Mark, Elias, Jackson, Frank
"... used to be a rather better tourist attraction, you know," Natalie shares with her companion as she walks along the path that leads up to the statue. "Before terrorists ripped it apart and it became kind of-- well. You know. New Yorkers are kind of a suspicious lot, really. Alligators in the subway, bad luck statues." She shrugs, lifting a shoulder, and touches a finger to her glasses to press them back on the bridge of her nose. It's a bit overcast today, but still warm, and Natalie's tank-topped and capried to deal with the rising New York heat. "Have you ever been?"
Mark walks beside Natalie, sipping on a cheap Coke bottle. He looks up at the statue and squints, then glances back down at Natalie. "Of course, when I was a kid. Plenty of field trips out here. Did you ever look up your family's name on Ellis Island?" He slips a hand into his pocket, then adds, "Back then you could go to the statue's crown, too, and look out. Not sure if they still do that."
"Huh uh," Natalie answers, ponytail swinging with a shake of her head as she sips on her own drink. It's something smoothie-like, stolen before they came over. "My family's a good bit later than Ellis Island - we're not that many generations American, you know." She glances up toward the crown and frowns with another shake of her head. "I don't think so. They're kind of paranoid these days."
Elias enters with another stream of tourists dressed in a short sleeved tee over cargo shorts, clean white sneakers on his feet. He peels a pair of sunglasses as he approaches the meeting place, scanning people's faces for a familiar one. He glances back at his companion and shrugs. "I don't know. It just seemed like a good reason to get out of the city. Hope you don't mind, but I couldn't do any more rainbows today."
Jackson is bright, today -- bright purple t-shirt ('let's switch gender roles!' reads the text on the front), bright purple hair, glittering purple makeup (shading eyes and colouring fingernails) and a bright smile to match -- unlike much of the working world, Monday is his weekend. He moves stiffly, explained, perhaps, by the walking cast on one leg and the cane he uses for support. His own sunglasses -- large wraparounds with mirrored lenses -- stay firmly in place, and he watches the world from beneath the brim of a black fedora -- what with the cane, he couldn't resist. "Gaw. I couldn't do any more rainbows either. Thank /goodness/ that only happens once a year."
"Listen, its real simple, alright? Listen... LISTEN!" Frank argues as he, too walks the path several paces behind Natalie and Mark. He's noticeably less dressed in a workman's jacket and jeans than the official looking companion he's arguing with. "You shouldn't care 'bout anything but the price, and there ain't no way in hell we've been outbid on this one. Its trash not fricken' fine china, why do you care how we get it off this rock?"
"Ahh," Mark comments quietly. He sips his Coke again, then swallows and grins as his attention settles on Jackson. A moment later he looks over his shoulder at Frank and his companion, then finally back to Natalie. "I like New York," he comments vaguely. "So, remind me what happened? Someone ripped the flame off the Statue of Liberty in a terrorist attack?"
Natalie's gaze follows Mark backwards to blink at Frank for a moment, clearly startled, before she clears her throat and glances toward Mark with intense surprise. "-- Magneto?" she says. "Liberty Island-- the first big-- Brotherhood--" She scowls suddenly and accuses, "You're yanking my chain, aren't you?" before her gaze catches sight of Elias and-- oh. Hello. Jackson. With a bright smile that's maybe a /touch/ forced, she reaches to tug on Mark's elbow and direct him down the path. "There they are," she says, and then lifts her voice to call, "Hey! Elias!"
The shout helps draw Eli's attention and he puts on a smile, elbowing Jackson and pointing in the correct direction before heading in that direction. "Hey, Natalie. Hope you weren't waiting too long. We missed the first ferry." He glances down at Jackson's walking cast before smiling back up at Natalie's companion. "Hey." A wrinkle appears between his brows, but he shakes his head.
Jackson lifts his free hand to the brim of his hat, tipping it to Mark and Natalie. "Howdy." There is a hint of strain in his smile, too, that wasn't there before, but his tone is warm.
Mark rubs under his nose, hiding a grin, then follows Natalie down the path without much more of an explanation. When they arrive near Elias and Jackson he nods to both and caps his Coke. "'Afternoon," he replies camly with a pleasent expression. Afterwards he looks to Natalie.
