Owner	Pose
Wu	"It's a sunny day out there, and you all know what that means..." the artificially friendly voice babbles from streaming sites across portable devices everywhere. False laughter, modulated by algorithm for maximum "goofiness" rings out. "SUNSCREEN!" the chorus behind the voice sings.     It is sunny. And a sunny day in central park seems like a perfect way to recover. Alice finds herself out in the park, wandering around the paths, appreciating the landscaping for what it is: the trappings of the beginnings of real civilization and culture. She finds a bench and sets down her bag of Los Pollos Hermanos food, stretching out her legs... "Hey! Watch it lady!" ...pulling them in again with a sigh as she nearly trips a jogger. She instead, with some difficulty given she appears unwilling to move her right arm much, sits cross-legged on the bench and pulls the bag into her lap, preparing to feast in the afternoon sun.
Ares	The weekend, the influx of tourists, the hectic tide of summer activities. It all lends itself to a swirling mess of chaos with so many people moving in so many different directions. And considering where she chose for her picnic, some small distance away from a tall fountain, near one of the bike trails, she'll be able to feast her eyes on it all. But then again, some people come to the park for the activities, the nature. Others... for the people watching.     John Aaron, however, comes to Central Park for another reason at times.     "Dad, I'm gonna go throw some pennies in the fountain!" The blonde boy starts to pull at the taller man's hand, walking backwards as he tries to convince his father of the excitement of such an event. "C'mon!"     "Do you have any pennies?"     The ten year old digs into his pockets, "I have... five. Six!"     He's a tall man, half a foot past six and broad of shoulders. "Here," He digs into his pocket and digs out a few more, dropping them into his son's outstretched hand. "Do not disturb others who enjoy the fountain. Be respectful."     The child looks to be ten, perhaps, but with bright blonde hair and blue eyes. At the gift of extra pennies he smiles, "Thanks!"     "Stay where I can see you," John Aaron walks to the side even as the boy dashes off. He glances around for an empty spot on a bench to sit down. And sees one there beside Alice and her picnic.     A few steps carry him towards her and he takes up a place sitting on the edge of the seat at the end, though he does give her a nod. "Afternoon,"
Wu	"Good afternoon," Alice says, lightly accented voice flagging her as an outsider. She looks over at the man, raises an eyebrow, and shuffles over a bit on the bench, giving him more space to sit his large frame comfortably. "I'm sorry," she says. "I didn't mean to take up the whole bench. Please, make yourself comfortable."     She pulls a chicken sandwich out, conversationally noting, "If they opened in Hong Kong I think KFC would die overnight." She gestures to the bag.     She regards the young boy tossing pennies into the fountain. "Your son? Very handsome boy. Is there some significance to the pennies in the fountain?"
Ares	The tall man lifts a hand lightly, as if saying that he has enough of a seat to be comfortable. Then to clarify he murmurs, "It's fine, thank you." But his eyes are on the child that is now running around the edge of the fountain, trying to find the /best/ possible place to stand to throw the pennies into it.     "Fried chicken," John looks over at her, her bag and her banquet, then smiles a bit and looks away. "One of the few things the Scots got right." He smirks as he looks away, watching the ebb and flow of the population around the fountain, the water's trickling lending a nice sheen of white noise to the faint sound of the crowd surrounding it.     But then he nods as she asks of Alexander, "He is. As to significance, I believe he likes the 'ploop' sound they make when they hit the water." An apologetic shrug is offered for such a terribly unexciting reason.     "John Aaron," He says as he touches a finger to his chest, then lifts it to a wave. Not presuming to a handshake since... well, her hands are busy.
Wu	Alice puts the sandwich in her left hand down, then clumsily returns the wave, obviously unused to the left hand being primary. "Alice Gulliver," she says, looking decidedly not like someone whose name would be that. I mean sure the red hair fits, but ... nothing else does. "I'm not really from around here," she adds quite unnecessarily.     She raises the sandwich again, carefully wrapping half of it so her hand doesn't touch the bread, and taking a bite, chewing carefully as she mulls over John's response.     "When I was a child," she says after swallowing, "I would throw coins into the fountain outside Donglin temple. Officially it was for good luck. Really, though, it was because I wanted to see if I could hit the turtles.     She looks up, eyes dancing with amusement. "The turtles were there for good luck, you understand, but I didn't believe in that. I believed in good aim instead. Children sometimes do things for different reasons than their elders think.
