7950/On a Lark in a Park

On a Lark in a Park
Date of Scene:	18 June 2019
Location:	Apple Park - Salem Center
Synopsis:	Ororo and Diana meet at a park event and decide how great they both are! Yay!
Cast of Characters:	Wonder Woman, Storm

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Wonder Woman has posed:
A lovely day in Apple Park, summer time weather and school was out in the area. As such, events were taking place in the park itself. Diana was here for two reasons. One being to participate in the event, she had been asked months ago to be one of the main super heroes in attendance for this 'Super Heroes Amongst Us All' celebration designed for kids to meet real world super heroes, not just the ones on tvs and in movies.

But it wasn't just about the kind that are members of the Justice League, its also about Firefighters, Police Officers, and more. Anyone who puts their life and well being on the line for protecting others, so that kids can see that there are more than just the 'big famous super powered' people to cheer for.

Diana was, of course, the big draw of the event, but she was here to support the true nature of the cause and as-such she's been making her way between the stages, interacting with anyone and everyone she can. Dressed in her Eagle Armor, she's been turning heads and taking pictures all day.

She even did a martial arts / self defense class in front of many with a local mixed martial arts school and its teachers, this was a big crowd pleaser moment!

Now though? its getting later in the afternoon and the Princess is continuing to walk around and just mingle with event attendees. She's shaking hands, taking more photos and just getting to know anyone who wishes to approach her, at least a little bit any way!

Storm has posed:
Ororo is there at the park more discreetly.

The X-men aren't public knowledge-- not their identities, anyway-- and she's there to ensure that some of the Instiute children get to see a larger world of metahumans and superheroes that aren't considered 'terrorist vigilantes' by the government.

So she's keeping an able eye on them as they run around, talking to firefighters and cops and EMTs. Careers might be decided on today. Lots of kids love uniforms and the idea of community service, and the first responders exemplify that in a big way.

Ororo wears an off-the-shoulder dress that hangs to her ankles, all flowing fabric of a bold red color with a floral print in white. Each leaf is the size of her palm, and the outfit draws attention to her arms and face and breaks up her curves a bit. Not much can be done about her sheer height, so she's in low wedged sandals and she's worn her hair in beaded plaits that arc across her scalp like a horse's mane.

The weather warper is drawn to Diana, perhaps for reasons even she can't fully articulate. Ororo's a world traveller and has met celebrities. Diana's something unique, though, and part of Ororo's instincts for the will of the world itself tugs her over to interdict Diana's path. She stops in front of Diana's route and meets the Grecian woman's gaze.

Two sets of eyes, each the color of a clear blue sky, meet wordlessly as daughters of Gaea find themselves in each other's proximity. The frisson between them is wordless but palpable and it takes a few moments for Ororo to steady her resolve against it. "Princess Diana," she says, with the utmost courtesy, and offers a handshake to the woman with her palm relaxed and facing the ground. "It is a pleasure to meet you in person. I am Ororo Munroe," she says. "I am also known as the Hadari Yao." An ancient Alkamite word for 'walker of clouds'. "But to my friends, I am Ororo."

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana is just casually strolling along now, waving and smiling to those who acknowledge her--and being that she's over six feet tall in her armored boots, she's rather easy to spot and be acknowledged.

But its Ororo's arrival before that makes Diana cease her movement and put her darker blue eyes upon that of Storm's lighter own. A smile spreads over Diana's red lips after she is given the name introduction, a true sense of pleasure graces her face at having been told the woman's identity. "Why hello to you." Diana says in response at first. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Her own hand is offered, her forearms encased in her bracers of submission, the legendary pieces of armor that keep the Princess safe from many physical attacks that she has publicly been recorded/seen enduring and surviving due to their fine craftsmanship. Diana shakes Storm's hand, her own is half wrapped in dark smooth brown leather around her palm, her fingers are left bare and and silk soft, not coming off as the skin of a warrior woman at all due to her ability to heal and maintain her physical being.

"I like your hair." Diana elects to compliment Ororo, showing a slight playful gleam to her facial expression, which is common when she is in a good mood like she is now. "And your name, both of them." She gives a hint of a grin then and there.

