An evening stroll

[Kray]

Sunset around five pm and a park that closes at nine. Just the way he liked it. The day was all well and good but in the day people stared more openly more embarrassed to be caught looking than anything else, in the gloom and the dark they avoided the giant that strode among them, even if they could only see the mask. And any who didn't, any who had the guts to get on with it and pass him by, well they might just be worth talking to.

For now the Ogre is content to let his feet carry his immense self through the gathering shadows letting them learn the paths and places of this park in the city he had found himself in. Knowing A to B and what's where is simple but can come in dam handy unexpectedly. Passing at this moment along the edge of the lake, patchy long coat flapping, moth eaten fedora, hidden under the mask, perched upon his head.

[Seraphina]

Know what she hadn’t done in a long time? Gone for a walk and just enjoy the quiet and brisk night air.

Was she scared to walk by herself in the evening? Not really. She had enough tricks up her sleeve to bring the most determined attacker to their knees, and with a smile on their face. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t cautious. Being careful was now something that was ingrained into her. Rhodes had always stressed the importance of it, and it rubbed off. The memory bringing a sad smile to her face.

The pain of the loss was still there, but it was lessening with time. With that came her returning to her carefree happy self.

The happy part of her could be heard in the soft song she sang to herself as she walked, translucent hands tucked into the pockets of her leather jacket. Her angelic voice, despite her trying to be quiet, could be heard and had drawn a few looks along the way.

Aside from the leather jacket, she had worn black skinny jeans with a black fitted tank top. It wasn’t cold per say, but there was a chill in the air. Her long hair was tied back and she had forgone makeup, she didn’t need it. The only jewelry she wore was on her right ring finger, a gold band with a blue jewel that matched her eyes resting between two diamonds. She couldn’t bring herself to not wear it.

Her Mask was Hardened, but her shadow would always give her away.

Sapphires couldn’t help but spot the guy, he was fucking huge. Both in size and height, damn.
Was she intimidated? A bit. Would that stop her from making small talk? Not at all. She was a social butterfly after all, and meeting new people was a great joy to her.

“Beautiful evening for a walk, isn’t it?” comes the angelic voice with a friendly smile. If he didn't want to talk, she could keep going, if he did, she would stop.

[Kray]

Looming, by default Kray's pace through the gloom falters to a stop. Caught quite off guard. Of those who would engage him, one such as this he least expected. Blue eyes, Dark hair, flawless really. The women was beautiful beyond compare, and she was speaking to him.

His baritone no match for the angelic tones, but not harsh on the ear. 'Oh erh, yeah very nice time o day for it Ma'am.' His twisted trunk like arm reaches a great grey hand with black chipped nails past the obese gut and barrel chest to the fedora that while hidden to the eyes of men and women for those with eyes to see is stitched of red leaves, with neatly placed holes for horns nubbins and ringed by standing sackcloth and straw scarecrows. For Kray's mask is not hardened.

Doffing the accessory in a display of manners, shows Kray's face, to those who can see past the constant standard of the mask, in all its horror. Blubbery ashen skin chitinous and blotched gives him the look of the diseased. Wild mosses and lichens take the place of hair and beard each wild and unkept reaching down over shoulders and chest, small horn nubbins sit astride his heavy brow akin to a young cow. Bulbous eyes, where shards of flint stand in for pupils set in the sickly yellow sclera, no iris at all. His nose flat and squashed, repeatedly broken. All this pales in the nightmare of the terrible jaw forced always open to house the chaotic array of curved, sharp teeth resemble shards of sharpened stone.

'Your song was nice, what is it called.'

Just worth a mention Kray has freehold status 0 he has not been pledged to the Wyrdstone yet

[Seraphina]

So the guy was practically a giant, but he was polite. But being this close, things began to click into place for her.

He was like she was; he was a Lost. And she didn’t feel the warm connection the Wyrdstone provided. So, he was either very new, or very dangerous. Or both. Only one way to find out.

“I’ve come to enjoy the crispness in the autumn air, and the quiet of the night.” It still brought memories, but she was beginning to find the pleasant ones.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before, new to the city?” she asks, taking in more of his features. He was terrifying to behold, his time away had not been kind to him. But it hadn’t been kind to any of them, some just seemed to get it worse. While her time had been painful, she had been made into something beautiful. Seemed he had been made into something to strike fear into others. And she could see it working quite well.

But that wouldn’t deter her.

Smiling once again, “Dante’s Prayer, I’m going through a bit of a Celtic phase at the moment.” The song had always spoken to her. “And where are my manners, I’m Sarah.” A hand removed from her pocket and offered.