Ares	He settles back slowly against the bench seat, taking up a bit of the offered place as he perhaps seems more at ease. Crossing a leg over his knee and then folding his arms over his broad chest, John glances at her askance and smiles, "That may be entirely true. Perhaps it's just myself that enjoys that 'ploop' sound."     Meanwhile, across the way, Alexander is standing on the edge of the fountain and very meticulously getting ready with a low underhand toss, taking a few test swings forwards then throwing the penny up into the air, and then grinning like a mad man when it splashes into the water.     It's perhaps only then, as he settles into his seat, that he looks at Alice again and truly notices her. His brow quirks and he hms a moment before he asks, "Have you been in the country long?"
Wu	"It's that obvious is it?" Alice asks with a laugh. "Two months now. Enough to find an apartment and get inducted into the department."     She flashes the lapel of her vest to show the badge briefly, a silver GCPD badge instead of the usual gold. "I'm here on an exchange; this is the first day I've had where I could spend some time relaxing."     She shrugs. Her right eye twitches as she clamps a mask down over her face to avoid spilling any weakness onto the ground to contaminate the area.     "I was, in fact, specifically told to come out and enjoy myself," she adds, voice momentarily thick. Then the face and voice both relax again. "Central Park is world famous. I wanted to see it for myself and today seemed the right day for that."     Her eyes rake over Ares in a thorough, appraising glance, lips pursed.     "You don't look native yourself, to be honest," she finally decides. "But your speech is perfect and your demeanour is very American. Peculiar. If you were in Hong Kong I'd not peg you as a visiting American, but here you somehow fit in." She shakes her head. "And here I am blathering. I hope I didn't insult you."
Ares	"Ah, the workaholic's getaway." John gives a slow nod as he looks sidelong towards her, his expression at ease as he watches her. "I try to come here at times on the weekend. My son, Alexander, enjoys the green and the people." He looks back towards the fountain as yet another penny meets its fate.     "Can be hard to pull yourself away from things when you get wrapped up in them, for me..." He leans forwards, resting his elbows on his thighs, faded jeans rasping slightly, "I didn't care for when I'd come back after some time off and found that they somehow were able to keep going without me. As if the world just keeps on turning." He looks at her and gives a slight smile that somehow takes much of the severity from the tall man's grim and haggard features. "Almost felt insulting."     But then he takes a breath and lifts his chin as he considers her, "I've spent a good amount of time in America, but no I'm not originally from here."
Wu	"I'm more afraid," Alice says slowly, after another thoughtful bite, "that when I return I'll find out that they can't carry on without me." She watches the blond boy tossing pennies as she takes another bite, smiling in some form of bitter reminiscence. "I'm going to be gone for a long time. When I get back home, I may have friends wounded or dead. It's a dangerous line of work."     She shakes her head and forces her face into something more cheerful. "But that's not appropriate to talk about with strangers on such a lovely day. We should have met on a dark, overcast day with drizzle punctuated by short showers if we wanted to talk that way. Days like today are days to talk about fairy maidens and phoenixes.     She snaps her fingers. Well, tries to. Apparently she's REALLY bad at this left-handed thing. The frustration is visible in her eyes, but she soldiers on.     "I forgot, to blend in here, I was told, I had to talk about religion. Have you been enlightened yet? Have you heard the wisdom of the Tathagata?"     The frustration vanishes behind the eyes dancing with amusement again, her mouth formed into a mischievous grin. "I mean I'm sure I have a copy of the Diamond Sutra in here somewhere..." she adds, patting down her vest theatrically.
