Janice moves towards Laura, and the young girl faces her, a small frown on her lips as she looks up at her. Eden is mentioned, and Laura looks towards Eden out of the corner of her eyes. Her shoulders shrug up as she is hugged, as if trying to escape. She doesn't try too hard, of course.
As Janice moves away from the at a quick step, Laura now turns to face Eden. She just stares up at the woman, holding Hello Kitty and Mr. Monkey close to her chest with one hand. Her other hand holding the plastic bag with the food in it. To Eden's credit, she does her best. She tries to reassure Laura that Janice will be back, and she is more than willing to come with her. But…
Well Laura just stands there. Staring at her. Silently. Her green eyes staring into Eden's eyes. Almost… creepy staring up at her.
Eden offers a game of 20 questions, but still Laura is silent. She creates an almost awkward silence between them. Now please don't misunderstand. Laura does like Eden, she does. She sees how happy she and Janice seem when they are in proximity to one another. Eden is clearly a very caring person. But… Laura is in Laura mode again. Not Jennifer mode. So she's not absolutely sure what there is to say. Nor does she know what fun 20 questions might be, or what she might learn about Eden through the game. Instead of experimenting with, for example, using words to talk, Laura just stares up at Eden as she stands there. Only her hair moving with a soft passing breeze.
Again, Eden's efforts are appreciated. And in time perhaps Eden will understand that Laura isn't exactly an outgoing little girl as yet.
And as she stares up at Eden, she suddenly sniffs at the air, and looks in Janice's direction as she approaches. She leans a little to one side to see behind Janice, expecting to see She-Hulk. But no. Odd. She looks back to Janice, and without thinking she reaches out and takes the extended hand. She slips the plastic bag over her opposite wrist, the one holding Hello Kitty and Mr. Monkey. Giving Eden one more look, she turns and starts to lead them towards the more forested part of Central Park. She kind of leans forward as she leads Janice and Eden through the park, seeming to want to move faster. Every 50 feet or so she can be seen distinctly sniffing at the air, and looking around slowly. She is both looking for anyone that might be near them that she doesn't know, and she is using her sense of smell as an additional means of navigation. Most people just memorize landmarks to remember a certain path. But she memorizes landmarks that can be seen, and distinct scents along the way.
After walking for almost a half hour, they arrive in what seems a fairly run down neighborhood. More than a few buildings having 'condemned' signs nailed to their doors, some of the buildings just in ruins. There are signs posted randomly saying the neighborhood is going to be part of a restoration project… but those signs also look like they've been there for a year or two. She pulls her hand from Janice's and now runs towards an alley, passing by a small poor looking church. The door creaks open, an old man peeking out for a moment, and then ducking back in as the door closes. It's a bad neighborhood, to be sure. Laura runs ahead of them, and moves into an alley. She steps into the alley itself, looking about it. There's no one to be seen. But she knows better. She glances over her shoulder towards Janice and Eden, and then she looks back towards the alley as she holds the bag of food up.
"They ain't tha mean ones. They bought ya'll donuts'n stuff." Her New York accent returning.
"So c'mon, no need for rudeness!"
A soft and hesitant voice comes forth from the darkness of the alley "We warned ya 'bout goin to that thing, Brooklyn. How ya know they ain't gonna hurt ya? Hurt us?" Laura speaks immediately in an angered tone as she steps forward
"'Cause I know! Now stop yer hidin! Right now!" She stomps her foot to as if to make herself seem angrier. And slowly then, some of the piles of garbage and rags start to move… and slowly almost 10 people emerge from the darkness. All homeless, all of them seeming in poor health. And as one they stare at Janice and Eden… and one doesn't need Eden's talents to tell they are genuinely scared. Laura strides up to one of the men, hefting the plastic bag up a little. "We tolds ya it was bad idea ta go there, lil Brook. How ya know they ain't gonna hurt ya? Or us?" Laura narrows her eyes at him and shoves the bag at his chest, speaking once more in an impatient tone, speaking the last part through gritted teeth.
"'Cause they bought you donuts!" As if that's the answer to all their issues. He takes the bag with hesitation, and Laura smiles suddenly to him. He smiles weakly back, though it's hard to see under his dirty and thick grey beard.
"Imma get my stuff. You share those donuts with everyone else. Plates're for you and Biggs. Share!" She says pointing an accusatory finger at him. He nods immediately, and he starts to pass out the food to the others as they hurry to huddle around him.
Laura now looks back towards Janice and Eden as she speaks softly.
"Imma get my stuff." She heads into the alley, going into a sudden sprint. While still within sight, she bounds right up onto the edge of an open dumpster, balancing perfectly for a moment as her knees bend, and she leaps up to grasp a low window ledge. The building she starts to climb is one of the condemned buildings, though it's clearly been used as a squatters' building, and a place for the rampant drug users of this area of the city. Laura kicks her legs as she dangles from the window ledge, letting out a grunt as she slowly pulls herself up. She crouches in the window, looking up. She seems… hesitant. Biggs, Wedge and the others look up towards Laura as Wedge motions to her, a wide grin on his lips. "C'mon lil monkey! You can do it!" One of the other homeless casts doubt. But Laura leaps up off of the ledge suddenly, barely grasping the next window ledge above. She kicks once more, finding herself kind of stuck. The small group of homeless chuckle lightly… not to make fun of her. And she knows that. She knows she looks silly at this point, every single time she tries. Out of instinct a blade suddenly extends from both of her feet as she lets out a low snarl.
SNIKT
She draws one foot back and stabs the blade into the wall, using it as leverage. She does the same with the other foot, and pushes herself up. The group go back to their food, one of the homeless women commenting absently in Eden and Janice's direction. "She can neva make that last lil jump without usin her toe blades." The others chuckle gently, as if in agreement. Laura pulls herself into the open window as her claws retract back into her feet. She disappears into the room for a good 5 minutes, and then her raised voice is heard
"Biggs I want my blanket!" The older man immediately stands and moves towards one of the piles of garbage, pulling from it an old tattered blanket. "It's right where ya left it, Brook." And a moment later, a green backpack is seen flying out of the window. It lands on the ground and bounces a little, luckily nothing fragile in it. Laura is then seen climbing out the window, and she lowers herself to the lower window ledge. She then leaps from that ledge, landing on the edge of the open dumpster and standing perfectly balanced on it. Some of the homeless people clap for her little display, and she just gives them a dirty look. Even though they are genuinely impressed. She hops off of the dumpster and scoops up her backpack, striding back towards the group. She suddenly hugs a surprised Biggs, and then Wedge.
"Keep m'blanket. I'll come for it. Imma go with them for a bit, kay?" Wedge nods as he hugs her with one arm, the other patting her head.
"Thanks for helpin me. Doncha worry, those mean men won't be back ta mess with ya either." She says as she nods up to them. She then lets them go, and she strides towards Janice and Eden, all of the homeless watching her walk away from them. She speaks softly as she nears the women, not looking up at them.
"Kay… let's go then..."
Tagging: @Gands,
@Ms.Ezra
