Warm Spring day in the park

[Seraphina]

Spring was finally here! The temperatures were warming up and the flowers were beginning to awaken. It was her favorite time of the year, then again, she might be biased.

So she found herself in one of the cities many parks, sitting on a blanket, enjoying the sun. The Nix was fairly casual in a pair of old jeans, torn here and there, allowing golden scaled skin to peak through with a black tank top over which she wore an oversized flannel. It wasn’t really flannel, not a thick material, but it wasn’t Summer yet, so there was still a slight chill in the air. Long golden and silver hair reached down her back and spread out on the blanket as a sketch pad sat on her lap. A translucent hand is busy sketching something with an engagement ring on her hand.
Translucent feet poke out from the jeans. An open bag of chips sits beside her as well as a bottle of water.

[Colonel Worm]

The Nix is not the only one enjoying this fine spring day. Colonel Worm is taking the air. Wearing a rather low-key outfit, by the Colonel's standards at least. Except, of course, for the pink cowboy hat, which tops the whole thing off. And the incongruous latex gloves.

He's kind of shimmying along the way, with headphones in, listening to one of his favorite songs, obviously in his own world. Indeed, he's singing his Goblin heart out, seemingly unaware that anyone in the park might mind.

Singing, failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-04-17 11:11:41	Colonel Worm rolls 5 to Pres + Express (10 Again)	6, 6, 1, 3, 1	failure

It is not a command performance as the Colonel can't quite hit the high notes. Not that it appears to bother him.

Some guy walking a dog yells at him to cut out the racket and Worm replies without removing the headphones, too loud over the music blaring in his ears: "Beautiful day, right!?!" Baffled, the dog walker moves along, muttering under his breath.

That's when Worm catches sight of Seraphina . Another Changeling in the park? Must be fate! As always, everything is coming up Worm.

Red lips pull back into a wild smile, revealing painfully white teeth. He pulls his headphones out, gives a big wave, and starts over to make his howdy-do's.

[Seraphina]

It was hard not to notice the guy. Between his singing, not the best she’s heard, and his outfit, he just stood out. But more than anything, it was his Mantle, the way the heat shimmered around him. Summer?

Closing her sketch book, she smiles, a translucent hand waves back. Things are moved on the blanket so he could sit if he wanted.

“Hi!” comes the angelic voice, a wide friendly smile on her lips, “Beautiful day isn’t it?!”

[Colonel Worm]

Really? Really?? She's the most beautiful woman—person—that Worm's ever seen. The closer he gets, the more stunning she becomes. And that voice? It's enough to drive the Goblin wild. How exactly does this happen? Where does someone like this come from?

The answer is simple: Faerie. Only the Fae can produce such profound beauty. And that makes Worm sad and angry, somewhere deep down. This poor lady's exquisite looks are just another reminder of the Gentry's cruelty. Total bummer. Despite all that, there's still a literal angel smiling and waving in front of him. And it's easy to forget that her divine appearance is just as much a sign of the Fae's inhuman tastes as his own scarred and crimson flesh.

"Beautiful doesn't even come close," Worm replies. He sweeps his pink cowboy hat off in a flourish and offers a theatrical bow a few feet from this Spring Vision. Collapses from the bow into a reclining pose on the grass, propping his elbow on the ground and resting his head on his fist. He places the cowboy hat on his head with his other hand.

"Sooooo, my name's Worm. Colonel Worm. What's yours?" he asks, batting white eyelashes, playing coy in his strange, but somehow charming way. Her mantle is like its own, blooming world. Easy to see that she's blessed by Spring's favor. Worm likes Spring Courtiers. They know what they want and they go after it. Even if they're often clueless when it comes to defending what's theirs.

[Seraphina]

As he got closer, his Fae nature became more apparent to her. From the bright red skin to the white eyes. In a way, he reminded her of a Goblin, especially with overly large hands and feet.