Ares	A small exhalation is heard, almost a laugh but barely. He leans to the side to scrunch up one eyeball as he peers at her while she talks about the proper sort of day one should have to speak on such matters, but he shakes his head and looks back across the way. "I like rainy days, to be fair."     But then she goes about digging into her pockets supposedly in the search of a religious text, that causes him to smirk without looking at her, shaking his head. "I am..." He cocks an eyebrow and then looks to her, "Not exactly that religious. But I'm sure I'd enjoy hearing your take on just about anything, you have a lovely accent." Of course his opinion on such is perhaps a touch skewed, considering his experiences across the world aren't exactly what the typical American might have. Still.     "But if you want to blend in better you could speak loudly and aggressively about a local sports team you favor."
Wu	"You mean that local sportball team?" Alice says with wide-eyed feigned excitement. "Go mascots!"     She grins impishly, adding, "I'm not even sure what the local sports teams are. I follow Weiqi. ... uh ... You would call it Go."     She raises a fist. "Go Yakamoto-sama?"     Another chuckle.     She looks Ares over again, seemingly confused. Her sandwich lies forgotten in her lap, cooling.     "I've been trying to place you," she says, more seriously now, "since I saw you come in with your boy. I really can't. Most people I can."     She points discreetly at a woman in roller-skates. "Accounts clerk, probably for an upscale boutique." A man in coveralls gets the treatment. "Cop. On assignment right now, probably surveillance. He's taking a break." A thin guy with spiked hair and a scuffed leather jacket. "Probably a D.J. He thinks he looks cool and dangerous, but doesn't know people mostly laugh at him."     Her finger extends to Ares. "This one," she adds slowly. "I have no idea. I have a bunch of fits, but none of them is quite right. Wrestler. Soldier. Lumberjack. ..." She pauses, eyes narrowing a bit. "Cop?"
Ares	The tall man smiles openly, but he keeps his eye on the child at the fountain, at least for now. Though when she starts listing the possibilities for his professions he chuckles a bit and steals a glance in her direction.     Each one is offered and he shakes his head, as if brushing away the options one after one. Those dark brown eyes meet her gaze at the end as he tells her, "Then shouldn't you be happy?" He lifts a hand to the back of his neck and rubs there thoughtfully, an eyebrow cocking at her as he tells her, "You've been a police officer, lived for these years, come to a new land, and still have the capacity to be surprised." A small nod is given, "It's a lovely gift, realizing you haven't seen everything that's in the world."     But then he takes a deep breath, exhaling it slowly even as he lifts a hand to wave at Alexander who had stopped his circling of the fountain to wave at him. Wave returned, the kid starts dashing back and forth between the small areas around the fish that spurt the water high.     To her he says, "Construction worker." And there, she has her answer. None of the above. But then her ego might be salvaged as he murmurs, "Though... I did chop wood up in Oregon one summer long ago. And I did do my time in the service."
Wu	"..." Alice watches Ares a while. She finally murmurs to herself, in Cantonese, "If you insist..."     Her face gets a polite mask stapled over it, duly chastened for being nosy. "So I won't," she says with feigned relief, "accidentally turn on some Wrestling show and see you posturing, then." She terminates that with a chuckle, then remembers her sandwich. Two bites are quickly consumed before she rotates the sandwich to start exposing the second half.     "You said fried chicken came from the Scots?" she asks. "I'm pretty sure that we were frying chickens long before Scotland was a thing, personally."
Ares	That eyebrow lifts as he looks towards her, ignoring her attempt at changing the subject for he tells her, "I am actually quite a good construction worker, I'll have you know." He then leans over towards her bag and cocks an eyebrow at the contents, then her sandwich, then meets her eyes with a wry half-smile. "The thing is..." He looks one way, then the other, brow furrowing as he affects a subtle tone of shared conspiracy. "Secrets have costs to them." Then he looks pointedly at her banquet of chicken.     He looks away, smiling as he finds Alexander again in the crowd, watching him now splashing and playing with the water some, apparently the penny supply having been exhausted. But John tells her, "Though no. I save my posturing for the beach." He nods once calmly.
Wu	Alice eyes the inside of her bag, then swivels her gaze back up to Ares. She reaches inside and pulls out a little box of chicken wings, extending them Ares' way. "Cheapest. Informant. Ever." she says with a grin. Her eyes follow his to Alexander and she watches a bit, waiting for him to smell the chicken near his nose.     "So what's the secret I paid so dearly for?"
