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*
It's a busy early evening on Coney Island, the boardwalk packed with people despite the crispness of the fall air coming off of the water. Some people mill about, taking in the atmosphere, and others still rush from ride to ride with a greater sense of purpose.
Near one of the food stands, far enough away from the thrill rides that it won't be entirely drowned out by the screams of riders, comes the sound of a guitar. Bundled up in a leather jacket and a scarf wound up to his nose, Jono is perched on one of the picnic tables set out for attendees, the guitar's case open at his feet as he plays. There are a few dollars and some change in there already, but he seems less worried about that and more concerned with continuing to play. Whatever he's playing, it's nothing on the current charts, nothing recognizable, but it does have a certain energy to it that fits the ambiance of the boardwalk pretty well.
*
While it's been a struggle, recently Dazzler has been making more of a name for herself. Thanks in large part to her namesake dazzling light show, which made her audience more open to her brand new style of music. Even so, she still occasionally busks, and for her music is life. Thus it's pretty obvious where Dazzler's attention will focus as she walks about the boardwalk.
A dollar bill makes its way to Jono's guitar case, and Alison is standing next to him, her eyes covered behind her stylish catseye shades, she shoots him a smile and stands there to listen, nodding her head along with the music. She doesn't say anything, as to not interrupt, allowing him to reach the end of the song.
*
Coney Island. All this time and Lucy hasn't been out here. Thanks to Liv and her friends, and a little extra work, she's got time to come out here. It's colder than California but this reminds her of home. She hops off the bus as the sun is dropping in the sky and buys herself a coffee before heading down to suss out what she's going to eat — maybe what she's going to do. She hasn't been on a fair ride since last year. That's so normal.
The music is good — if she'd recognized it, Lucy would have kept going, but she doesn't. She stops, trying to work out what the odd guy in the scarf is playing. She hops up to sit on one of the tables nearby, head tilted a little as though that would actually help, figuring out in her head what the music would look like on paper. She really does feel more and more like just another person every day. That thought alone makes her smile.
*
The woman sometimes known as Tigra, and currently going by Greer Nelson, hasn't been to Coney Island in a while, herself. There's pleasant memories here, but they remind her of whom she lost, and so it took time to finally decide to make her way there. In human form, she's tall and well-built, with long black hair lightly styled. She wears loose jeans, a cream blouse, and a denim jacket, and a pair of boots give her a little extra height. She doesn't recognize Alison, but she can appreciate Jono's skill, and so steps up next to the woman, attracted to his playing while she was walking along.
*
The Wakandan Queen has never been to Coney Island before, despite having been in the city at ESU for over a year. But this afternoon, the young African woman has decided to go exploring in the City, rather than worrying about scientific studies, inventions, international politics, etc. Her explorations have brought her to the famed Coney Island, and she dismounts the bus, making her way down to the boardwalk to explore. She looks like any other black woman, except for her height, her broad shoulders, and her completely undeferential attitude and demeanor. It's striking, almost regal.
*
When another dollar falls into his guitar case, Jono doesn't stop playing, but he does lift his head enough to look up at Alison. The corners of his eyes briefly scrunch upwards in a smile, the rest of it obscured by his scarf. Even when the song peters out, though, the young man stays quiet — must be shy, or something. He leans back, raking a hand back over his hair as he starts mentally paging through his song catalog. Hmmm. What's next…
*
The guy with the guitar is interesting but the woman who just paid him is really interesting, if you're Lucy. She doesn't realize she's staring, making notes on the woman's daring short hair, fashionable glasses, and modern clothing. She hasn't paid any attention to fashion in months. Even her present clothes were chosen for their utility more than anything. She looks respectable, not at all like a runaway — aside from still looking underfed — and that's the point. Elbows on her knees, chin in her hands, she sighs wistfully. Being pretty again would be nice.
*
"I appreciate you're playing your own," Alison comments at Jono, before grinning, "and that silly scarf hiding half your face is a good look if you want to take the stage. Haircut is working for the Beatles, maybe the scarf would work for you," she offers light heartedly. While she's mostly invested in the music, Alison does note the way Lucy is staring at her, and as Lucy seems nice, she shoots her a smile, "you're also into music?" She's asking mostly because she's wondering if Lucy is staring at her because she might have realized who she was.
*
When Jono stops playing, Greer digs into her pocket and pulls out a couple of quarters, tossing them into the open case. She has no comment to offer, herself, other than lfiting an eyebrow at the mention of the Beatles, not having heard the name before. Bugs with haircuts? Nah. Her lips then quirk a little bit as she offers a song title, "Do you know 'Walk, Don't Run?'"
*
It takes visible effort on Jono's part not to roll his eyes when Alison mentions the Beatles, his shoulders sagging. Someone, it seems, is not a fan. The clink-clink of quarters into the case drags his attention away before he can be actually rude, however, and he nods crisply to Greer, taking a moment to shake out his fingers before taking his guitar up again. It certainly sounds different when it's played on an acoustic, and with a boot tapping out the beat against the bench rather than a proper set of drums, but yes, Jono does know The Ventures.