Storm has posed:
"I love your boots," Ororo replies, and matches Diana's smile with a grin of her own. The handshake is a gentle one, her fingers a little roughened from gardening and physical effort but not caked in calluses.

Ororo's teeth are startlingly white, a sharp contrast to her earth-brown skin. "Practical /and/ stylish. Amazons have good taste," she admires. Ororo's own attire is definitely informed by wildly different fashion sensibilities than most American tastes.

"But do please call me Ororo. I was considering some food," she suggests and waves a hand at a vendor's cart. "Would it be rude of me to tear you away from your rounds and offer to buy you something to eat? A corn dog, or a pretzel?" she offers. Ororo's one of those people who believes in bonding over a full stomach, apparently.

Wonder Woman has posed:
"Oh!" Diana's eyes quickly drop down to her armored feet, shins and knees before she looks back up and just is all kinds of happy smiles. "Why thank you." She says in a quiet and decisive fashion, adding a singular dipping of her chin in a punctuating nod of approval. "They are dangerous here." She says then. "I fear I will take out small children with them if I do not watch my step veeeery carefully." Another little grin is given to Ororo then before Diana responds to the offer...

Her attention looks to the direction of the food, which happens to be where the sun is setting and it shines brightly upon her face and her dark brown hair as it whips about her head in the warm summer winds. "A pretzel sounds just enticing enough for me to take you up on that offer." She says as she turns her stare back onto Ororo, still smiling to her. "Are you from around here, Ororo?" She asks the lovely woman as she turns to walk with her to the food vendors.

Storm has posed:
"I am not," Ororo confirms to Diana's delicately phrased question. Her accent definitely speaks of her as being from somewhere very far from America-- a blend of multiple language teaches and idiosyncracies. How does one describe a girl who started speaking in America, entered adolescence speaking Arabic, learned French from missionaries, and then re-learned English from a Masaai bush witch?

"My family is originally from America. I grew up in Africa," she explains. "I spent my childhood in Cairo and then moved south to Kenya when I was a teenager. I've been back in America for about ten years."

She moves with Diana to the vendor stalls, the anklet on her calf clicking against a thin loop of beads with the motion. Her dress has pockets sewn into it and she digs out a few carefully folded bills. "Two pretzels please," she requests of the vendor.

"Of course you are from Themyscira," Ororo tells Diana. She's familiar enough with the celebrated Wonder Woman. "I have been curious though-- where /is/ that island? No one seems to know for sure. Somewhere in the Mediteranean?" she hazards.

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana shows a soft smile over to Ororo as she explains some of her history as to the nature of where she truly is from. "That a storied life you have lived thus far." She responds. "I gathered from your accent that you have likely been to many such places, though it is largely African, I can sense... more within it."

When they reach the vendor and she sees Ororo order and pay, Diana has to add in. "That is a beautiful dress." She then smiles to the vendor as well when they accept the order, but then she perks a bit and points to the order board. "Can mine by chocolate?" She asks, pointing to the picture of the chocolate pretzel, because well... Diana has a bit of a sweet tooth.

She grins to the Vendor before she looks back to Ororo. "Yes, Themyscira is generally not on any maps. It is because it is a hidden island. Protected by the will of the Gods who created it. It is near to Greece though, only able to be reached via specific entry points within its protective barrier."

Storm has posed:
Ororo accepts hers, covered in nothing but salt and butter. Once Diana's been given her snack, Ororo pays, then carefully counts her change and puts it carefully away. Not an act of parismony-- but maybe someone who's grown up in situations where money could be very sparse.

"It has had some challenges. Some low points, but many more high ones," Ororo agrees. "You have a keen ear to hear such things after only a few words," she admires.

The two women find a place to sit on the bench to eat. Ororo tucks her dress tight behind her knees and sits carefully, swinging her legs modestly over the bench so she can settle in. It's finger food, so she lays a napkin out and tears into the pretzel with careful motions of her fingertips.