Ares	"What I already gave you, of course." John accepts the wings and proceeds to pull open the small box, taking a moment to take one up and proceed to tear at the meat. But then he presumes much by reaching over and availing himself of a napkin if there are any suitably in reach. "But in the spirit of good faith and continued peaceful relations I will offer this," He puts the bones back in the container. "I also have a small farm I used to tend to, though now it's seen to a bit."     But then, almost as if by radar, Alexander comes /skidding/ to a halt in front of his dad and pipes up, "Hey what's that?"     "Chicken wings. Alexander, this is Alice Gulliver."     The kid looks over and smiles, giving a small wave, "Hello, pleased to meet you. Can I have some chicken?"     But John clicks his tongue, "You can have one wing, here." He offers it to the blonde-haired boy.     Alexander, with all the hesitation of the young, immediately grabs the wing and starts to tear into it, walking off as he does so, moving towards the trash can. He tosses the bones away once he's done and /runs/ off again.     A small snort, "Children, every day it's feed me feed me. I just fed you yesterday, Bah." John's lip curls but he looks back to her and picks up the threads of their earlier conversation.     "Why is it so unbelievable I might work in a field or on the side of a building?"
Wu	Alice doesn't answer for a while as she finishes her sandwich.     "Your bearing. I've seen too much of that bearing, and never in a farmer, or a construction worker."     Her hand slips to the jade pendant around her neck as she talks, fingers playing with the red silk thread suspending it, twisting and untwisting before her fingers slip around the representation of Guanyin. Her eyes fly wide open, entire body stiffening in shock. She stares at Ares, mouth agape before shutting it with a clack.     "I could be wrong," she says with a strained-relaxed voice, feigning contrition. Her fingers slip away from the amulet. "I mean it's not like I don't make mistakes."     Her fingers nervelessly reach into her bag for the french fries, grabbing a cluster of them and shoving them into her mouth.
Ares	John is watching his son rushing around the fountain, taking cover as another child splashes water at him, the pair laughing riotously at something even as they dash around. But it grants enough of a moment distraction that Alice has that window to touch the pendant. At the least, he has no way of sensing her keying into that magical perception, so when he looks towards her it's without a break in the conversation.     "See, now you could just be trying to flatter me." He offers as he then looks towards the fries and the subtle tremor there. His brow lifts as he looks towards her, head tilting slightly as if trying to discern what's wrong.
Wu	Wrong? Wrong? What could possibly be wrong? Just the second deity-grade being in as many days.     Alice looks over at Ares, smiles weakly and lies, badly, choking out the words as she notes his quizzical gaze, "Sorry, I just jarred my shoulder a little. It's a bit tender." The smile fails to reach the badly frightened eyes. Even her breathing goes a bit shallow, as "fight or flight" tries to take control.     She indicates his son. "How old is the young lad?" she asks, trying hard to distract herself, more than him.
Ares	"Ten," There's something wrong definitely, and he has seen people get set off by him at times, or something he's done without being aware of it. She can see his lips purse a moment as he meets her gaze, brow furrowing in confusion. But then he looks to the side and considers the chicken wings in his hand. "We should probably be going."     He sets the wings aside, "Thanks for the chicken, I only had a little." He offers it back to her but most likely when he gets little meet in the middle he'll just set it down on the park bench.     That having been said he gets to his feet, smiling a little weakly, "Was good meeting you, Alice." And with that he turns away, starting to walk towards the fountain.
Wu	"I'm ... sorry," Alice says as he starts walking away. "I was surprised. I didn't realize who I was talking to."     She struggles to her feet herself. "I reacted badly, and worse I reacted to something you obviously didn't want to broadcast." She bows her head formally, one hand before her held flat like half of a clasped hand. "Please forgive my transgression," she asks.     Beat.     "For what it's worth, I see great things in store for your son with a father like his."