*
"Me?" Lucy brightens when she gets Alison's attention. "Oh, I don't know music. I mean, I can sing. My parents wanted me to be the next Peggy Lee — not that there could ever be a next one because she was so great. But I'm not really up on anything modern. I haven't listened to a radio in months. Classical, I can do, and I can play, but I was never really allowed to listen to anything that wasn't, you know. Established." Her parents didn't want her ruining her sense of these things. "Not that I didn't do it anyway," she adds, blushing. "Just. It's been a while."
*
Alison notes Jono's reaction to her mentioning of the Beatles, and her lips lose their smile for a brief moment, as she quips, "if you're serious about music, you'll find we're all in this together." She then turns to look at Lucy again, the smile gradually returning to her lips, "Peggy Lee? She's great, but my mother had me listening too Connie Francis, personally, I think everyone who ever made it is great." She nods when Lucy mentions how she's not up to date on current music, and she offers casually, "if you want something really new, try Dazzler's Light in The Dark." It's an awfully biased suggestion, of course, but then Lucy said she doesnt quite know music, there's no chance in hell she'd recognize Alison for the artist she just named.
*
Spotting a knot of people of such varied appearances and origins all together around one of the buskers eventually draws T'Challa's attention, and the tall African woman changes direction, if only slightly, bringing herself closer. Her ear for music leans towards some rather eclectic choices, of which 'lone white boy on guitar' is not one, but she hovers nearby just to soak it all up and listen.
*
To help make up for the lack of drums, and because the song's got a good beat, Greer taps the heel of a boot to the rhythm of the song, a slight smile on her face as she listens. There's the slightest sway of her hips to the rhythm as well, induced by the unconscious desire to swing her tail in time. She absently listens to the conversation, but is focused on the music. After a moment she glances around the area, mking sure she's not standing in the way of any pedestrians, glances over T'Challa, looks away, then does a brief double take. Realizing she's staring a bit, Greer offers a polite nod of greeting, and then turns back to the music, fishing out another quarter in gratitude for her request being played.
*
Alison's comment earns a brief laugh, though it's a touch odd — not the tone of it, but the fact that it isn't heard by one's ears, almost like one imagined it. Strange.
Wherever it came from, Jono just lowers his head slightly and continues to play, the corners of his eyes turned upwards again as he watches Greer tapping along to the beat. The additional quarter even earns her a wink from the guitarist, and a slight bob of his head in gratitude.
*
More pretty people. Lucy looks the dark-skinned woman over with barely-disguised envy. This one looks like she'd easily be at home at some of those parties her parents threw for people with castles in other places and relatives of presidents and prime ministers. Scandalous slacks? Lucy takes note. She isn't about to run out and do any alterations but she would love to actually care what she looks like again. Roof over the head first, Lucy. Then style.
"I met Connie Francis once," she says to Alison, snapping back into being social and not being rude and not staring at beautiful ladies that life keeps throwing in her path. "She lived not too far from here, I think. Well, compared to L.A. She was so nice. Not everyone like that is, but she's the kind of person who knows that it's about the work you put in. I liked that about her. A lot of famous people get snotty."
*
Acknowledged, T'Challa nods back to the similarly very tall but Anglo woman, noting the way the others' body seems to move so naturally to the beat. She'd make some inner comment about how she's not used to white girls with that serious a natural sense of rythmn, but she has no friends here to say it to, so she keeps her trap shut. She listens for a bit longer, then fishes into a pocket of her jeans, pulls out a rather large, heavy coin, and tosses it into the guitar case. Most would be forgiven for assuming that something a full two and a half inches across and almost a three-sixteenths of an inch thick couldn't possibly be legal tender. But it is a serious plug of what looks like pure silver, even if one doesn't recognize a Wakandan Claw.
*
If Dazzler heard Jono's inaudible scoffing at her comment, she makes no visible sign of it, as she makes it a point now to listen to the music without looking at Jono. Instead, her focus is on Lucy who struck a conversation with her, though she does take note of TChalla when she arrives, there's a sense of commanding presence about the woman, and her clothes are outrageous, "you lok fab, love your style," she tosses at TChalla. Alison herself elected to wear pants, though hers are a more casually accepted capris.
When Lucy mentions having met Connie Francis, Alison turns to look at her with big eyes, "really? Wow! Did you get her autograph? I'd love to see if you did, such a golden voice." Alison certainly commemorates to heart the comment on how some people get snotty as they get famous, having determined it would never happen to her.
Then there's the odd tip that T'Challa tosses in Jono's guitar case, which makes Alison turn and stare a little, that was certainly odd. She doesn't ask any questions for the time being.
*
The laugh that's…not exactly heard gets an absent frown from Greer, and an absent glance around, but then she looks ack to Jono in time to catch his wink, which gets another smile from her, and the bob of his head, which gets a nod in return. Eyebrows go up, way up, at the sight of that strange coin tossed into the case. Huh. Well, she certainly approves of the feline motif to it, and after another glance at the tall woman, makes a mental note to research the coin.
