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The World's Fair is in full swing, with a wide variety of displays and presentations actively taking place. There's a spirit to it, really…a sense of hopefulness, of optimism and creativity, the idea of progress towards a better future. But more than that is the focus of its professed goal: "Peace Through Understanding." Despite this, the vast majority of displays are American, though others are represented here and there. One of which is the Belgian Village, which, as you might expect, is set up like a Belgian village, complete a husband and wife vendor team selling what they call the "Bel-Gem Brussels Waffle," a waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. This is right next to the Seven UP tower, with all the Seven Up you can drink amid a wide variety of sandwiches available to sample and purchase. It's a fairly crowded day, being a weekend.
In the middle of this is a young woman, her red hair falling in a soft fall down her back quite a ways, as she pads through the crowd, with the air of someone taking in the sights, curiosity and interest in her eyes. She's snagged a 7-Up, and is sipping it as she does. More unusually, she's barefoot unlike the majority of people here, and is getting some looks because of that and her somewhat unusual dress combined with her very striking looks.
Laura is more or less nonexistent. She sticks to the edges of crowds and shadows, using her slight size and unassuming manner to blend in as best she might. It's New York City; even minorities are well-represented at the World's Fair, where racism takes a backseat to the almighty dollar. In the end it's that and not Laura's appearance which betrays her. Profiteering.
"Hello, young lady! Would you like to try some of this fine sod-y pop?" The man representing the 7UP stand is a southern gentlemen with a gleam in his eye and a jaunty hat. he offers Laura a smile as she is coming close. She blinks at him and then takes a deep breath.
"I… Don't…" Laura tilts her head slightly and then shakes it once. The man's brows rise. A challenge.
"Well, miss. It *is*free."
Venus slows in her fairly aimless exploring as she catches part of the conversation, glancing over. It's mostly harmless people watching…she's mildly curious why a teen girl woudl say no to a free soda. Maybe she doesn't like 7 Up, then again. Her eyes flick to the gentleman, then back to the…Asian girl? No. A bit of Asian and something else. She mentally reviews. Japanese, from the eyes. Or maybe Korean. She always forgets which way the eyes tend to slant.
Laura blinks once and then glances in Venus's direction abruptly. Did she notice she was being watched? Most people would say that is impossible but then again… Her eyes flick back to the salesman then and she nods slowly, reaching out to take the offered can of 7 Up. "ALright," she states finally. Then she proceeds to walk away. The man smiles to himself quietly while Laura stares at the can… and slowly hifts her way through the crowd dtoward where Venus is standing. She doesn't approach directly but she might still give herself away.
The girl hmmms as the half-Japanese girl vanishes back in the crowd, then resumes her padding. But this time, when she walks, she starts singing quietly. To herself, primarily, though it's audible to those around her. Of course, she's starting in the middle of the song, but…
"And when I touch you, I feel happy inside…it's such a feeling that my love…I can't hide…I can' hide…I can't hiiiiide….I wanna hold your haaaaand….I wanna hold your hand…"
Her voice draws glances…it's beautiful. But what's more interesting is what happens in a wake around as she keeps singing. Couples do hold hands. Some move closer. More of them smile and look at each other, expressions softening, the faint irritations of being in a crowded place, of watchign over rambunctious kids, etc., fading away. Even the slightly harried looking servers seem to perk up, smiling a bit more genuinely at the people they're serving.
And Laura, when she hears it…it's very subtle. A sort of relaxation. A sense of connection to people around her, even as tentative as it likely is for her. Drawing people together, primarily. It's not hard to shake off if you concentrate…it's a very subtle, gentle effect, rather than being forced.
Laura sways slightly, starting to calm as she is approaching Venus's position. She pauses then, her brown eyes about halfway shut, and listens to the music as the young woman sings. There are a few seconds where it appears the spell is working… And then Laura shakes it off visibly, snalring silently as she does. Another step as she's emerging from the crowd only a few meters from the woman in question.
It seems the girl hadn't thought ahead to what she would do when she found this person.She glances at her right hand but no claws emerge. It's clear that the girl's thoughtfulness is inspired by distress. So how does she solve the problem? Surgar. Laura turns to drinking the 7 Up she is carrying while listening to the music from a much closer vantage.
It's several songs along (I Wanna Hold Your Hand sequeing into You'll Never Walk Alone and Louie Louie, the last of which a bit different in that it just seems to make those around her a bit more energetic and carefree) before the young woman turns into the Belgium village, perhaps drawn by the smell of fresh waffles coming from one of the stands not too far inside. That at least causes her to finish singing for the moment, then to finish off her free drink and carefully depositing the paper cup in the trash, before getting in line for waffles. Because they do smell delicious.
As she does, she resumes people watching, her gaze sweeping over the crowd near to her, as she starts to turn towards Laura…
"…What are you doing?" Laura asks seriously when Venus turns toward her. She takes a deep breaht, eyes narrowing slightly. "Wherever you go people seem to be behaving… Strangely." It's the best description Laura has found for hte profound yet subtle changes in the crowds betwen where she started and their current position. The girl briefly lciks her lips. "We met at the 7 Up stand." In a manner of speaking.
Venus looks momentarily suprised as she sees you, then tilts her head curiously. "Oh right! The chick who didn't want a soda at first." she says curiously. "It's all copacetic. Hang loose?" She glances back at the crowd. "Just helping people live up to the spirit of the Fair today. And they'll take some of those good vibrations home with them, and spread them around there too, maybe." She shrugs. "Makes the world a little happier, you dig? Mellow out." She thumbs towards the stand behind her. "Wanna score a waffle?"
"…" Laura looks as if she might bbe about to ask another question right to the moment the topic of waffles comes up. Then she blinks and looks over toward the stand then back to the redhead in front of her. Finally she gives a slow nod, just once, and turns toward the food. "Does it realy work?"
"Sure. I mean, I try not to be heavy handed about it, because that'd be kinda candyass, making people lose control." She looks thoughful. "Not gonna fink me out to the fuzz, are you? That'd be extremely unrighteous." She holds up a finger. "But, totally up for buying your silence with waffles, that'd be groovy." She flashes a cheerful smile, stepping up to order a pair of the waffles, then offering one to Laura as they step away from the stand. "Not many people are hep enough to catch what I do."
"Yes," Laura agrees in her best deadpan voice. "I am one hep cat." With this she finally stands in front of the waffle stand, studying the offerings while Venus orders. She reaches out and accepts one from her companion and settles into eating quietly for a moment. She's finished half of her waffle before she speaks again. "I don't talk to the police. They smell like stale donuts and burnt coffee."
Venus munches absently, then swallows, grinning at that as she licks some whipped cream off her upper lip. "Hah! Yeah, that's about right." she agrees, as she glances over at the younger girl thoughfully. So, a good sense of smell. Interesting. "I'm Venus." she says, offering her free hand not holding the waffle. "You seem like a tough chick."