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Given the size of Central Park there is always at least one oddball somewhere or other. Today that oddball is Katie. A chalk board rests on a painters easel and is covered in complex math equasions and a young woman is standing beside it with a violin. There's no music however, nor does she seem intent on the math problem, because right now she has a rather bigger concern.
That concern is a half dozen very angry Chinese gentlemen, all of whom have hands tucked inside jackets or pockets stuffed with things.
"Look I'm /extremely/ sorry your friends got attacked but I can't tell you who did it or how to find them. I swear I was just walking past." Katie glances between the men, none of whom seem at all convinced. "You've heard the phrase wrong place, wrong time. Right?" She gulps. "I don't suppose you find it morally objectionable to hit a lady? No?" She sighs. "Shit."
*
Laura has recently been one of the oddball lurkers you might find about Central Park, but not because she's been easy to spot, rather because she's been hiding rather well. Perched high in tree branches, she's been mostly surveying the area much like a predator, mind occupied with meandering thoughts brought about by two encounters. One planned, one not so planned. But more pressing then the rest, is the complete lack of direction, complete lack of purpose, which is an alien entity in her life. She's not sure how to handle it, but one thing she does know how to handle. She has had missions in China before, she had dealt with Triad assignments. She knows what the people approaching Katie are up to, and that's generally no good. She's not much into threats, she's more the sort to go into action, and she draws some attention to herself by jumping down from the tree quite audibly, not going for a usual soft landing. Then she starts walking slowly towards towards the group of Chinese gentlemen. She doesn't say anything, but people like them are likely keen on body language, Laura is fully intending to end their engagement with Katie.
*
Always an oddball, but not always one. At least with the weather changing Ne's choice of attire looked a little less insane. A little anyway. Casually walking by, the young woman with her hair currently up in those twin tails of her 'disguise' carries a parasol of all things. The sun umbrella currently twirls with small movements of her hand while she lets it rest over one shoulder, walking through the park with seemingly no great desire to be anywhere in any hurry. Teleportation does tend to cut out the need for worrying about traffic!
It's her own odd-colored eyes that moves over towards the Chinese gentlemen and their current intended victim. Silent, the woman gives a little 'tsk' expression and calmly begins walking the same way, only to tilt her head to one side with a blink as the tree-girl she hadn't noticed makes a much more audible arrival. Ne hadn't made any attempt to hide her approach, but the pale girl hadn't thudded down from any trees either.
*
There is a second oddball out in the park tonight. Nyx has her hands buriedi n her jean pockets, her head slightly lowered so that blue eyes study the ground. The wind ruffles her short blonde hair, messy tresses framing the excessively pale girl's face. Avoiding the sun isn't doing her complexion any favors. All of this would be lost on most people in the park tonight as she strolls among the trees along the path. The shadows seem inclined to cloak the girl's form, such that she sometimes passes within a couple feet of a passerby and still isn't acknowledged. That sort of anonymity seems to suit the dour faced blonde just fine.
Eventually Nyx steps away from the trees and onto the one of the paths, moving in a winding fashion toward the movement in the park. The shade seems to darken as she steps away, as if it is regretting that movement, but Nyx is ignoring that in favour of watching the confrontation unfolding with wide, intensely blue eyes. She's visible now, if still rather discrete. The young woman's gaze jumps to Laura and then to the gathered Triads and then back. She gives her head a faint shake. "Damn it…" She too is intending on engaging the Triads. Or watching from up close. One or the two. Ne has not yet been noticed, it seems.
*
"Ahah! Witnesses," Katie says with obvious relief. "Look you aren't going to do something stupid in broad daylight. I…" The man in charge does not seem to appreciate being called stupid and lashes out with a punch to the stomach before she can finish her point. Katie folds at the waist and drops to her knees.
The rest of the goons line up, hands pulling out just enough to show off a selection of weapons with the intent on discouraging prying passerbys.