[Kray]

Oh so, so she's still talking to me. Should I scare her off? that's the smart thing, a good lesson for her. Don't talk to strangers. you never know who they might be, what they want of you.

But the Ogre can't bring himself to do it, there's something so captivating about about this women something about her that invites conversation, despite the blatant difference between them.

'Yeah the season really hits home for me to.' He looks out across the lake. 'The working mans season my dad used to say.' What are you talking about she doesn't care about that.

He turns back to find her studying him, it was kind of uncomfortable, same as it had been been when Anatole had done it. Only she wasn't Anatole a dread lord versed in fear. I know my face isn't pretty by any standard but the way I should have looked isn't unusual so why, you can't see the real me or you'd be screaming right now.

'Uh its a big city.' A massive hand rubs the back of his head. 'But yeah good guess pretty new in town.' ​She's reading me like a book, I am hanging around people enough right?

'Oh haven't heard that one. Old release or new?' There's so much music these days.

Kray looks at the hand for a moment. This women who has in so few moments treated him so utterly different to anyone since his return wants to shake hands. Is it curiosity, is it something about her? something wins out and he extends an ashen hand of his own.

He takes great care, treating her hand like a baby bird which in his, with bone crushing strength restrained, it might as well be. John. John. Remember John. 'John, nice to meet you Sarah.' Remember John. John. John.

[Seraphina]

An absent nod as she looks over the water, memories flooding in, but pushed aside. “I’ve learned to come to love it myself. Though I’m more a spring type girl at heart.” A wink at the end. Maybe he would get it, maybe he wouldn’t. But she wasn’t about to drop her Mask out in the open.

“Working mans season? Is that due to the harvests that take place?” seemed fitting.

If she was bothered by his real appearance, it doesn’t show. She just keeps chatting him up, friendly and warm. The deep sound of his voice fit his build to a T.

“It certainly is! I feel like I just moved here, but it’s been, um, lets see,” thinking in her head, “about six years I believe.” Wow, damn. “How are you liking the city?” she asks, curious, “I always found it to be a place that just pulls you in and makes you want to set down roots.” But she was currently the longest Lost resident, and that scared her actually.

Laughing, which had a light and musical sound to it, “It came out back in 97, so an old release. But still a good one, well, if you’re into that type of music of course.” Not everyone liked the sound, but she found it comforting.

Returning the shake, “Pleasure to meet you, John. It’s been a little while since there’s been someone new, what brings you to town if you don’t me asking?” her voice retained its friendly notes.

[Kray]

Its the wink that makes him think of the courts. Sarah of spring, reckon you'd fit right in but I hope that nev ....... Seraphina, Vernal Sovereign, polite, caring, firm...... Anatole's words ringing through his mind. No. no? what are the odds? How do I figure it out? Think?

'Plenty of angles for it to appeal from. So uh why spring?' He makes advantage of the over foot and a half height difference, it made looking down seem less odd.

to look for a shadow 1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2023-11-14 12:30:32	Kray rolls 2 to Look for a shadow (wits 2, comp 2, -1 clarity, -1 gloom) (10 Again)	4, 8	1 success

'Something like that, part of it I guess. A time for taking stock, setting your house to rights and getting things done that need doing. It sets the priorities straight.' None of that had come from his dad, just the saying. It was stuff he'd had to put to it himself.

'Set down roots. yeah that's what I hoping to find. A place to do just that.' The shoulders shrug. 'Seems likeable enough so far.' Idea. 'Met a friendly face already, made me feel less lost in the big city.' He keeps her in his gaze watching casually to see if there's a reaction.

He chuckles at that, a more Stoney guttural noise from the throat. 'If that's old I'm well past it than.' Actual age? lord knows at this point. 'But yeah I must have missed that one. Tend to go in for the jazz myself.' There doesn't seem to many of those around anymore.

'Since there's been someone new.' The ogre echo's her words. 'The city must have hundreds of new people everyday.' If your not who I'm suspecting your somebody. He looks around checking the surroundings. Trap or chance?

The angelic tones however draw his focus back. 'Fresh start, chance to pursue my hobbies, grow as a person.' Despite the starting of reservations about this women he hasn't moved away. Her friendly nature still winning him over. 'What's kept you here?'

[Seraphina]

Why Spring? Why not Spring?! “It’s just always been a season that’s called to me. I enjoy seeing things reawaken with new life and blossom. It’s the time of year for new beginnings, and who doesn’t one of those every once and a while.” Her shadow appears a bit taller, but the light does seem to pass through her hands so her shadow appears to be handless.

Nodding, “It’s always struck me as a good time of year to do that, get ready for winter and all that.” Though she never remembered hearing Rhodes talk about it that way. But every Lost was unique in how they viewed a season.