*
The tall African woman nods towards Alison. "Thank you." Her voice is whiskey-toned, rich, and with an unmistakable accent, yet she has clean, precise diction that makes her easy to understand. "Your style is rather memorable." she offers, though she'd intend that more towards the half-scarf-covered performer; he's busy, though. She moves a bit closer, now addressed, and keeps listening to the music, apparently having missed any laughter projected without sound.
Any who take a good look at the coin T'Challa just tossed in will notice that it has a panther rampant on one face, and a large clawed feline paw on the other, and the writing on it is most definitely not English.
*
Since he is now between songs, Jono takes a moment to lean over to peer down and find the source of the rather heavy thump into his case. He's definitely never seen Wakandan currency before, but he is of the mindset that anything in a busker's cap is better than nothing at all — and whatever that thing is, it is shiny. Enough that he reaches down to scoop it up and, with a curious look towards T'Challa as if checking to see if she's really sure, shifts the heavy coin into one of his pockets. Safer there.
*
When Alison notes the peculiarity of the coin on a second glance, before Jono takes it for safe keeping, she turns towards T'Challa and asks, "beg your pardon, but, if you don't mind, where are you from? A place with style, I'd imagine."
*
"My mother says autographs are gauche." Lucy rolls her eyes at that. "But I did get to sing for her and she said I had a lovely voice. She might have been being polite. I can stay on key and I can read music and I can imitate anyone's style, but that's not really…music. It's performing. I'm a good performer." She fishes around in one of her pockets and comes out with a folded dollar bill that she tosses into Jono's case. "Link Wray?" she asks with a little smile. "Or, you know, anything of yours. Can't go wrong with Link is all."
*
Greer isn't surprised to know she's not the only one curious about the tall black woman, and she finds herself relieved to hear someone else ask. Hopefully curiosity gets satisfied, and she doesn't have to be the one to ask. She looks towards T'Challa to hear what answer she has.
*
When asked, T'Challa shrugs a bit. "I don't mind." she answers. Clearly not shy. "I am from Wakanda." A nation most people in the US have never heard of, and those who have generally can't find on a map. But somehow she definitely sounds foreign enough that it must be true. "I am glad you appreciate our style." she offers, nodding again towards Alison. She doesn't mind at all that Jono took the coin; she put it there to be taken; so she simply meets his gaze very directly and lets him do his thing.
*
When T'Challa meets Jono's eyes, he brings a pair of fingers up to his temple in a friendly salute — and then those same two fingers are pointed towards Karolina, his other hand coming to clutch at the front of his jacket as if in profound relief. She has made the young man swoon. Link Wray! Be still his beating heart! … If he still had one. Shush, it's the thought that counts. Resettling his guitar against his lap, Jono begins to strum the entirely familiar Rawhide, favoring Lucy with a rather exaggerated waggling of his eyebrows.
*
Alison listens to the tip Lucy's mom has about autographs, but says nothing of it, though it's clear she might be of a different opinion. "It's incredible that you got to sing for her, I'd love to sing a duet with her." She smiles encouragingly at Lucy's distinction between music and performing, and offers, "they're all music, if I cover a different artist, I still consider it music," she quips before turning to listen to T'Challa's answer.
"Wakanda, huh? Never been there…or anywhere outside New York really." Then Jono answers the request of Wray, and she can't help but strum along on a guitar she's not quite holding at the moment.
*
Jono's ridiculousness gets a giggle from Lucy, who gets cut off when she notices yet another beautiful woman right over there. The giggle turns into a hiccup and then another giggle as Lucy realizes she's being ridiculous. This is like being in a garden made of candy. Or maybe a candy store made of flowers. Lucy and pretty women are like Noh Varr and fudge. It's a good thing a fight hasn't broken out because that's the only thing that's better — pretty women kicking evil's backside. And this lady has such long hair and green eyes. Now Lucy isn't sure about the short hair idea. Maybe long hair is the best.
Coney Island is now officially the best place on Earth. Lucy has the starriest eyes right now and hardly knows where to look. She realizes, in the back of her head, that she probably should be looking at the handsome young man playing guitar but it's just no competition at all. She can't be blamed for that.
*
"Wakanda?" Greer asks, making sure she heard it right. "I can't say that I'm familiar with it," she admits, a little bit self-consciously. Nobody wants to hear that about their country, she's sure. At the sound of the giggle turned hiccup, she looks at Lucy in absent curiosity. "Someone's in a good mood," she says good naturedly.
*
"Few have ever been to Wakanda. Not many more have heard of it. We do not have a tourist industry." T'Challa admits to Alison with a slight, enigmatic smile. She taps her toe to the beat of his music, having no real idea who Link Wray is, nor having heard the music before, so she enjoys it for his performance alone. She is apparently someone who strongly favors short hair, since hers is shorn so short she might as well be bald. But no fights against evil here, and that's to the good. So many civilians, what a mess that would be.
*
Alison waits until the end of the song, before she shoots at Jono, "good luck," and then a polite, "was nice meeting you guys," at T'Challa, Lucy and Greer, before she moves along her way.
*