Jun 13 04:07:41 106 PA - Chance meeting in the park

From Chronicles

Jun 13 04:07:41 106 PA

Kingsdale - Plaza Park

The Kingsdale Plaza Park stretches out to the west approximately sixteen-hundred feet until it meets with a residential area. The ground is covered with sporadic grass and wild flowers. Deep craters from some long-ago weapons fire cover this area of the park making the ground uneven and in some places difficult to walk. Nonetheless, this area has seen extensive use by the people of Kingsdale. Bike trails criss-cross the area and one of the craters has been filled with water where duck and other water birds come. These waterfoul seem to have quite a good living too, with people almost always present to feed them. Here and there are stands of conifer trees that people often sit beneath to read and otherwise forget the trials and tribulations of city life. The exception to this is during the night though, and nobody comes to the park after dark unless they are either foolhardy in the extreme or looking for trouble. The wind blows through the area unhampered and on good days it carries with it the laughter of children feeding ducks and the sweet scent of pine and wild flowers. Benches and places to sit are also scattered through the park area, and to the south is a Pavillion of five statues -- all previous dictators and people of note to Kingsdale's past.

No one comes to the park at night, save for the foolish or those seeking trouble. Or, in Leonard's case, diehard fans of gazebos. He sits within the simple structure, content to be out of the falling rain, yet not wholly comfortable upon the wood seat. Enjoying the sights, perhaps, although there is little to see.

Ema is always looking for trouble, and the park is as a good a place as any to find it, especialy at night. She's dressed in a long coat, tight up top and flowing about the bottom, a long skirt peeking out underneath. Her hands are in her pockets as she walks, hair loose about her head, and her eyes seem glued to the path before her as she walks seemingly aimlessly.

Leonard may well sit aimlessly, if such is possible. A quiet evening stroll to clear the thoughts, save for the strolling part. He seems unaware of any approaching trouble or those seeking it, gaze shifting instead to the intermittent flash of lightning here and there.

Ema's eyes lift as she becomes aware of another presence in the park, her brow furrowing as she looks at the aura, this person not being the sort of trouble she was apparently looking for. She finds a reason to smirk, however, as she slides off the path towards the tree line, her movements becoming a bit stealthier as she attempts to mask her approach. Her eyes lock on Leo as she sends him a message telepathically, or tries too, "The park isn't safe, after dark."

That 'friendly' warning is enough to pull Leonard's attention from storm to surroundings. Head and eyes turn about in search of the familiar face that may or may not be nearby. It seems that the cat is out to play.

Ema stalks, approaching as close as she can hidden in the shadows, another message sent to the shifter, "All Alone?" she's so close now "Past your little girl's bed time?" two messages, brief, and distracting as she emerges from the tree line, hands still in pockets as her jacket moves in the gentle breeze, her voice breaking the silence, "Your little one know you sneak off in the middle of the night? Doesn't she worry?"

Leonard can finally home in on the voice, and a smile is offered. "Only when I inform her, and she doesn't worry. Much." Brows lift in query. "Are you out to claim your pound of flesh?"

Ema looks around, "I think not. Out here one might call you getting what you deserver _assualt_. In a ring, it just means you need to practice more." she circles slowly, frowning ever so slightly, "No, I think I'll stay out of the law's invasive eye for now."

"I can relocate if that is your desire, Ema," Leonard's eyes follow her as she circles, within limits of reason and physiology, "or we can always enjoy more friendly conversation. What brings you out at this hour?"

"I'm a predator, right? Thats how you see me." she states the last bit, no questioning, "Perhaps I'm just doing what predators do," she shrugs, stopping as she stares at you, "I don't require anything from you, and I really don't think you need to be so dramatic. You could surprise yourself."

Leonard exhales a sigh. "Do I think you are predatory? Yes, but there is more to you than that. If there weren't, I don't think I'd be breathing right now." Her last draws a curious brow upwards along with a bit of mirth. "I was attempting to not be dramatic, in fact. I take it that it didn't work?"

Ema shrugs, "Everything is dramatic with you, Leo. You must know that. Swinging from extreme to extreme, only thinking about yourself," she turns and surveys the area around her, then looks back over at you, "You think otherwise? That you're handling things well and discreetly?"

"I've not handled much anything in either fashion," Leonard admits,"and I'm aware of that. I'm attempting to balance the give and take as best I can. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them." His last remark is genuine, and without wit.

"You're young Leo, you both are, the stupidity of youth coupled with more power than a child should have." she sniffs loudly, her nose wrinkling, "I wonder sometime, if you even know, that you're the type of person that make the coalition hate people like us. So much power, so little sense." she looks down, takes a calming breath, then looks back up, "You want advice? Think before you act. Its advice I myself have started to head, and I find it agreeable. Its kept you alive."

First a slight uplifting of a brow, and then a similar lift to the corners of Leonard's lips. "Before I didn't act, then I didn't think. Like I said, I'm working to balance all that. You should know it's not the easiest of things. More tempting to be predator than prey, so to speak."

