Touring the River

[Quick]

It's warm today. Pretty much like every day had been this week. Leaning on the walkway of a bridge over the river, Quick - wearing his James face as usual - waits for his new friends. A liberal use of the word, maybe, but it keeps his intentions framed. Sooner or later, these two would need something from him other than a tour around the city. He might even save one of their lives. Who knows? At least he'd saved their eyes. The Elemental's Masked form cuts an impressive figure in a pair of striped shorts. He knows he looks good. And today is a day to show off as much as take in sights. One never knows what the day has in store. The thought makes him grin playfully.

These two would be in for a treat, regardless of their appreciation of his outfit (if you can really call going topless an outfit). Quick idly taps his fingers on the rail, looking down over the water. He can hardly wait to start the tour. Literally. It's all he can do to sit still long enough for the two to find him. The thought of doing some jogging along the walkway is tempting, indeed.

[Quick]

-1 Glamour to Harden Mask

[Donovan Ackerman]

Donovan approached the meeting place with hands in pockets. Unlike Quick, you probably wouldn’t have been able to guess he anticipated going swimming. Although he was wearing a lighter t-shirt, he also had on jeans rather than some sort of swim-wear. He was also barefoot but that had more to do with the fact that he tried to wear shoes as little as possible. Having feet constantly covered in dirt and mud with seedlings stick out would do that. He waved when he saw Quick on the bridge. It didn't like Circe was here though.

“This don’t look like a beach,” he mentioned with a smile once he got closer. The fellow Changeling was Masked again observed. Not like it was hard to miss without a shirt on, the Wizened smirked a bit. Donovan wondered how recently Quick’s escape had been to still be so paranoid. Or maybe the guy was a Winter.

He walked and leaned against the railing right next to Quick, leaning over to look down at the river. Didn’t like too far of a drop. “Or should I be worried yer goin’ to try tossin’ me over as a joke to get me wet?” he asked smiling slyly “’cause I gotta warn you, I’ll drag you down with me if you try.”

[Circe]

Circe was dressed down for the day, her strapped sandals squeaking occassionally after walking through a spot of water on the walkways. The jean shorts showed off her legs, still a good match to her Mein's flesh, and she'd thrown on a black t-shirt for some band called Bolt Thrower. She didn't know them but it was a cheap T. Neither article nor what wore beneath would make her think twice about going for a dip. The windbreaker hoodie was a close match to her skin tone, if a little lighter, but it matched nicely with the sack gym bag. If they did go swimming she'd need it to hold her shoulder holster and pistol.


Yes, this guy was giving her a tour, that didn't mean she was trusting them just yet. Allies would help with her plans, but they needed to work for her trust first. She saw a man that could be James or whatever his real name was. Then she saw the the farmer like Wizened, Donovan she thought his name was, greet the guy. Must be the right place then.


Circe quickened her pace towards the two men. Her eyes went from Donovan's feet up to his head after hearing his words, "Not a beach you say? So he just wanted to ogle both of us in skimpy outfits?" Unlike the Wizened, the Larcenist wasn't trusting enough of whatever city agency handling clean up to go bare foot. She joined Donovan at the railing, though with she had her back against the rail so she was facing Quick.

"Eh, if James tries I'll toss a coin on warning you or watching the funny," she quipped to the Wizened beside her. She then focused on Quick, "Though I'm guessing the swimming spot is further along. Right?" Given the weather the normans should have made plenty of noise at a location for swimming.

[Quick]

Upon their approach, Quick turns from the bridge and smiles wide. His eyes squint in the sun as he greets the two. "Starting at the destination?" he shakes his head. "Wouldn't be much of a tour, would it?" Courtesy of Circe's comment, he gives them each a cursory once-over. The blue-skinned Larcenist in a girly summer outfit - cute enough; the muddy Wizened in a sort of casual derelict style. No shoes? Of course, looking down he can see why. The other man's mien makes him look like he's part of the earth itself. He doesn't mention his feeling aloud, though.

"As fun as that sounds... I'd rather not have a friend's blood on my hands. Falls are dangerous." He motions with his head towards the water. "Might not be as deep as you think." His smile doesn't fade, despite the somewhat morbid comeback.

Turning back around to gaze over the surface of the water, he takes a deep breath, exhaling with some satisfaction. "Once you get past the heat, this place is nice. People boating on the water. Plenty of restaurants. Outrageous club scene." He eyes them each in turn, wondering if either of them were even into that kind of thing. "But the day's just getting started. What's first? Start walking or catch a bus? Scenic route or right to the heart?"

[Donovan Ackerman]

“Well, if that’s true he ought’ve said so,” he replied to Circe, though it was Quick he looked at. There was a challenge in the Wizened’s eyes when the Elemental looked him over.

It felt a bit weird. Almost a like betrayal. Donovan ignored the feeling though. Hearthfire had made his choice perfectly clear. There was nothing to feel guilty about. The Woodwalker looked back across the water.

