now. It seems she might suspect her ability is relevant.
It would be wrong to say Adam is surprised. Adam is surprised by very little. But he does seem fascinated. He looks at the water and then to Amy and then to the water again, "Can you create water?" he questions, "What else can you do with it? Can you turn into water?"
Amy seems almost a little overwhelmed by the intrigue Adam is showing. Pleasantly surprised, even. "I.. well. I don't know about the second, and i don't think so.. but yeah, I can create it. Only very little, though," she seems ashamed to admit that. "I can create a few drops over the course of a minute. Not really practically usable yet, but better than before." Somehow, talking about her ability seems to make her a little more relaxed, even counting the company she's in. "Uh.. I can control it well enough to knock people out with water blasts, if there's a source of water near me…" she adds.
Adam hmms a bit, studying Amy quietly and the water in her hand. He notes her relaxed sensation and says, "Well." quietly after a moment, "Little Red Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf is going to take care of you instead." he pauses, "I'll try and help you become better at your power and I'll take care of you. Get you a home and some proper clothes so you don't have to go around stealing…unless you want to I suppose. You can, just don't get arrested. In exchange, you're going to be one of my little proteges." his head tilts to one side, "Stay by my side and under my wing and all that rot." he pauses for some moments. "Yes, I like this arrangement quite a bit. I think you can see you're getting the rather better part of this deal."
Amy gulps a little. "I… don't see that I have much of a choice," she admits, smiling ironically. "And obviously room and food is something I really want," she adds, seeming to hesitate a little. "It's a deal, I suppose, mister…" she blinks. All this and she still haven't caught the name of her would-be master. She just lets it slide, however, figuring she'll be told what she needs to know.
Adam nods a bit, "Not really. I mean, even if I weren't who I am…would you rather skulk around the streets and the public library hoping to steal enough money for a sandwich and a bottle of water?" he shakes his head, "I'm offering you so much more. And all I really hope for is loyalty." he turns suddenly and looks at Amy carefully, one finger going under her chin as he stares at her face in earnest. A man with four hundred years of determining whether people are lying, he's got quite a good methodology. He asks, "Do you think you're capable of loyalty, Amy?" he questions, "To me?"
It seems Amy might just be perceptive enough to know when a lie would be futile, as her eyes grow wide. She chews on her lip, and her shoulders shrug a little. "I think I'm capable of it, yes," she says, quite honest. "But I don't trust you yet, so," she seems to struggle to articulate exactly what she means this time around. "It doesn't come naturally, I suppose." Her eyes, while showing fear, does not particularly have any signs of actual lies. "I.. I would like to know your cause, if I may."
Adam mms, "It's so long and complicated, Amy." he says, "Let's just say, that I'm out to save the world, but in order to do so, I've got to take down some very powerful organizations." after that, he stands quietly and then offers his hand, "Come on, Amy, let's get you fed."
Amy nods softly, a deep breath escaping her lips as she gets up. She doesn't, however, accept Adam's hand, seeming to prefer to stand on her own now, at least. Bottle of water and sandwich forgotten, she follows her leader with a mixture of reluctant and obedience, as well a curiosity. "Thank you…" she says, and means it. An empty stomach is a driving force on it's own, after all.