Beaming as she looked up at the sky, “Spring is my absolute favorite time of the year.” Though Autumn was a close second. “That is quite the bow!” she compliments with a grin.

Now that was quite an…interesting…name. “Do you prefer just Worm, or Colonel Worm?” asks the Nix. Wondering if he went by anything else? But then again, she’d heard some strange names from mundanes. So, whatever. “Seraphina, but you can call me Sarah.” She could have opened with just Sarah, but she’d share her unique name. He’d hear it one way or another. “I haven’t seen you in the city before, did you just move here?” her curiosity real. Reaching into a messenger bag, she pulls out another bottled water and offers it to him.

[Colonel Worm]

Spring? Her favorite? No shit! "I can tell," Worm replies with genuine wonder. After all, she's a one-woman greenhouse. "You, darling, are downright vernal." Glaucous white eyes give her a generous once over. Pause for a moment on the ring.

"Thank you," he replies to her compliment regarding his bow, looking pleased with himself. "I practice."

She asks him about his name, and Worm offers an understanding nod. "Yeah, weird right? You can call me Worm. The colonel thing doesn't really apply anymore. But I like it, the Colonel, you know?" Looking thoughtful. "Yeah, I think it's cool."

When she introduces herself, Worm shimmies closer, not bothering to stand, and sticks out his hand, the one he's not leaning on, offering to shake. "Well, nice to meet you Seraphina. Sarah. Damn fine, damn fine."

Whether she takes his hand or not, Worm won't be bothered. He's on a roll here. "Just got into town not long ago. I was in Vegas for a while. But the old luck ran out and I'd heard good things about Sacramento, so here I am." He waves his free hand in the air, dismissing whatever bad vibes had chased him out of the City of Second Chances.

"Nice ring, by the way. Engaged, huh? For real or just for fun?" Hell, might as well inquire up front. Don't want to waste a stick of gum if he's not going to be smooching.

[Seraphina]

An innocent shrug, “What can I say? You’re not wrong.” And he wasn’t.

“It certainly shows, and I can think of a few who could learn from you.” Half teasing, half not.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say weird at all! Names can be fascinating, some with interesting stories behind them. What is weird to one, is exciting to another.” And come on, with their society, they all did weird. “Then Colonel Worm it is! If you like it, then it still applies in my opinion.” Why change it because of a technicality?

A translucent hand accepts the hand and gives it a firm shake, “Nice to meet you as well Colonel Worm.” Her smile warm.

“Vegas? Can’t say I’ve ever been, but I’ve heard many stories and tales from others. A close friend spent some time there if memory serves me right.” And sometimes it did. “Do you have any exciting stories you’d be willing to share?” she still loved a good tale. “Well, what you heard about Sacramento is correct, nothing but good things!” a laugh, light and musical in sound, “But we do have our down times, but what place doesn’t?” it came with the territory.

Taking a sip from her water, she looks to her ring, “For real.” Then thoughtful, “Are there people who wear rings just for fun?” she could see why, saved you from being hit on all the time. But at the same time, it just seemed, wrong.

“So what do you enjoy doing? The city offers a wide variety of things.”

[Rhodes]

Rhodes made his way through the park, trying to ignore the growing unease in the back of his mind. Having spent the best part of two decades in the Eternal Garden, there was a perpetual trauma of overly green places. The irony of a Flowering disliking gardens he knew all too well.

Still, he was never one to deny Fear, and there was something - or rather, someone - that made it all worthwhile.

Moving through the park, wearing one of his more casual black suits and a nice-looking coat, no-one would ever know the eerie growth he held closed beneath his Mask. Spotting Sera and... an unknown Changeling he makes his way over, smiling genially. More than the fear of the locale was that of the new face. An unknown.

But you push it all down. Keep it behind the mask. Especially how you feel about her.

"Fancy seeing you here," he says giving the Treasured a broad smile. Eyes as green as emeralds move smoothly over the Worm, scanning, assessing. The red skin, the bulbous eyes. The hat... "And good afternoon Mister....?" He leaves the sentence hanging for the Wizened to fill it in.