"Nah," Natalie dismisses with a wave of her hand. "Although I'm not sure how long we'll be able to stay, actually. I had this call after I talked to you, so it's just kind of a... you know. Quick trip." Natalie glances between Elias and Mark, with only the briefest flicker of glances for Jackson, and lifts her cup for a sip through her straw. "Anyway. Mark, Elias Covey and his boyfriend Jackson. Elias is an up-and-coming designer and Jackon's--" There's a noticeable pause before she offers, "A student. Art, right?" A brief glance to him, and then Natalie looks back to Mark. "Mark's a biochemist. He's working at Genetech with Dr. Grey-- what's your last name, Mark? I can't remember if you told me."
Negotiations break down. Hard arguments clash, hands flail, and foul languages punctuates from both parties. "Fine! And you can-" Frank calls out in a farewell, with all the good cheer and well wishing from a moment before. "-- --this stupid island." He splits from the businessman thats been his companion so far and begins to march in the direction of the gathering of acquaintances.
Elias is distracted by the loud swearing, his head turning in Frank's and his companion's direction. He inhales deeply as he turns back toward his party in enough time to miss Frank's approach. "Fast trip is fine. The village is just absolutely painted up for Pride Week and it's been giving me a headache. Maybe we'll just keep heading east when we're done here." He smiles directly at Mark and extends a hand. "Nice to meet you, Mark."
"Even the Empire State Building was gay-ed," Jackson adds with a slight wrinkle of his nose. "After a weekend at the club --" His head shakes, and his smile warms as he looks towards Mark. "You know Dr. Grey? Cool! She's a teacher at the high school I went to." His head turns as he glances towards Frank, eyebrows lifting from behind the rims of his glasses.
Mark extends his hand towards Elias and gives his a shake, nodding. "Likewise," he replies with a brief smile. He turns towards Jackson and nods, smiling still. "She's my boss," he explains calmly. Afterwards he looks to Natalie. "Mayfield," he replies swiftly, ignoring, for the moment, Frank. Afterwards, though, he gives another quick look over his shoulder, then back again.
"It was... gay-ed," Natalie repeats, blinking for a moment at Jackson before she shakes her head and looks toward Elias again. "Yeah, I think I'll hole up in Morningside Heights this week. You guys wanna walk around, maybe go in the bottom?" she offers, glancing between them.
Frank's path veers to avoid the group, his path rather directly shifting for the ferries and an exit from this blasted island, but harsh eyes fall on the group as he passes, several keywords pulling them with each mention: 'Gay-ed', 'Dr. Grey', 'Pride.' The look that falls onto Jackson, in particular, is filled with disdain and then... something else... recognition? He makes and effort to push the path on though, making it several steps past the group before each boot fall becomes slower than the last, he slows to a stop.
"Adjectives fail me," Elias notes as he looks around. "Sure. Haven't done the tourist thing before. Let's get the little keychains too." He turns toward the building itself and gestures they head in.
"They coloured it lavender for Pride," Jackson explains. "Don't worry, though, it all ended yesterday. The rainbows linger, though. We had to get out." He shifts his weight more heavily onto his cane, and starts to turn towards the entrance, though there's a hitch in his motion as he notices Frank's attention. His fingers (the four of them that remain on his right hand!) curl tighter around the head of his cane, but behind the large sunglasses, his expression is impassive. His head tilts in a polite nod, and he steps juuust a little closer to Elias.
Mark checks his watch and nods towards Natalie. "Sure, that sounds good." He slips his hand into his pocket and begins to head off, until Frak arrives beside them. He smiles a little, then frowns slightly at Jackson's reaction, but doesn't remark to it.
Natalie's glance catches sight of Frank briefly, and her lips turn upward in a briefly amused half-smile before she looks back to Jackson. "I would have gone insane," she says firmly, and looks as if she might respond to Elias before there's a sudden buzz at her hip and she mutters. "Crap-- hold on, guys. That might be my--" There's a bit of fumbling as Natalie digs into her bag at her side for her phone.
The boots step forward again, slow steps, deliberate steps, and steps that are no longer heading towards the boats. After the second one, there is a deep chested chuckle to himself as Frank heads towards what crowd there is here and looks up to the statue's hight joining the tourist in mock wonder, to complete the look, he even pulls out a camera and snaps a photo of Lady Liberty.