*
The moment a hand is extended to strike Katie, likely before Katie even realizes she's about to get hit, Laura picks up her pace with jaw dropping execution. One moment she is walking slowly towards the Triads, the next she's a blaze, closing the gap and the same hand that is currently extended after striking Katie, gets grabbed in a bar lock, as Laura tosses the much bigger man over her waist, before turning to choke him to the ground, a knee pressing his throat into the ground. She remains there and waits for his weapon brandishing friends to decide what to do, in the meantime just looking at them and strangely enough baring her teeth. Which are quite regular human teeth rather than fangs, maybe the girl is just enamored with tigers and lions, as she even adds a soft little growl. Apparently she's just getting started.
*
It's not that Ne moved anywhere near as fast as Laura did, it's that everyone was looking at the angry girl throwing people around, so the mutant woman in the skirt with her umbrella goes unnoticed till that umbrella suddenly snaps shut and the hard metal tip collides with one of the triads just behind his knee, making his leg go out from under him before a rather impressive roundhouse from Ne's booted foot knocks him sprawling. Her powers could make short work of this crowd…but this was the middle of the park. Still no words, the apparent mute just turns her gaze towards the men still standing and deciding their actions, lips quirked to a smile as she flutters her eyelashes their way. Odds had changed fast, dare they play on?
*
Nyx winces visibly as Laura approaches the men, miming averting her gaze without actually looking away. The pigment challenged blonde clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth and shakes her head slowly- and then he's flying through the air. She arches a brow then and takes a deep breath. "I shouldn't even be surprised anymore."
a moment later the third Tiny Terror is walking up beside a man brandishing a bike chain. He glowers at her and shows off his weapon, swinging it through the air. She rolls her eyes, grabs the chain, and pulls. How he loses that confrontation is unclear given the obvious disparity in size but she pulls him off balance, then kicks him in the shin, stomps his instep, and takes the chain from his hands. He finally decides to fall over when she slaps him in the jaw with it.
And then… "Wait, you?" Rather than continue to fight Alex is staring at Ne. That's practical.
*
Katie groans and gulps in air, but has enough of her wits to start scrambling on all fours towards her violin case. Her skin has gone pale enough to match the chalk marks on her dress.
The Triad goons really weren't prepared for a full on assault by weird American demon sorceresses throwing them around like dolls. They band together, waving knives and chains, grab for their fallen friends and try make a run for it. Some shouting curses and insults in a mix of Chinese and English, while a few of the more superstitious members make warding motions against whatever magic is being used against them.
*
Laura takes cool note of Ne and Nyx when they join the fray, also intent on helping Katie against her wouldbe assailants. She is more than happy to let the one she pinned to the ground go, when they show a willingness to simply retreat. There was no mission here, the man wasn't a target. She just stands up as two men approach to pull him free and just makes sure to remain between them and Katie. Snarling as they retreat, Laura looks satisfied with the results, turning to look silently from Ne, to Nyx, to Katie, before quipping, "you're safe."
*
Nyx's reaction to Ne's arrival? It earns a rather understated response from the seemingly mute girl. A shrug of her shoulders and she reopens her parasol, resting it over her shoulder once more. Those that were conscious were leaving, those that weren't were being carried away. That was fine for her, even if the knives had given her all the excuse she'd really have needed to inflict real harm on the would-be attackers. Next time perhaps. Looking onto Laura, then to Katie, there's a tilt of her head and questioning expression. Did Laura know the woman to have reacted so violently? Sure they'd all joined in, but the girl from the tree had done so with vigor.
*
Once this is done Nyx drops the chain she is holding and takes a second to carefully adjust her gloves. She then looks between the three women beside her and offers a vaguely wry smile. "Awesome. So that didn't look weird at all." Katie is offered a hand up to her feet. Even with Katie going figuratively white as a sheet Nyx's complexion is still starkly lacking ordinarily coloration. It's a good opportunity for comparison, arm and arm.
