Skate Park After Dark

[Martha Villiers]

Out at the very edge of Sacramento... along the dusty Tanzanite and Bilsted Avenue, within sight of a Home Depot, is where you'll find a rare gem - Tanzanite Skate Park.



Under the darkening sky, tiny Martha had made her way on a push - bike to finally begin to take her Parkour seriously. She'd tried out jumping at playgrounds, but Parkour was all about the environment.

Raw concrete and cold steel.

Careful research on Google revealed that Tanzanite Skate Park is 'dope' - apparently meaning that it's held in some esteem as a quality place to show off your skateboarding. Martha reasoned it was also a good place to try out some basic Parkour activities too...

A video walkthrough of the Park can be seen here - https://youtu.be/EfvXg8sic38

Securing her bicycle to the fence, Martha unhitched her backpack and carefully, quietly, made her way to the edge of the park's nearest paved surface. Watching to see who else was there, sniffing the air for signs of Blood or threat, Martha performed some unnecessary 'warm ups' to give a cover to her stealthy observations. Resting her bag by her side at the edge of the nearest bowl, Martha sat down at the ledge and studied the terrain.

Trying to assess where and how best to begin with the very basics...

Martha's carried equipment: bicycle, backpack - containing basic first aid kit, flashlight, mobile phone, signal whistle, the standard 'Deputy Kit' and a US Army surplus riot baton. - 1 Vitae for Blush of Life too!

[Martha Villiers]

The conditions are dry. The concrete offers solid traction.

Martha, clenching her tiny fists, she dashes up the nearest ramp. Eager to test her ability to jump and run and stay stable.

With a yelp of excitement, she finds herself in a jump...gripping the lip of the skate bowl, she is able to scramble up the surface and stand up. Smiling, feeling confident, tiny Martha looked to the next nearest ramp. Determined to get this right...

  1 success

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-03-07 12:30:31		Martha Villiers rolls 3 to Parkour antics (Str+Ath-1) = 3 (10 Again)		7, 4, 8		1 success

[Daniel Leto]

Daniel hadn't skated in... forever. He hadn't been too good to start. He hadn't really been a jock when he was younger, though he had been more active. The park was a place he would have loved to hang out and drink a few beers. Now he mostly came to places like this to sell IDs to the young generation that didn't realize that the troubles they had weren't yet worth drinking away. Not even close. All the same, Daniel hardened the mask so he would feel like he should fit in more.

That wasn't why he was here tonight though. The fire pit and fleeing the screaming Hollow had been grim reminders that being able to run and jump could save your life sometimes. That meant getting away from the computer and being more active. Relearning how to balance on a board would be a good first step. Maybe if he saved up enough money, he might even get a bike. It would certainly make getting around town easier.

Approaching the cement playground he was surprised to find it occupied by a small woman that had a distinct Victorian vibe about her. The look was slightly ruined by the fact that she was currently scrambling up the side of one of the skate bowls. Made more impressive when he saw her C-leg.

"Nice moves," he said with a smile and a wave, hoping he didn't startle her. Darkened skate parks didn't always attract the most savory of people. The gray and black hoody he wore probably didn't help that impression, but the friendly and understand demeanor was still there.

-1 Glamour to Harden the Mask

Mask

[Martha Villiers]

Daniel was mostly right. Though, technically, tiny Martha is neatly attired in a more Edwardian style English school uniform. The hipster spectacles perched daintily on the end of her nose, the short gymslip with a hemline to mid thigh - revealing a single, toned and trim, leg clad in a serviceable - if as yet undamaged - black stocking.

Martha's hair is in twin tails and of a 'zombie blue' hue. Her pale and petite presence, however, exudes an almost tangible sweetness and innocence.

Alert and attentive, tiny Martha was, nevertheless, still taken by surprise at Daniel's greeting and praise.





She turns, startled, to study her companion. Offering a timid smile, she regrets been a few paces away from her baton and backpack. Her bright eyes, alert for detail, scan Daniel - looking for signs of weapons or possible gang affiliations... lest she'd strayed into someone's territory.

A small wave follows her sweet smile and she keeps her hands in sight, to show peaceful intentions. "T...thank you, sir!" she chirps merrily. Primping meekly at her twin tails, she adds nervously; "thank you kindly! I...er...I hope I'm not in your way, sir..." she offered in a friendly and conciliatory fashion.

[Miach]

Equipment: Mid-size car, First Aid Kit, Backpack

Being the Curator of Sacramento meant you had a lot on your plate, and as much on your mind. Lately, Miach had been so busy with his various duties that he had started neglecting his physical training. He was still going to the Pipeworks on a regular basis, but he may have slacked a bit on the running department.