Elias frowns as the entire group holds up for Natalie's phone call, frowning and teetering back and forth on his feet.
Jackson looks away from Frank as the man passes, moving instead to the door to hold it open for the others.
Mark looks towards Natalie and waits. He uncaps his Coke and takes a swig, then squints up at the Lady's face. "Call from work?" he asks, looking back down towards Natalie.
Natalie steps to one side, her conversation quiet but fast. Eventually she returns to them with a rueful smile, although her glance past Jackson might be just a /touch/ relieved. "Sorry, guys," she apologizes swiftly. "I didn't think we'd have to bail this early. I've got to run to the lab, and I promised Mark I'd grab him a copy of a thing-- we'll catch you sometime later, yeah?" She rocks back on her heels and wiggles her fingers in farewell, already turning to go. "Enjoy the statue, though!"
Mark nods twice and waits a moment. He gives Elias and Jackson the typical 'she's my ride' look before adding, "Nice meeting you both," and then turning to follow Natalie. He catches up with her a moment later and moves off.
Tourists!
7/2/2008
"Sorry," Natalie apologizes instantly as they make their way back to the ferry, leaving Elias and Jackson and the towering statue behind. She lifts her cup for a sip of smoothie and adds, "I really didn't think they'd call so soon - that was about the crappiest tourist trip ever, huh?"
Mark walks along, moving beside Natalie. "At least it didn't rain," he observes, "and we didn't run into a gay parade or something. That might've set Elias off." He finishes his Coke, then rubs his forehead. "Do you smoke?" he asks.
Natalie wrinkles her nose and shakes her head, sneaking in to steal a place along the outter tailing. She leans back against it, the breeze whipping at her ponytail, and snorts. "Might have set /me/ off-- no, I don't. Not anymore. You can if you want, though, won't bother me."
"Don't like parades?" Mark asks, smiling for only a moment. He leans against the railing next to her, on his forearms, and stares out at the ocean. "Nah, I quit," he explains sadly. He rubs under his jaw, then exhales slowly and looks up at Natalie. "What'd you smoke?" he asks.
"Don't like excessive and showy displays of 'unity' and 'pride'," Natalie answers with a roll of her eyes as she tucks one hand around the rail behind her for balance. She glances over at Mark for a moment and blinks at him before grinning abruptly.
"Heh," Mark comments.
He grins back up at Natalie for a moment, then looks back out at the waves. "You want me to guess?" he asks, rubbing under his lip. His eyes flit back up towards Natalie, then he stands up a little straighter. He gives her a humorously scrutinous look, which is not at all smooth.. though it might be, in a reflective sort of way. "I'd say.." he begins, in thought.
Natalie breaks into a low laugh and shakes her head. "I wasn't going to make you," she disagrees. "But now that you've offered..."
Mark grins and squints at Natalie, then leans on the rail again. "I'd say, Djarum Blacks," he concludes calmly. "I'll bet you sort of like something that'd wake you up and leaves a good cloud." He rubs his chin, then adds, "Then again, might be too rough." He smiles down at her after his last.
"I think you're overthinking this," Natalie opines with an amused lift of her brows.
"Yeah?" Mark replies with a grin. "Maybe just cheap old Marblo, then." He continues to grin and looks back out at the ocean. A breeze catches them both and greets them with salty mist.
"I've been a student my entire life, and you think I have money to be spending on fancy smokes?" Natalie teases with an amused laugh before she raises a hand to tug her glasses free, absently lifting the hem of her tank to wipe saltwater from them. "Anyway," she adds. "That's been a long time. When'd you quit?"
"Oh, right," Mark says, grinning back up at Natalie. "Has to be at least two.. three years ago," Mark considers, frowning a little. He rubs under his cheek and closes his eyes, then looks back out towards the sea. "I mostly smoked to calm myself down," he explains.
"What, high stress?" Natalie wonders with a glance over at him, considering. "You in grad school then? Or undergrad still?"
"Yeah, I'd just started grad school," Mark explains, nodding. "I tried /everything/ to relax. Finally started smoking so much I couldn't breathe right, so I quit. The weird thing was it didn't take much effort." He frowns, then looks back over. "What about you?"