Ares	His footsteps falter as he looks towards her, his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he levels that confused gaze at her. But she can see his lips purse as he looks to the side, then back to her as she finishes speaking. "It..." He withdraws a hand from the pocket, lifting it as if to wave off whatever transgression.     But then he looks towards her, and looks around slowly at the number of people around them. He lifts a hand to the back of his neck and then asks her, "Walk with me some?"     And should she agree he'll lift a hand to call out to his son, "Alexander!"     The child is summoned and to his credit he pads up quickly. "We're going to take a walk, feel free to run along but stay in my view."     "Yes, sir." But Alexander, to his credit, sort of looks at Alice as if something were out of sorts. He can pick up on the change of body language in his father... not to mention her own.     Then he rushes off and he gestures towards one of the bike paths.
Wu	Alice nods her head silently in assent, starts walking away from the bike path. Long enough to deposit her bag of garbage into a receptacle. She then returns and goes the indicated direction. It is clear when she moves that there is something wrong; her right hand is stuck in her jeans pocket and not removed; her body language one that favours her right side.     "He's a very observant child, I see," she says conversationally. "Sensitive to the subtleties of others' behaviours." She chuckles, a little forcedly. "He'd make a good detective."
Ares	That pleasant discussion is forgotten for now. She gets silence from him as he walks, his hands in the pockets of his jeans and his pace calm and casual. He does, however, look off in the distance with a touch of displeasure in his eyes. But he seems to remember what might be concerning her most and he says simply, "I have no desire to harm you. You should not fear."     But that is easy for him to say.     A few more steps, a few more moments of silence. "He's a good child, takes after his mother." A breath is taken and then he looks at her sidelong, "I did not lie to you."
Wu	"I ... believe you. I don't doubt you at all." She doesn't sound like she's placating; she sounds earnest. "I just think ... know ... there's more to you than this now. And I am so sorry I snooped. It was rude."     She goes silent a bit, walking next to him for a bit, her shorter steps clicking in between his longer ones in complex polyrhythm.     "I'm not just a cop," she finally says. "I didn't lie to you either, but ... like you ... I left out the whole truth."
Ares	There's a moment where his steps falter and he turns to face her, looking down at her with a cocked eyebrow. It's not exactly fair with the height difference, the subtle shift in position lending to whatever factor of intimidation she might be experiencing. But he looks uncomfortable as he turns away a moment, then back towards her. "Are you a sorcerer of a sort?" He looks her over again, then there's a small attempt at a smile as he adds, "And a cop? Isn't that cheating?"     But then he turns and begins walking again, most likely to just make sure to keep up with Alexander who has run ahead and is checking out all the trees in front of them.     "I used to have a role." He looks down at his shoes and kicks a small piece of gravel out of the way, letting it skitter down the asphalt pathway. "I turned my back on it, to live as I can."
Wu	"I wanted to be a cop first," Alice says, with a hint of defiance in her voice. "I wanted to follow my father's footsteps, not my mother's." She brushes her hand through her hair. "It turns out I didn't have a choice; the position is hereditary and when my mother was killed, it passed to me."     She takes a deep breath. "My mother was The August Wu of the Coral Island," she says quickly, passing that title over her tongue like a well-practiced rap. She shrugs. Then winces hard, visibly cursing herself at her physical tics. "She was the mystical protector of Hong Kong, and now, I guess, so am I."     She rubs the offending shoulder, very gingerly touching it, probing it, her right eye twitching, as she speaks.     "My style is very different from my mother's, though. She was all showy with the spells and chants and stuff. I ... use tools. Hexes. Charms. Inscriptions. I don't call attention to myself like she did. I want to live longer, do more."
Ares	"Well," John continues his walk and their casual stroll lets them catch up to that pebble he just kicked, a second sends it flying a little further as they move. "If that's true, then you need to work on your poker face." His smile is given back towards her, a little wary, but still there and a mite bit gentle.     "But that is quite a heritage to live up to." He offers as he moves, his eyes distancing as he tries to relocate Alexander, sees him, then goes back to his more casual step. A glance is given to her, "I would appreciate your discretion. But I will not force your compliance."     His brow furrows as he looks away, "I would just have to leave my job, and my home. Move elsewhere. I feel stability is important for a child."