"I've an excuse, I'm wild, I wasn't born here, i don't know the rules. You should have known better. Really, two months ago, I'd have gutted you like a fish. I still don't know why I haven't. You're lucky, I guess." another deep breath, eyes closing. She lets it out slowly, black eyes once more regarding you as she exhales, "What is it about me that made you think you could treat me like trash, over and over again? At what point didn't I make myself and intentions clear to you? The day after our first meeting when you first hurt me on the street in front of strangers? When, Leo, did I lead you to beleive that my feelings weren't worth considering?"

"I didn't exactly know them, either, Ema." Now Leonard srolls his shoulders. "A few months ago, you could've had me however you wished, taken what you wanted, and I doubt I would have even noticed. I did what I was told, what was expected, and not much else. That was to blame for some." He exhales a sigh. "Then, as you said, I took the other extreme, and only made matters much, much worse. It was never my intention to mistreat you, but you made everything appear so ...casual, that I didn't think I could. Hells, Ema, I was trying to /be/ like you, and let everything slide off as it didn't matter."

"The face I give to the public is not who I am, Leo, its not who any of us are. I don't like people to see my weaknesses, but shit, I'm a person, there are truths that bind all us humans together, needs and fears. Where I came from, weakness, even perceived weakness would get you killed, but that doesn't mean I'm heartless." her shoulders roll back as her hands escape her jacket, resting on top of her head, "Though i'm beginning to see that this city is just another jungle, and that my biggest mistake was even trying to care about people."

Leonard regards her a long moment. "I never thought you weak, so why don't you tell me what your intentions are, and make them clear. No confusion, no doubt," light mirth creeps into his words, "and no neural maces? They do make it difficult to converse, and aren't especially endearing."

Ema clears her throat, hands slipping off her head and back into her pockets as she wets her lips before speaking, "My intentions are too do as you first suggested, take my pound of flesh, make you hurt a little because it's what's best for me. Do onto you as you did onto me, as it were. And when I'm satisfied that a lesson has been learned, I intend to stay away from the two of you, let you both grow up a bit with me out of harms way."

"Ema..." Leonard pointedly seeks her gaze with his own and means to hold it, yet not quite in harsh challenge. "I suggested that as it was my best guess of what you wanted from me. If I am wrong, then please correct me. I've no desire to have you avoid me... but if that is what you want, I'll not try to screw that up this time."

"There is an old Earth saying, Leo, "Fool me once, shame on you, Fool me twice, Shame on me."" her head shakes a bit as she finishes, her body seeming to melt into the ground as she sits, and then leans back, staring up at the sky, "Why should I believe you? Why would letting you try not to fuck with me yet again be in my best interest?" her hands tuck behind her head, and her knees bend as her feet rest flat on the ground, "And god, I really can't deal with Vixen after this. There's just no way."

A frown promptly distorts Leonard's features. "How, exactly, would I be fucking with you, Ema? What of her can't you deal with? I thought that the two of you had come to some sort of truce, and I don't even know what the fight is about, any longer. This isn't a competition." His own deep breath serves to vent, and even diminishes the frown. "She's not going to harass you, Ema, and even accepted our arrangement as I offered it. I can't say that she's elated, but she accepted it."

"She's a confused child, Leo, and I mean this quite literally when I say she's not right in the head." her head rolls in the grass to look up at you, "No woman would take you back after the way you acted, yet this troubled little girl did, and you don't even see why that's gonna be an issue." she chuckles, eyes returning to the stars above her, "Our truce, as it was, was based around you not being a factor for us. And we can both see how much bullshit that premise was created on. You brought her worst nightmare to bed days after she left, then me, who knows who else. That girl is stupid, but she's not stupid, know what I mean?" she looks back at you, a smirk graces her lip as she appears to think maybe you don't, "I don't need to be under that sort of suspicion, not from her. You're insane if you think she's not going to be watching the two of us and lieing about it."

"What if she was suspicious? They would be empty suspicions, would they not?" Leonard shakes his head. "You are both stubborn enough that I'm not certain you'd get along even if I were not an issue. I'm not forcing you to stay, nor pleading. If you want to run off in whatever fashion you think is best, that's your choice. I was simply informing you that you didn't need do so for anyone else's sake." Now he simply rolls his shoulders in a shrug. "She made her choice, I made mine, I suppose all that remains is for you to decide where you stand in all of this."

"You should watch your choice of words, Leo, I'm not going to suddenly change my mind because you challange my sense of pride." narrowed eyes, black and large stare up at you, "Though It may make me rethink risking an assault..." her voice trails off, "No, I think I can handle being polite to you, but you are not the type of person I can trust, or want as a friend, not now." she closes her eyes, head tilted for the sky, "Time may change that opinion, but for now, all I see is a couple of crazy people playing with explosives, and I think I'll stay very far away from that."

Leonard sighs and rises from his seat. "I wasn't challenging your pride, Ema, but attempting to keep your feelings in mind, and be accommodating. The choice is yours, and I realize that will take time. So, for now, I'll take my explosives back to the other crazy person for more juggling. Do enjoy your morning, Ema." Other than the blunted edge of weariness, his words carry little tone as she proceeds out of the gazebo and into the dangerous dark.

Ema lets you go, waiting until you are out of sight before she rolls to her feet, and continues on to take care of what ever it was that brought her out here in the first place.