Natalie shrugs easily, her shoulders rolling back as she adjusts against the railing. "Peer pressure," she dismisses. "Played heck with my lungs, and I like to run. Made it easier to quit."
Ferry ride.
Mark walks beside Natalie, sipping on a cheap Coke bottle. He looks up at the statue and squints, then glances back down at Natalie. "Of course, when I was a kid. Plenty of field trips out here. Did you ever look up your family's name on Ellis Island?" He slips a hand into his pocket, then adds, "Back then you could go to the statue's crown, too, and look out. Not sure if they still do that."
"Huh uh," Natalie answers, ponytail swinging with a shake of her head as she sips on her own drink. It's something smoothie-like, stolen before they came over. "My family's a good bit later than Ellis Island - we're not that many generations American, you know." She glances up toward the crown and frowns with another shake of her head. "I don't think so. They're kind of paranoid these days."
Elias enters with another stream of tourists dressed in a short sleeved tee over cargo shorts, clean white sneakers on his feet. He peels a pair of sunglasses as he approaches the meeting place, scanning people's faces for a familiar one. He glances back at his companion and shrugs. "I don't know. It just seemed like a good reason to get out of the city. Hope you don't mind, but I couldn't do any more rainbows today."
Jackson is bright, today -- bright purple t-shirt ('let's switch gender roles!' reads the text on the front), bright purple hair, glittering purple makeup (shading eyes and colouring fingernails) and a bright smile to match -- unlike much of the working world, Monday is his weekend. He moves stiffly, explained, perhaps, by the walking cast on one leg and the cane he uses for support. His own sunglasses -- large wraparounds with mirrored lenses -- stay firmly in place, and he watches the world from beneath the brim of a black fedora -- what with the cane, he couldn't resist. "Gaw. I couldn't do any more rainbows either. Thank /goodness/ that only happens once a year."
"Listen, its real simple, alright? Listen... LISTEN!" Frank argues as he, too walks the path several paces behind Natalie and Mark. He's noticeably less dressed in a workman's jacket and jeans than the official looking companion he's arguing with. "You shouldn't care 'bout anything but the price, and there ain't no way in hell we've been outbid on this one. Its trash not fricken' fine china, why do you care how we get it off this rock?"
"Ahh," Mark comments quietly. He sips his Coke again, then swallows and grins as his attention settles on Jackson. A moment later he looks over his shoulder at Frank and his companion, then finally back to Natalie. "I like New York," he comments vaguely. "So, remind me what happened? Someone ripped the flame off the Statue of Liberty in a terrorist attack?"
Natalie's gaze follows Mark backwards to blink at Frank for a moment, clearly startled, before she clears her throat and glances toward Mark with intense surprise. "-- Magneto?" she says. "Liberty Island-- the first big-- Brotherhood--" She scowls suddenly and accuses, "You're yanking my chain, aren't you?" before her gaze catches sight of Elias and-- oh. Hello. Jackson. With a bright smile that's maybe a /touch/ forced, she reaches to tug on Mark's elbow and direct him down the path. "There they are," she says, and then lifts her voice to call, "Hey! Elias!"
The shout helps draw Eli's attention and he puts on a smile, elbowing Jackson and pointing in the correct direction before heading in that direction. "Hey, Natalie. Hope you weren't waiting too long. We missed the first ferry." He glances down at Jackson's walking cast before smiling back up at Natalie's companion. "Hey." A wrinkle appears between his brows, but he shakes his head.
Jackson lifts his free hand to the brim of his hat, tipping it to Mark and Natalie. "Howdy." There is a hint of strain in his smile, too, that wasn't there before, but his tone is warm.
Mark rubs under his nose, hiding a grin, then follows Natalie down the path without much more of an explanation. When they arrive near Elias and Jackson he nods to both and caps his Coke. "'Afternoon," he replies camly with a pleasent expression. Afterwards he looks to Natalie.