Wu	Alice seems almost shocked at Ares' suggestion.     "Of course I will be discreet!" she blurts out. "I shouldn't have nosed in in the first place! I've become complacent; I know all the supernaturals likely to be in Hong Kong. I figured you were, like, a minor wizard or maybe, just maybe, one of the demihumans. I never guessed I'd meet two beings of your stature in two days!"     Beat.     "I mean, uh, I ..." Ooh, she let the cat slip out with that one. She's definitely rattled!     "For your son's sake. For your sake. Nobody will ever know from me that you are what you are." A hint of backbone shows up, in the form of humour. "Of course, for a slight fee I can supply you with a charm that does a better job of masking than you're doing now...?"
Ares	A small snort comes from him at her joke as he walks and he shakes his head, "I've consulted with other wielders of magic."     They've reached a small physical fitness check area with some iron bars in a variety of wooden structures to provide people a chance to do different exercises. Alexander, for his part, is climbing all over them like a jungle gym so it gives them a chance to stop.     He steps off the path to lean back against a tall old oak tree, granting them some shade from the warmth of the day. "It usually ends poorly for those who attempt the obscuring spell." In a fairly explosive way.     Arms folding over his chest he looks to her, "But thank you, I appreciate your honesty. And you did not have to stop me from departing."
Wu	"I defend, Mr. Aaron. Or when I fail at that I avenge." Her face goes cast-iron at that, her working arm subconsciously clutching at her opposing shoulder again. The face relaxes. Forcibly. "I do not hound. I do not uproot ten year old children. If you were a threat to my charges ..." Her gaze takes in the people around them in the distance. "... I would be merciless. You aren't. It would be ... improper ... of me to impose on you."     She gazes straight into Ares' eyes, visibly gulping at the height differential and her fragility.     "I swear to you, Mr. Aaron, that I will not use this information against you nor even for my profit. You have nothing to fear from me."     It seems a bit silly wording it that way, given that he could snap her in two right now, or so it seems.
Ares	"You're a kind person, Ms. Gulliver." John tells her as he remains leaning against the tree, even as across from her Alexander is flipping around and up to the overhand bars, walking across them with his arms held out to keep his balance.     A nod is given as he looks sidelong at her, worrying at his lower lip with his teeth for a moment and then pushing a hand over his short stubbly hair. "Perhaps some day we will be able to become more acquainted. And if you need aid in matters, you can find me if you look." There's a pause, then he smiles faintly. "But I'll need some recompense for my efforts similar to what was offered today."
Wu	"I will be sure to visit with chicken in hand," Alice replies with a straight face. It's unclear if she's joking until you see the dancing eyes. She rustles in her pocket and pulls out two slips of card stock. Tightening her face she frees her right arm and presents her cards to Ares, wincing as her shoulder moves.     "These are my business cards. GCPD if you're in Gotham. HKP if you're in Hong Kong. Use them to reach me, or as ways of getting out of jail."
Ares	The all man accepts them, taking a moment to consider the writing, then pocketing them in his back packet with his wallet. He pushes off of the tree and gives her a small nod, his large hand extending towards her, "I hope we meet again, Ms. Gulliver." His smile is a bit gentle as he meets her eyes, perhaps trying to not be quite so... him.     And should she accept his hand he'll give a short shake, not aggressive, business-like. Two pumps. Done.     Once that's done he turns around and calls out to his son, "Alexander, come along. We're going."     The boy /hops/ down off the top of that over hang bar and lands with a whumpf, falling into step with his father. He does stop long enough to wave behind him, "Bye!" In way of departure to her, and then not too much long after that they'll be gone.
Wu	Alice stares at the proffered hand for a moment, then wills her right hand forward for the shake, steeling herself for the incoming pain. Two shakes (and one small hiss that escapes her control) later she thankfully withdraws the tortured arm and carefully reinserts her hand in her jean pocket.     "Bye, Alexander, Mr. Aaron," she says quietly as the leave, then picks her way out of the park in the opposite direction.