“Probably right,” he said falling back a bit into his normal seriousness at Quick’s response. Though it was tough to tell if it was about the tour or the fall.

“Heat actually ain’t that bad. ‘Bout the same as Austin right now,” he observed “and it don’t hurt I don’t burn easy.” He had agreements with both Fire and Summer that made surviving the scorching days a lot easier.

The boating and restaurants didn’t interest him as much. He had a limited budget and professionally prepared meals were seriously over-priced. The way Quick emphasized the rageousness of the club scene peaked his interest. Clubs were over-priced too but if you didn’t buy any drinks (and the cover wasn’t super expensive) you could get back in glamour what you paid in mortal currency. And if the glamour had the flavor of rage, so much the better.

“I’m up for walkin’. Don’t use the bus much anyway, so it’d be good to get a feelin’ for the area on foot. Right to the heart wouldn't be much of tour, would it?"

[Circe]

Circe just retorted to Donovan's reply with a quirked eyebrow then a shrug as she silently nodded, her face donning expression that simply said "yeah its true."

Looking at Quick after he expressed his wariness about falls she couldn't help but add, "Falls don't hurt, its the abrupt stop," her own contribution to the morbid humor.

Scenic route? Circe was suddenly very glad for not coming in heels. She was about to say bus when her eyes trailed back to Donovan's feet. Then to James' bare chest. She chuckled, "So long as you never claim it's a three hour tour I'm fine with with walking," the elf smirked at her pop-culture jest, "Besides that James I think restaurants are a viable option for us. You know the whole no shirt," she nodded at him, "no shoes," then the elf nodded her head to the side towards Donovan, "no service. So I agree to walking. Safer, I mean no fucking way would I wanna go barefoot on public transit, so why make Donovan do it."

Pushing herself off the railing she clapped her hands, "So you can lead on MacDuff," giving the popular misquote of Shakespeare.

[Quick]

Is that a challenge in Donovan's eye? Quick fights the urge to smirk. That wouldn't be playing nice, would it?

Quick stares at Circe for a prolonged second before nodding. "Well said." He glances down at the water again. "Would be one hell of a ride, though." he adds wistfully.

Donovan's mantle - that telltale sign of his allegiance to Summer - probably explains the man's tolerance for the heat. That and being from Texas. "Wish I could claim the same. Only saving grace for me is the water." And, of course, the people swimming in it.

The other two consent to walking, and Quick nods in satisfaction. It's what he wanted to do anyways. He motions with a jerk of his head and waits for the others to fall in step towards the Eastern end of the bridge. Quick inhales as a light over-water breeze passes them. It's not the smell of the bay or the ocean, for sure, but its comforting. Off in the distance, a pleasure boat breaks the horizon. The Elemental glances at it and smiles. Turning to his two walking companions, he asks "Ever been on one? A boat like that? Never had the money, myself. Or the connections. Parents ran a diner back in Manhattan. Not exactly the wealthiest people."

[Donovan Ackerman]

Donovan half smiled at Circe’s squeamishness “It ain’t like there ain’t crap wherever I step anyway,” he said with a short laugh “I’ve ridden bus barefoot before, though generally it’s frowned upon. Generally ain’t that bad and if it is you can always put your feet up on a seat.” That tended to annoy people. Great way get kicked off eventually but in the meantime he could usually soak up some glamour.

“Well, if you’re interested, I can teach you some ways to beat the heat,” the Wizened offered. Son of the Hearth wasn’t strictly reserved for Summer and a basic Cloak of Fire wasn’t too hard to learn. “Though if you don’t mind me askin’, if Summer ain’t your season what is?” he inquired. The guy’s Mask might look good but gave no indication of what court he might be a part of.

“Nope,” he replied to Quick’s question about ever being on a cruise boat “They got some like them down in Austin but my situation sounds ‘bout the same. Family had better things to spend money on than a fancy tour boat ride.”

[Circe]

Circe bemusedly wondered if Quick would be using the "and we're walking" line that some tour guides employed. Donovan's reply came off as a joke to Circe's mind, "Plus side with stepping in crap, someone gives ya shit about being barefoot you can, literally, return the favor," she laughed before her face turned serious, "honestly though, restaurants not on a beach tend to be dicks about dress codes."


And she followed Quick as they moved along. Ways to beat the heat? The caused the elf to quirk an eyebrow at Donovan, "Ooh, I'm gonna guess that you ain't talkin' about buying A/C, are ya Donvoan?"


When Quick asked his question, Circe had to think about it for a moment. Did what she'd ridden before qualify? "Uh, maybe in Jersey before a bad dream, but I didn't pay attention to boat types," the Fairest shrugged, "And a couple of times after. But that was only for, uh, business ventures, not fun. Really not fun below decks in the ocean, I still remember the bruises." she winced at the memory before recalling how her old motley had reacted to her new skin colors. That got her laughing, "My skin looked tie-dyed."