"I think that's over for now at least." Nyx's gaze follows he men a they take off into the park. She breathes a soft sigh but doesn't move to actually do anything. "Should I ask why they are so pissed at you?" Ne's shrug earns a brief glower from the blonde, who apparently quickly decides it isn't worth being concerned by.
*
"Safe? I suppose you could say that. Although now they probably think I'm working with some weird gang trying to go to war with them," Katie replies, still sat on the grass as she packs the violin away. Oddly she doesn't seem to check for any damage, just packs it away as if sure it was fine. "Have you ever been out shopping and witnessed a fight? That basically amounts to what I did. They must have assumed I was in some way involved with the people who attacked them."
*
Laura looks for a moment at Nyx when she concludes the affair as 'awesome', pointing out how not very normal it was, but she doesn't have a reply to the remark. Instead she turns to look at Ne and her parasol, quipping, "odd choice of weapon." Finally she turns towards Katie, the wouldbe damsel in distress and her violin, as she packs it away. She shakes her head to the question asked of her, albeit Katie might not guess that what Laura means is that she's never been out shopping, period. Nodding towards Ne, and Nyx, Laura once again repeats to Katie's benefit, "you are safe."
*
Ne had noted the glower, but all that's offered in return is a sweet smile. One that's repeated with a shrug in Laura's comment of her weapon. She wasn't wrong about it being odd, but the girl wasn't exactly a benchmark for being normal. Katie's worries about the 'gang' are waved off dismissively. Strangely enough, she's fairly certain they'll be dealt with eventually…call it a hunch. Tilting her head to one side, there's a gesture towards the direction of the fleeing men, then her hand comes up above her eyes in a typical mime of 'searching'. Was she asking if they were tracking Katie? That had been already answered. The 'how' hadn't however.
*
Nyx takes a deep breath and then she nods slowly. "Either they think you're associated with whoever they were fighting or they figure you saw too much and want to make sure you can't speak up later." Nyx shakes her head again and continues to stand there with a hand outstretched toward Katie, waiting to see if the taller woman intends to take it.
"She has a point. You're safe right now, at least. Ah…" There's a beat as Nyx seems to be considering something, her brows furrowing lightly. "Home. Do you feel like you're safe there?" Alex glances at Laura and gives a faint shrug before looking next to Ne and catching her gestures. For the apparently mute girl's benefit she states, "Following someone who does crazy math shit with their violin in the middle of central park isn't exactly hard, Ne."
*
Katie frowns. "Are you asking how they found me? I have no idea. I come to the park a lot to work on my college work." she muses. "It's much more practical to work here than have all the morons from my class try suggest solutions I have already discounted." Grudgingly she accepts the extended hand and gets up off the grass. "There is nothing crazy about mathematics and if I don't do the job write my project could cause… structural complications." She shakes her head. "You would not believe how poorly built some accommodation marketed at young women is. I am however fairly sure I would be safe in my lodgings. No unaccompanied gentlemen are allowed inside."
*
Laura seems to be even more out of her element when the conversation eventually shifts to 'home', 'math' and 'gentlemen' of any sort. Accompanied or none. She just looks blankly at Katie and Nyx, and then starts to take small steps back, never removing her eyes from either of the three. It does seem like she's working on a quiet little getaway, assume no one will take note of her presence now that they're talking.
*
Ne does actually give Nyx a little pout, after all Katie said herself she'd been a witness, not a participant. But truth enough a path could trace through her 'crazy math shit' that the triad guys may have followed. Since she's not actively talking…pretty much ever…Ne's eyes do indeed follow Laura and her departure with a questioning look. It's clear the girl has piqued Ne's intrigue, but she won't stop her from departing if she's going to leave. Ne could always find Laura later…somehow.