Ares	As she winces upon the first shake he'll stop the movement, his hand still holding hers gently. He frowns and looks down, then lifts a hand gingerly to her shoulder as he takes a step closer. His brow furrows and he tells her quietly, "You are injured." Brilliant, of course. But she'll feel his strong fingertips lightly pressing at the tenderness, not too hard, but definitely firm enough to feel the swelling, the roughness of the joint, and the tissue damage that is so close to the rotator cuff.     "Have you been to a doctor?" He asks, without letting go of her hand for now.
Wu	"An EMT looked at it?" she says, not quite meeting Ares' eyes. "But there were real casualties so I told him to move on," she adds. "It's really nothing." She's lying. "I'll just work it off." She's an idiot. "I've had worse." She's telling the truth.     "It wouldn't be so bad," she complains, "if it didn't get hit two days in a row."
Ares	"You need to have it seen to," John says levelly, and then he leans down slightly to catch her eyes. "What, do you cops not have health care?" He releases her hand but steps to the side now, touching the curve of her arm with his other hand, then reaching back to exert some small pressure against her shoulder blade, gauging the extent of the damage.     His eyes are focused on her arm, and his lips are pursed as he frowns somewhat. "If you insist on being obstinate I could tend to it somewhat. But you'll need x-rays to gauge the extent." John meets her eyes and murmurs quietly, "I can arrange a better way of immobilizing it, at the least."
Wu	"I just hate doctors," Alice says grumpily. "They always tell you to take it easy and ... well ... the world doesn't stop when you take it easy. People get hurt. Criminals crime. I can shoot as well with my left hand as with my right, so I just let the right rest."     The eyes transfix her, however, and she nods mutely.     "Not just an immortal..." she breathes to herself. In Cantonese.     "I have a sling in my pocket, actually," she says, confirming the "she's stupid" diagnosis from earlier."
Ares	No hesitation to him, and his tone is as if he had already taken command of the situation. He simply asks her, "Which pocket?" And if it's not one she can reach easily with her uninjured arm, he'll retrieve it for her. There is a certain bedside manner in him, the surety of what he speaks of, and the general commanding charisma of the man... it leads to a certain acceptance of the moment in such a case. But any hint of presumption is perhaps eased by the small smile he offers her.     "C'mon, let's get that in place. I know it stinks, and you remember what I said?" He'll take whatever she may be carrying and sets it aside, then will help bring the sling over her far shoulder and then gently ease her injured one into the catch. Standing so close she might pick up the faint warmth from him that is more than for a normal human being. And that faint scent of leather, steel, and exertion.     Once she's set he'll step back and make sure the ties are in place and set. "Worst thing about being away was feeling like the world didn't need me." He tilts his head towards her, "Not looking to yourself is nothing but ego, thinking nobody else can fill your shoes."
Wu	That gaze turned her into putty for at least a short time. She simply stares at him, indicating the pocket when asked, moving when told to move. Standing when told to stand. And unlike when the paramed tried to sling her, she stands unprotesting at the end, arm in a sling and ... face more relaxed. At least the pain alleviation part of the support is working.     "Definitely a god. Erlang Shen?" she murmurs to herself in Cantonese, then blushes as she realizes she's been staring. She averts her gaze respectfully.     "Thank you, Mr. Aaron," she says. "And yes, I remember. And I am duly chastened about my pride." A small half-snort. "It will be several more rounds of Samsara before I can break the cycle and become enlightened, it seems."     She looks Aaron in the eyes again, steeling herself not to crumple. "I will see a doctor. I will follow his instructions."
Ares	A small smile is there at the end, "Good, please do so." He rests his hands on his hips as he looks to her, stepping back to observe the way she holds her arm and shaking his head slightly as if wishing he could do more. But he meets her eyes again and murmurs, "I will call you up in a week, and if you haven't by then, well /then/ perhaps I will be displeased with you."     That having been said he steps back again, "Take care, Ms. Gulliver." He turns to get set to depart.
Wu	Mention of godly displeasure actually momentarily pales Alice. Momentarily. Then her pigheadedness asserts itself.     "I'll get the charms and hexes ready then, Mr. Aaron," she says with a mischievous grin. "I might then survive your displeasure."     She does the half-prayer stance thing again and turns the opposite direction to head out, arm in a sling, brain in a tizzy.