“Then I think you’ve found the right city for that.” At least in her mind. There was a raise of an eyebrow as sapphires study him, weighing his words. If he’s meet someone, why can she not feel that connection to the Wyrdstone? Was she missing something? While this set her on edge a bit, she decides to play it out. “You have? That’s great! The city has quite a few people who are wonderful at helping people feel less lost.” Would he say who it was? Or did he want her to ask?

Smirking, “Oh, I hear you there.” She was certainly older than she appeared. “Jazz is a wonderful genre of music. There used to be this great jazz club that I preformed at, unfortunately, the owner has moved on.” How was Sasha doing anyways?

“It does, from all walks of life. But every once and a while some special people come to the city. The ones who’s interests align with yours and you feel an instant connection with.” Would he catch on to what she was saying? Rhodes was always better at the veiled talk.

A pause, thinking, “A few things kept me here. I made some good friends that I didn’t want to leave, and there were many opportunities to discover myself. I sort of came out of my shell when I arrived, and had a great support system to just be me. You don’t get that everywhere.” She lost count of how many she Freeholds she had been through. “I still have some of those friends, a few have moved on, but I love how tight knit my community is.” Hell, she even had found love. But had just as easily lost it, to what, she might never know.

“So what hobbies do you have?”

[Kray]

He manages to pick the shadow from the gloom. Ah well no hands, except I shook one, masks don't grow limbs back I think? So that's half an answer. You can see me. and aren't running scared. Your either crazy, foolish, over-confident or incredibly dangerous. But are you exactly who I think? This train of thought is accompanied by Kray going quiet, as he delves into his own head.

First. Coming back to the moment. 'Aren't your hands cold?' you know me, fairs fair I let you know I worked it out. 'Given I've just said I'm looking for just that, far be it form me to disagree, you seem something of an authority on the matter of springtime.' Best I got and I'm gonna have to take her word on it.

His face contorts in consideration. 'Didn't mean it quite like that but yeah I guess.' we can get into the weeds of it but might draw attention. More than you and I talking already does.

So you know what I meant, but until I know with more certainty who you are, not gonna talk about that anymore. The Ogre just side steps that thread of conversation for now.

'Ah shame, seems its a dying genre.' The idea that one was still about recently does get a smile from him, its a horrible thing to behold. 'Somehow it doesn't surprise me you sing Jazz, any favourites.'

He scratches an eyebrow, making sense of what she says. 'You mean the ones that by some weird coincidence unknowingly share something of a history? like all being in the same place at some point and not knowing it?' Not perfect but good enough. He said it was small and tight knit maybe a new arrival is a bigger deal than I thought.

A nod both in agreement and concession to the point. 'You certainty don't get that everywhere. Very rare in fact. A lot of folk try to shape you to their ends. I'd rather know me, without all that. Good part of the reason I upped and moved.'

A long breath in and out, as ponders how on Earth to talk around that without being obvious. 'Construction. Community service. Hope to get into some night classes. A little botany never hurts.' Is about all of the synonyms he can think of. 'What about you?'

[Seraphina]

Were her hands cold? An odd question, “No, quite warm actually.” But given what her shadow probably looked like; it might seem he’s piecing things together. A knowing smile with a nod, “I am actually. Been an authority for a few years now.” Had it really been that long?

Frowning, “It certainly is, but there are still some clubs here and there that cater to that genre of music. Not as many as there used to be, but they are there. I can provide you with the names and addresses if you want. I’ve managed to find some really enjoyable ones.” A few she still performs at. “Now there’s a difficult question!” laughing, “A favorite? I’m torn between All of Me and Unforgettable. Though Dream a little Dream of Me is always fun to sing. What about you?” but it was a dying art.

A sly smile, “Exactly those ones! See, you get it! Those are the best ones to find, the ones who truly understand you and will have your back.” And their community was small and tight-knit.
There was a shake of her head along with a frown, “No, unfortunately you don’t get that everywhere. But here, you’ll find people accepting of you as you are and willing to help you discover who you are and want to be.” Like him, she had upped and moved because of the way some treated her.

Construction? It seemed to make sense given his size. “An in-demand career. And community service? I’m involved in a few local charities myself, mainly some women’s shelters.” It was something she would always be involved in. “You seem to be a jack of all trades! There are quite a few schools and universities that offer night classes at reasonable prices.” Having taken a few, herself.

Laughing, “More then I probably need to have. But my main hobby is design and sewing, mainly specialty pieces. I also enjoy reading, mainly history and various viruses. Medicine is also something I dabble in, though I’ve never taken it beyond a hobby into a profession.” Though she probably could.