"I hope it is not strange to ask, but I felt something when we looked at each other." Ororo gestures between them. "It is an unusual one. I do not know the customs of your people or the history of the spirits of Greece-- I am more familiar with Heliopolis and the Orisha. But I sense in you a bond to the earth herself." A curious way to put it. "To the sea and sky and land between. I know very few people with such a close bond to Asili." Another name for Mother Gaea, the primogenitor of Earthly life.

Wonder Woman has posed:
Prior to reaching the table, Diana just grins as she holds her pretzel between the napkin she'd taken too. "My people were gifted with an ability to pick up other languages quickly. This has given me an advantage at deciphering accents within one's voice, which leads me to being able to often trace one's life through the sounds in which they deliver words." She states as they reach the bench thena nd she sits herself down across from Ororo.

When Storm speaks of an odd connection with her, Diana smiles to the other before she pauses from her pretzel to nods her head gently once. "I am... not your average person. I was created by the gods, by Zeus to be precise. This is likely what you are sensing. Which means you have a rare connection to the Earth itself, but then... that seems to suit you, I would say." Another quick and soft smile is flashed before Diana pops a broken off corner of the chocolate treat into her mouth. After enjoying it she asks further.

"Of all the places you have been, lived, and experienced, which is your favorite?" She has to ask. "Is it here? Is this why you have stayed here for a decade now?"

Storm has posed:
"I am blessed to have the ear of the Earth," Ororo says. Again, that weird inflection-- not the dirt underfoot, but the spirit of the land itself. "She listens to me and grants me a measure of her grace and wisdom. I am humbled and grateful for it. And once in a while, I meet someone of a like mindedness," she says, lips curling into a smile. "Which is also most agreeable."

She considers Diana's question over a chewing few bites, setting her elbows on the table and looking whimsically at the clouds as she thinks. "Yes. This is my favorite place," she says. "Because of the people here. I am very fortunate to be a teacher. I get to see struggling children turn into successful adults. I nurture them through adversity and I am rewarded by cheering their triumphs. It is a blessing without measure and I am honored to be a small part of their success."

Fingers flex in the air. "And you? Surely New England cannot compare to a realm like Themyscira. I have been to the Greek Islands only once, a few years ago, but I remember it being one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen."

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana just enjoys her pretzel treat while she listens to Storm's poetic way of putting her words, it seems to entertain her and keep her attention waiting for what the woman would describe next. "A teacher?' Diana's smoky voice responds then, her dark eyebrows lifting up as she glances back toward the crowds enjoying the park, their own picnics and those preparing their dinners at the various grilling locations, the ones who don't go for the provided vendor food of course.

"Teachers are heroes as much as the rest of us brought here today." Diana says then as she looks back upon Storm. "The good ones at least, of which I get the sense that you are amongst such a grouping." She pops a curved edge of the chocolatey pretzel into her mouth that she'd torn off of the main body, then lowers her eyes as she shakes her head side to side.

A moment or so later she speaks after swallowing the delicious food. "I have been many places, and seen indescribable beauty." She looks back up to Storm then. "But nothing will ever please me like the vistas of my home." A warming smile spreads across her lips then. "Even if, once upon my life's journey, I yearned to see any place beyond them that I could."

Storm has posed:
"The sunrise on the savannah," Ororo says, a few seconds later. She smiles at Diana in a knowing manner, shoulders shrugging as she relaxes over the table. "It is the most perfect time on Earth. The world is waking up slowly. The sun rises swiftly in Africa. We build our homes to face the sunrise so it stirs us in the mornings. Birds sing, gazelles waking from their nests. The insects go to sleep and wake up in their endless shifts. The air is cool and there is a breeze that seems to come from the ocean itself no matter how far inland one is."

"I think of it fondly when I am not home, and I visit my people as often as I can. Nairobi is not a terribly far distance to fly as far as international trips go. And it's only a few hours of driving to my tribe from there."

She tilts her head at Diana, hair tinkling over one shoulder. "But there is beauty in New England in the fall as the leaves change. And in Texas when spring comes. I have travelled over much of the world, and found Asili is constant in one thing: making beauty appear in even the most adverse of environments."