[Colonel Worm]

"I rarely am," Worm replies with a wink. "That's a lie. I'm wrong a lot." The Goblin laughs then. It's a good laugh, if a little loud.

When she takes his hand, the Colonel feels warm all over. And it's not his mantle. "The pleasure, Sarah, is all mine." He releases her hand and takes off his hat. Fans his face, leaning back in a mock faint. When she asks after Vegas, his white within white eyes open and focus on her once again.

"Great town, great town. It's the city of second chances, did you know that? Problem is, they don't take too kindly to third, fourth, fifth, or sixth chances," the Colonel gives a carefree shrug, looking very nonchalant. "One time, I saw a street magician set himself on fire when the lighter fluid leaked out of the container up his sleeve. He wasn't even at work. He lit a cigarette in a diner and the next thing you knew his whole arm was burning." Worm chuckles at the memory, but then seems to realize this might not be the kind of tall tale Seraphina is looking for. He gives her a sheepish smile.

As if reminded by the story, Worm unzips his fanny pack and extracts a cigar and lighter. He rips the end off the stogie with his teeth and flicks the lighter, puffing contentedly until the thing is lit.

"Well," puff puff, "it's working out so far. Sacramento I mean." But there's always time for shit to go sideways. The Colonel has seen it happen more than he'd like to admit.

"People do all kinds of weird shit for fun." Worm very much included. "What I was saying is, maybe a pretty woman like you wears a ring to avoid awkward questions from a grunt like me." He gives her a devilish grin. "But if you say it's for real, it's for real."

He's considering her question about his hobbies, trying to decide if sharing his idea of fun is appropriate when a shadow falls across him. Worm shifts his position, still reclining, to take in the new arrival. Pushes the cowboy hat back for a better view. What he sees is a normal enough fellow.

"Colonel," he replies around the cigar. "Worm." He holds up a hand, wrist slightly limp, as if he expects Rhodes to give it a kiss. "And you are...?"

[Seraphina]

Now that was a very pleasant surprise, seeing Rhodes at the park. She knew the fear he had, had seen it start to take him some time back. And here he was. Ever the King of Fear, owning his own. Some day she hoped to face her fears in the same way. Some day.

A smile with a touch of pride appears as she looks at him, “It is, isn’t it?” she says with a bat of her lashes. “But on such a beautiful day, one cannot waste it inside.” Which was true. “And the blooms are a spark of inspiration.” A hand gently touches her sketch book, sapphires sparkling. Was this a game? Were they playing friends who weren’t getting married? It seemed that way, and she was, well, game.

Laughing, “At least you can admit it! But I’ve rarely found anyone who was right all the time. I have to imagine that would get quite dull.” Where was the fun in always being right?

She had to laugh at the theatrics, but it was still flattering.

“Oh, well not many places are keen on more than once chance, so if you get a second? Then it sounds like a great place.” Then she listens, eagerly hearing the story, sapphires wide, “Oh no! Was he ok?” ever the one to care about someones well-being. Even if she didn’t know them. “I hope that wasn’t a daily, or nightly, occurrence! Though I could myself making good money there fixing them up.” Always a bright side.

If she cared about the smoking, it didn’t show. Probably because, well, she didn’t. Everyone had their vices.

Smirking, “That’s not something I would do. And questions are only awkward if one makes them so, and believe me, I’ve heard it all.” Some more disgusting than others. “And a woman should always know how to handle any awkwardness with grace and poise.” Though some didn’t understand or accept a brush off. “But I was more curious about what you enjoy doing.” He struck her as a club type, but, she could be wrong.

Then the introductions, and she watches. Rhodes was a fellow Monarch, overstepping wouldn’t be good. He was her fiancé, but there was still protocol. So she sips her water, offering another from her bag to Rhodes.