"Nah," Natalie dismisses with a wave of her hand. "Although I'm not sure how long we'll be able to stay, actually. I had this call after I talked to you, so it's just kind of a... you know. Quick trip." Natalie glances between Elias and Mark, with only the briefest flicker of glances for Jackson, and lifts her cup for a sip through her straw. "Anyway. Mark, Elias Covey and his boyfriend Jackson. Elias is an up-and-coming designer and Jackon's--" There's a noticeable pause before she offers, "A student. Art, right?" A brief glance to him, and then Natalie looks back to Mark. "Mark's a biochemist. He's working at Genetech with Dr. Grey-- what's your last name, Mark? I can't remember if you told me."
Negotiations break down. Hard arguments clash, hands flail, and foul languages punctuates from both parties. "Fine! And you can-" Frank calls out in a farewell, with all the good cheer and well wishing from a moment before. "-- --this stupid island." He splits from the businessman thats been his companion so far and begins to march in the direction of the gathering of acquaintances.
Elias is distracted by the loud swearing, his head turning in Frank's and his companion's direction. He inhales deeply as he turns back toward his party in enough time to miss Frank's approach. "Fast trip is fine. The village is just absolutely painted up for Pride Week and it's been giving me a headache. Maybe we'll just keep heading east when we're done here." He smiles directly at Mark and extends a hand. "Nice to meet you, Mark."
"Even the Empire State Building was gay-ed," Jackson adds with a slight wrinkle of his nose. "After a weekend at the club --" His head shakes, and his smile warms as he looks towards Mark. "You know Dr. Grey? Cool! She's a teacher at the high school I went to." His head turns as he glances towards Frank, eyebrows lifting from behind the rims of his glasses.
Mark extends his hand towards Elias and gives his a shake, nodding. "Likewise," he replies with a brief smile. He turns towards Jackson and nods, smiling still. "She's my boss," he explains calmly. Afterwards he looks to Natalie. "Mayfield," he replies swiftly, ignoring, for the moment, Frank. Afterwards, though, he gives another quick look over his shoulder, then back again.
"It was... gay-ed," Natalie repeats, blinking for a moment at Jackson before she shakes her head and looks toward Elias again. "Yeah, I think I'll hole up in Morningside Heights this week. You guys wanna walk around, maybe go in the bottom?" she offers, glancing between them.
Frank's path veers to avoid the group, his path rather directly shifting for the ferries and an exit from this blasted island, but harsh eyes fall on the group as he passes, several keywords pulling them with each mention: 'Gay-ed', 'Dr. Grey', 'Pride.' The look that falls onto Jackson, in particular, is filled with disdain and then... something else... recognition? He makes and effort to push the path on though, making it several steps past the group before each boot fall becomes slower than the last, he slows to a stop.
"Adjectives fail me," Elias notes as he looks around. "Sure. Haven't done the tourist thing before. Let's get the little keychains too." He turns toward the building itself and gestures they head in.
"They coloured it lavender for Pride," Jackson explains. "Don't worry, though, it all ended yesterday. The rainbows linger, though. We had to get out." He shifts his weight more heavily onto his cane, and starts to turn towards the entrance, though there's a hitch in his motion as he notices Frank's attention. His fingers (the four of them that remain on his right hand!) curl tighter around the head of his cane, but behind the large sunglasses, his expression is impassive. His head tilts in a polite nod, and he steps juuust a little closer to Elias.
Mark checks his watch and nods towards Natalie. "Sure, that sounds good." He slips his hand into his pocket and begins to head off, until Frak arrives beside them. He smiles a little, then frowns slightly at Jackson's reaction, but doesn't remark to it.
Natalie's glance catches sight of Frank briefly, and her lips turn upward in a briefly amused half-smile before she looks back to Jackson. "I would have gone insane," she says firmly, and looks as if she might respond to Elias before there's a sudden buzz at her hip and she mutters. "Crap-- hold on, guys. That might be my--" There's a bit of fumbling as Natalie digs into her bag at her side for her phone.
The boots step forward again, slow steps, deliberate steps, and steps that are no longer heading towards the boats. After the second one, there is a deep chested chuckle to himself as Frank heads towards what crowd there is here and looks up to the statue's hight joining the tourist in mock wonder, to complete the look, he even pulls out a camera and snaps a photo of Lady Liberty.
Elias frowns as the entire group holds up for Natalie's phone call, frowning and teetering back and forth on his feet.
Jackson looks away from Frank as the man passes, moving instead to the door to hold it open for the others.