Wonder Woman has posed:
As Diana finishes the treat she strokes her fingertips with the napkin and then rolls it up between her palms softly while her eyes go back up to Ororo and she very faintly nods to what Storm says. "Earth as a whole is our home, and our... responsibility to protect. This is how my people view it, though... they have gotten a bit lost in their isolation from it all. Which I am attempting to change, as quickly, yet carefuly as I can." She has a ghost of a grin touch her expression then before she glances away at a family walking past them, she waves to them as they look to her and wave back, before she then looks back onto Storm.

"I have been to Africa, a number of times, sadly never for very long for any of those visits. I was an antiquities dealer for a very long time, and I dealt with quite a lot from Africa. Cairo specifically." Diana explains, but after a pause she smiles again lightly. "I am expected to go to Wakanda some time soon, but those arrangements have not been solidified as of yet. Their Embassy is being established in Manhattan at this very moment, as I just spoke to Princess Shuri a handful of days ago. Her very first time here, she looked... overwhelmed, in a good way."

Storm has posed:
"Wakanda?" Ororo's face brightens. Nairobi's a bustling urban metropolis, but inarguably Wakanda's become a spiritual mecca for Africa as a whole. A representation of all people and all tribes, wholly built on African traditions. "I knew the previous ambassador, King T'challa. He is a friend," Ororo tells Diana. "I have not had the pleasure of meeting his sister Princess Shuri, but I have heard only wonderful things abotu her. Reputedly she is one of the brightest minds in the world, and has wild ambitions about trying to fix all the world's problems at once. She seems like a wonderful young woman. What was your take on her?" she inquires, genuinely curious. "Do you think she will suit the role of ambassador well?"

Wonder Woman has posed:
There comes a slight nod of her head from the Princess then. "I have had the fortune of being able to work with T'Challa in light amounts, up until recently where we teamed up to push back against an attack from..." She draws in a breath and lets it slowly out, there is a mourning to this action from the woman, an inner sadness from this event she's about to speak of. "A mythical creature long thought to be gone from this world. It turns out, to be otherwise not... so gone." She flickers her stare back to Ororo's eyes. "Stymphalian birds. Massive avians, like a Griffon. But it is a creature with razer sharp feathers, poisonous secretions and a mouth large enough to consume a fully grown person."

Softly she shakes her head then to those thoughts. "They attack Central Park some weeks ago. Thankfully, the King was there to aid me and push these creatures back to their home. We only killed but three of them, at least five yet remain. But they will not come back. They only found their way here due to a college professor having... pilfered their eggs and brought them here for 'study'. Foolish man..."

Diana then shows a sympathetic smile. "Apologies for the rant. Princess Shuri is..." She trails off to find the perfect description. "She is the definition of Charming. If you find an opportunity to offer to buy her pretzel, I encourage you to take it." She states then with a grin.

Storm has posed:
"I heard about those horrible monsters. I am glad you were able to stop them," Ororo tells Diana. "And rant away. It is quite all right," Ororo says, and lays a hand on the midway point of the table, palm up. Physically support to go with the emotional and verbal reassurance. "Sometimes it is good to rant. I always keep tea in my attic for just this reason-- ranting is much safer when you have to hold something carefully in your hands, I find," she says, and grins at Diana.

"I will make an inquiry at the Embassy and see if she is willing to see me," Ororo tells Diana. "It would be nice to hear how King T'challa is doing." She grows thoughtful. "Would it be an imposition to invite you to visit our school sometime? It is a very small private academy an hour north of New York, in Westchester. Exclusively for gifted students, but sometimes the most gifted among us struggle with unseen burdens. Meeting you would be a highlight of their academic career," she suggests.

Wonder Woman has posed:
There's much to touch on there for Diana, much of what Ororo says makes her have something to pop inside her head, but its when Storm offers a little more detail about where it is she teaches that a light goes off and its then that Diana doesn put one hand into Ororo's offered palm, but both of them. Her armored bracers lightly thud on top of the table and then she squeezes Storm's hand and leans forward over the table just a little....