Since he didn't want to look bad in front of the few traceurs he had started knowing, the Acanthus wanted to gauge his readiness in a somewhat remote location. Tanzanite Park. Parking just in front of it - lucky him - he left his car and walked into the park after a hard day's work, only to spot two people talking. Since it seemed he would share the park with them, he slowly made his way toward them.

"Good evening." he started with a friendly smile. "Nice place, eh ?" And if his gaze lingered a little bit longer on the woman's leg, he tried not to let it show, and instead looked around appreciatively. He could train here.

[Daniel Leto]

The Darkling's clothes had no obvious gang colors. Any colors at all for that matter. Blacks, grays, and lighter grays made him almost blend into the night. Only his blonde hair and blue eyes stood out but even they weren't especially distinct. Martha's trained gaze does pick up the outline of something in his jacket though. Maybe a knife or a pair of iron knuckles, it's tough to tell in the dark but he is definitely carrying something concealed.

"Sir?," he said with a little surprise. That had to be one of the few times he'd been called that outside of a grocery store. And despite her look of innocence, she couldn't be that much younger than Daniel (give or take the years to infinite time he'd spent in Arcadia). "You can just call me Daniel," he said with a slight look of amusement "And I'll probably be over on the ramps most of the time. The bowls are all yours." He was having to shift gears mentally a little. He'd come expecting 'gangsters' and instead found himself talking with an exchange student from Downton Abbey.

At the sound of a car parking, the Gravewight turned to see they were being joined by someone else. A tall hunk that looked almost like a surfer.

"Hey," he welcomed the man with a friendly smile of his own.

Sorry forgot to say my Equipment: Skateboard, helmet and pads, running shoes, cell phone, trench knife (badly concealed)

  Concealed weapon failure

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-03-09 03:48:33		Daniel Leto rolls 4 to Dex+Larceny (10 Again)		7, 1, 3, 2		failure

[Martha Villiers]

Martha, feeling less nervous, nodded cheerily as she spotted his hidden weaponry and listened carefully as he spoke. Her attention upon him as he talks is clear and sincere.

"Oh, I say!" she chirped, "What a gentleman you are! You're kind to reassure me! I confess I was a little worried! Thank you, sir! Er...Daniel! My name is Miss Martha Villiers, please feel free to call me Martha!" the tiny creature added a giggle as she hobbled, hopped and limped closer to Daniel to offer her hand in official and sincere greeting. Her C-Leg stiffening with each uneven advance.

"Gosh! This is my first full evening here...It's most generous of you to let me use the bowls...the...the ramps...?" she was about to add some observation and queries about the ramps and his skills when Friendly Surfer Dude arrived.

For a moment, tiny Martha hesitated. Things seemed to be moving fast. The arrival of the car and the tallest man she'd seen all evening brought a fresh complexity to the situation.

If her Beast had started to entertain ideas of making Daniel a midnight snack, such calculations were now re-adjusting.

Wide-eyed and friendly, Martha offeredMiach a greeting.

"G...good evening, sir!" she offered timidly and sweetly toMiach while limping closer to Daniel from some instinct and a positive reaction to his friendliness.

Martha had a hundred questions. But she decided it was wiser to allow the two gentlemen to talk first and have the new arrival explain himself before she spoke again.

[Miach]

As he came closer to the two other users of the park, Miach noticed Martha limping ever so slightly closer to Daniel. Strange, as he would have pegged them strangers before. He had probably misread the situation, but it hardly mattered.

"It should be large enough to accomodate the three of us, don't you think ?" he asked kindly lest he interfered. If they were to show any sign of annoyance, the Acanthus immediatly intended to leave them to themselves, and be on his way.

"I've come here for some Parkour training, so I'll be using the slopes, the ramp, and the stairs over there, if that's alright with you ?" he said, while showing the farthest corner away of the structure.

[Daniel Leto]

“Good to meet you,” his hand was cool when she shook it “But it’s hardly generous. Not like it’s my park and you got here first,” he said with a half-smile “'Sides, like the dude said, plenty of room”

“Daniel by the way,” he said holding his hand out to the hunk “I’ll try not to get in your way on the ramps. First time in a long time since I’ve been on a board, so I might be a bit unsteady.”

[Martha Villiers]

"Thank you!" she chirps as Daniel makes his introduction. Her hand is a little gritty from her scramble, but warm enough.

Nodding eagerly, Martha smiles. Wide-eyed and cheery, she's clearly reassured and also offer a hand in greeting.

"My name is Martha! Miss Martha Villiers! A delight to meet you! Did you say parkour, sir? Are the ramps ideal for that, might I ask? You see," she enthuses, almost unable to contain her eagerness, "I'm trying to learn parkour and came here to try to do that...am I doing it wrong with the skate bowls...?" tiny Martha made a small and uncertain gesture towards the rim of the bowl, as if meekly apologizing for her lack of understanding.