Mark looks towards Natalie and waits. He uncaps his Coke and takes a swig, then squints up at the Lady's face. "Call from work?" he asks, looking back down towards Natalie.
Natalie steps to one side, her conversation quiet but fast. Eventually she returns to them with a rueful smile, although her glance past Jackson might be just a /touch/ relieved. "Sorry, guys," she apologizes swiftly. "I didn't think we'd have to bail this early. I've got to run to the lab, and I promised Mark I'd grab him a copy of a thing-- we'll catch you sometime later, yeah?" She rocks back on her heels and wiggles her fingers in farewell, already turning to go. "Enjoy the statue, though!"
Mark nods twice and waits a moment. He gives Elias and Jackson the typical 'she's my ride' look before adding, "Nice meeting you both," and then turning to follow Natalie. He catches up with her a moment later and moves off.
Tourists!
7/2/2008
"Sorry," Natalie apologizes instantly as they make their way back to the ferry, leaving Elias and Jackson and the towering statue behind. She lifts her cup for a sip of smoothie and adds, "I really didn't think they'd call so soon - that was about the crappiest tourist trip ever, huh?"
Mark walks along, moving beside Natalie. "At least it didn't rain," he observes, "and we didn't run into a gay parade or something. That might've set Elias off." He finishes his Coke, then rubs his forehead. "Do you smoke?" he asks.
Natalie wrinkles her nose and shakes her head, sneaking in to steal a place along the outter tailing. She leans back against it, the breeze whipping at her ponytail, and snorts. "Might have set /me/ off-- no, I don't. Not anymore. You can if you want, though, won't bother me."
"Don't like parades?" Mark asks, smiling for only a moment. He leans against the railing next to her, on his forearms, and stares out at the ocean. "Nah, I quit," he explains sadly. He rubs under his jaw, then exhales slowly and looks up at Natalie. "What'd you smoke?" he asks.
"Don't like excessive and showy displays of 'unity' and 'pride'," Natalie answers with a roll of her eyes as she tucks one hand around the rail behind her for balance. She glances over at Mark for a moment and blinks at him before grinning abruptly.
"Heh," Mark comments.
He grins back up at Natalie for a moment, then looks back out at the waves. "You want me to guess?" he asks, rubbing under his lip. His eyes flit back up towards Natalie, then he stands up a little straighter. He gives her a humorously scrutinous look, which is not at all smooth.. though it might be, in a reflective sort of way. "I'd say.." he begins, in thought.
Natalie breaks into a low laugh and shakes her head. "I wasn't going to make you," she disagrees. "But now that you've offered..."
Mark grins and squints at Natalie, then leans on the rail again. "I'd say, Djarum Blacks," he concludes calmly. "I'll bet you sort of like something that'd wake you up and leaves a good cloud." He rubs his chin, then adds, "Then again, might be too rough." He smiles down at her after his last.
"I think you're overthinking this," Natalie opines with an amused lift of her brows.
"Yeah?" Mark replies with a grin. "Maybe just cheap old Marblo, then." He continues to grin and looks back out at the ocean. A breeze catches them both and greets them with salty mist.
"I've been a student my entire life, and you think I have money to be spending on fancy smokes?" Natalie teases with an amused laugh before she raises a hand to tug her glasses free, absently lifting the hem of her tank to wipe saltwater from them. "Anyway," she adds. "That's been a long time. When'd you quit?"
"Oh, right," Mark says, grinning back up at Natalie. "Has to be at least two.. three years ago," Mark considers, frowning a little. He rubs under his cheek and closes his eyes, then looks back out towards the sea. "I mostly smoked to calm myself down," he explains.
"What, high stress?" Natalie wonders with a glance over at him, considering. "You in grad school then? Or undergrad still?"
"Yeah, I'd just started grad school," Mark explains, nodding. "I tried /everything/ to relax. Finally started smoking so much I couldn't breathe right, so I quit. The weird thing was it didn't take much effort." He frowns, then looks back over. "What about you?"
Natalie shrugs easily, her shoulders rolling back as she adjusts against the railing. "Peer pressure," she dismisses. "Played heck with my lungs, and I like to run. Made it easier to quit."
Ferry ride.