"I have been there." She says then, cracking a slow grin now. "Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters." She states it, more than questions it. "I am a friend of one of your faculty. Logan. A rather gruff and... manly-type man." She shows that grin to blossom just a little. "I was there at the start of February last. I went to speak with him, he took me on an exterior tour of the grounds before we went inside to speak with some of the children until a call came across the Justice League line and I had to go."

Diana squeezes Ororo's hand softly. "A beautiful place! I would be thrilled to go again."

Storm has posed:
Ororo's eyes go wide, and then she laughs. Her rich voice carries like a bell, amused and wholly uninhibited. "Oh! Oh my!" she says, shaking her head. "Yes, Logan is a dear, dear friend. A little rough around the edges but there is a depth of kindness in his soul," she assures Diana. Both hands join Di's, squeezing tightly atop the table in their little pile. "In February... I would have been in Kenya," she remarks, thinking through her calendar. "Small wonder I missed you. But yes, you would be welcome there anytime," she assures Diana. "You are a hero to many and the young women, in particular, can always use role models to remind them how to be feminine *and* powerful at once. That they are the same thing, and not a sacrifice one makes for the sake of the other. You would be an inspired visitor for them."

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana has to grin at the bit about Logan. "I like him." She says then before adding in a whisper. "But do not tell him I said it." And she lets her grin broaden at that for a moment before she listens to the rest and then her expression overall soften as she kind of melts at the compliment offered to her.

"I want to be a good person for everyone, male or female. Boy or girl. But I cannot hide my love for inspiring young women to know that they can be better. For far too long, the young women of this world have had to grow up in an environment that did not encourage them enough, did not let them know how much positive change they can effect in their lives. This world, outside of where I am from, has treated women very poorly for far too long. But..." She pauses and takes in a breath between her red hued lips.

"I do not wish to imbalance things. I, in fact, strive for a world where men and women stand together." She then pauses once again before just smirking a little at herself. "A lofty goal, I know..."

Storm has posed:
"There is a difference between feminism and misandry," Ororo offers, her rich voice a gentle tone. "And that difference is when we tell girls 'you are better than men' and tell them 'they are your equal'. This is a perfect world, and maybe a goal I will not see in my lifetime all over the world," Ororo admits. "But for now-- and I admit I am biased-- it seems like we need to be doing more to build up young girls. Boys have their heroes to look up to, and women need our own as well."

She glances down, realizing she's still holding Diana's hands, and flickers a look up to the Grecian beauty. "But if the boys resonate to your message then they, too, should hear it and share it with each other. I cannot think anyone will look negatively on your sort of inspirational words."

"When would you care to visit us? I'd like a little time to prepare the school. Clean up. Get the lawn mowed," she says, eyes dancing. "It is not every day an ambassador comes to visit us."

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana will move to release Ororo's hands. They had a connection, shared interests and styles it would seem, but there comes a time where social obligations means if you continue to hold someone's hand, you're going to be labeled as a weirdo. The Princess just grins then and she draws her hands back to the edge of the table.

"I would come as soon as you are ready for me." She says then to Storm. "Whether you need to speak to others and arrange a meeting, all you need to do is contact me at my Embassy in Manhattan and we will make it happen."

"I imagine you are a great inspiration to many of your students, male and female, Ororo Munroe. Of that, you have my gratitude for being there for them."

Storm has posed:
"I will contact your Embassy tomorrow and we will find a time that works for you," Ororo says, settling her delicate fingers back in her lap. "And you, now, are doing /me/ too much of a kindness," she says, cheeks darkening modestly. "It is my great privilege to help these children. I do what modest contribution I can offer. If that inspires them to greater happiness, then I have done my job well."

She rises from the table. "I shan't keep you from the press any longer. Farewell, Ambassador," Ororo tells Diana with a sincere gratitude. "I will see you soon, I am certain. "

Wonder Woman has posed:
Diana also rises and she gathers up the napkin she'd rolled up into her left hand to take it to a waste bin. "It was a pleasure meeting you as well, Ororo. I look forward to visiting the school and getting to see you in your heroic element." She has no idea who Storm is and how much heroing she actually does!

She gives a soft touch to Ororo's arm and then steps off to go about her way to wrap up this event on this day here in the lovely Salem Center park.