*
Unfortunately, Nyx is apparently paying more attention than it appears. SHe nods when Katie explains her living situation, slowly turning as she does. "I meant the kind of math you're doing, not literally all math always. Anwyay… Good." Laura's escape is being watched impassively by the soft spoken albino girl with the features that tend toward grave expressions. Those blue eyes leave no real room for the ambiguity that she might be observing something else. "Before you run…. Your name?" She tilts her head slightly to the left as she speaks, shifting her gaze to Katie and back to Laura as if to include her as well. "People call me N-…" A beat. "Elizabeth. Lizzy."
*
"Well, I suppose I should thank you all." Katie states, nodding to herself. "Especially if you are intent on leaving. If any of you ever need anything fixing I am something of an engineer. I also dabble in a little chemistry, however that is less likely to be of use." She pouts at Nyx. "My math is just regular math. I'm working out electrical resistances. For a substance that may or may not exist yet. I'm pretty sure it does though." A pause. "Everyone needs a hobby."
*
Laura does slow down when she notes Ne looking her way, and then freezes entirely when Nyx not only looks her way, but also addresses her. Green eyes set on Nyx, studying her for a moment, before eventually providing an answer. She tilts her head very slightly in a thoughtful gesture, she seems to consider what to answer to the question. "X-" she starts much like Nyx did, before shifting just like Ne did, "Laura." Strangely enough, it is when Katie mentions chemistry that Laura's eyes brighten and she looks her way, "can you cancel scent?" The question is awfully ambiguous.
*
Ne doesn't introduce herself, not properly anyway. She'd left her notepad…somewhere and she wasn't going to use her lights in the middle of the park. Instead she just bows, arms out and almost perfectly classical as one would to a dancing partner before Laura's comment about scents brings a questioning expression. Interesting…but perhaps it was time she were going. Those triads had been enough of a distraction that she might just go track them down. She gives a look towards Nyx, the only one who can really give Ne's name to the others, then on to Katie. A casual smile and a 'thumbs up' her way later? Ne turns and begins to walk towards the treeline, sparing only one last look back at the trio while she lazily twirls her parasol.
For a moment she steps out of sight behind one of the trees…then she's gone, only a faint fading cloud of fog where she'd stood moments before.
*
Nyx arches a brow when Laura introduces herself in that fashion but rather than speak further she nods once to show understanding. The blonde reorients herself slightly then. She steps slightly closer to Laura in a nonthreatening, casual way while keeping herself turned so that she can face all three of the women ow surrounding her. "Electrical resistances," the blonde responds to Katie somewhat blankly. "I know which wires to tape together. I can make things work." She shrugs faintly at that statement, reaching up to lightly drag her fingers through her hair. Not that it is long enough to be in Nyx's face. "This is- Neopolitan," Nyx offers, indicating Ne as she does. She half watches as the black-haired mute girl is departing. There is a lo track.
*
Katie tilts her head at Laura. "Cancel scent? I suppose in theory? It depends on what makes the scent. If you have the right solution to alter the thing which smells it will alter the smell. But anyway my name is Katie, I may have forgotten to mention it in all of the excitement. Chemistry isn't my primary focus so it'd take me a lot of time and research." She shrugs at Nyx. "I did not mean to suggest otherwise. Of all the things I can offer to show my thanks it simply seemed like the most likely to be accepted. Anything else I am good at is.. not typically of use outside of academia."
*
Laura nods at Nyx when she gives the name of the parasol wielding girl, not minding one bit that she's silent. Laura is quite used to silent interaction, it feels comfortable. But at Katie's reply about the scent issue, Laura looks crestfallen, "can't get sample," is all she notes, and then turns to withdraw just as she did earlier, keeping her eyes on Katie and Nyx.
*
"A sample… This sounds like something important," Nyx starts. She glances at Laura then to Katie and back, keeping her movements slow and deliberate. "Maybe we can take care of that part at least." The diminutive blonde clicks her tongue lightly against the roof of her mouth and takes a deep breath. "If you want to go somewhere and talk about it a bit."
*