An Afternoon in the Park, Part II -- 12/2/98

[Patrick Littell <pwl206@is9.nyu.edu>]

Butler Plaza -- Central District (Kaitain)
At the center of the plaza is a pillar with the statue of Jehanne Butler
sitting upon her steed. Around the pillar are smaller statues of faceless
figures of other heros of the Jihad. On the other side of a wide roadway,
surrounding the pillar, are large buildings, each with its own decorative
front. Cast iron benches are set about in front of some of the buildings.

Players:
Maia                                  Sumter
Nils                                  Valentina
Exits:
Vaulted Arch <E> leads to Vestibule -- Imperial Cathedral (Kaitain)
Marble Steps <S> leads to Lobby -- Imperial Theater (Kaitain)
Marbled Steps <N> leads to The Hall of Emperors -- Imperial Museum
(Kaitain)

Sitting in his wheelchair with a small burlap sack in his lap, the
Viscount Alvstad is slowly pushed around the square by Maia, who, like
the good Doctor, struggles to maneuver the chair over the uneven cobbles.
Sumter and a small troupe of guards watch with attentive boredom. Every
so often, Maia stops pushing the wheelchair, and Nils, reaching into the
burlap sack, tosses seeds to the pigeons, who seem to be more concerned
with the Viscount than his guards are.

Sumter walks up the steps from the plaza, his booted feet hurried over
the cobbles. Scanning the plaza rapidly with a motion of his head, he
smiles faintly, then takes long, loping steps in that direction. "You
should have called me ..." He murmurs in the direction of one of the
guards as he closes.

Valentina meanders into the plaza, out on yet another day of shopping. A
large bag made of a jet black material is tossed lazily over a shoulder,
while packages inside of it give it the occasional odd bulge. Valentina
herself seems in no hurry, and glances around as she walks, enjoying the
freedom of being outside her Embassy. She notices the guards, the
Viscount, and his Doctor, but does not go towards them, not wanting to
interrupt his rest and recovery. The sight of the pigeons brings a grin
to her face and laughter dances in her eyes.

A hungry pigeon approaches Nils and coos a plaintive request.

Using Pigeon, the pigeon says, "... ... ... ... ..."

Nils looks annoyed and shakes his head. Having only a tiny knowledge of
Pigeon, he contents himself with Galach. "No, no more for you! You've had
quite enough already!"

Using Pigeon, the pigeon says, "... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
..."

Maia pushes the Viscount's chair with fierce determination from pigeon
flock to pigeon flock, taking the opportunity to rest and breathe while
he tosses seeds. Looking across the plaza one time, she catches sight of
the Moritani Suk. She looks thoughtfully down at Nils, a grin teasing at
her lips as he converses with the greedy pigeon.

Nils looks incredulous. "I don't believe you. That was your ladyfriend,
you say? I think you're lying... that last pigeon looked just like you."

Sumter calls quietly towards Maia, "Need a hand?" In a tone pitched not
to disturb the viscount, who seems quite occupied with his avian friends,
smiling briefly, only for a moment, as he watches Nils dole out food for
the Pigeons.

Valentina reaches into her bag as she sees this... conversation. A pencil
and small pad of paper are quickly in hand and she pauses, standing
practically in the middle of the street, to jot the image down before it
is lost to time forever.

A second pigeon walks up to the first, and nuzzles it briefly. The two
bear a striking resemblance to each other, even for pigeons.

Using Pigeon, the second pigeon says, "... ... ... ... ..."

Maia shakes her head to Sumter's offer, her ponytail wagging across her
back. "No, thank you, you should keep your hands free," she murmurs back,
keeping her gaze down at the Viscount and his pigeons.

Using Pigeon, the first pigeon says, "... ... ..."

Nils, embarrassed, lets out an awkward laugh. "Dreadfully sorry, Ms.
Pigeon. I must have mistaken your gentleman friend for yourself." In
apology, he tosses out a generous handful of seeds to the young couple.

Valentina signs off the picture, and quickly sidesteps back out of the
road, to avoid getting run down by any oncoming traffic. She is now on
the same side of the plaza as the Viscount and his.. entourage, but she
does not intrude by approaching them. She settles down onto a bench to
relax and enjoy the sunshine.

Sumter takes his place slightly to the right and behind of the two,
scanning the pigeons in case one of them decides to pull a miniature
pigeon sword and try to stab Nils. Or something like that.

Maia heaves at the wheeled chair as the cute little pigeon couple bend to
their feast. It rattles over the cobbles towards where Valentina sits,
Maia seemingly concentrating entirely on moving the chair, not on where
it goes.

Nils recognizes the good Suk and, in greeting, tosses a handful of seeds
at her feet and grins
widely.

Sumter follows along at a rapid pace, his hand thrust into his belt near
the sword. His posture is attentively lazy, eyes moving lightly along the
approaching people to gauge their threat, other hand resting by his side,
holding both his gloves. Ungloved today, he slaps the gloves on his leg
as he walks along.

Valentina quickly tucks her feet up off the cobblestone, in case the
driver of the forthcoming chair fails to stop, and offers a grin to the
Viscount, "I'll not fetch those with my beak from the cobblestone," she
says.

Maia neatly pulls the Viscount's chair to a stop just before the Suk's
bench, making an impromptu brake by tucking her booted foot by a wheel,
resting her arms for a moment. She looks down at Valentina over Nils'
head, nodding briefly with a faint smile.

Sumter bows curtly and formally in greeting, still remaining a bit of a
distance away from the chair.

Sir and Lady Pigeon finish their banquet and fly up to perch upon Jehanne
Butler. Sir Pigeon gets the head, while his lady takes the shoulder. Or,
it could very possibly be the other way around; they do look uncannily
similar. They watch the humans below with a mixture of affection and
haughtiness.

Nils closes his burlap sack. The nearby pigeons turn away, disappointed.
"Ceci--" he catches himself-- "Valentina! We meet again...though this
time, I should hope, under more auspicious circumstances."

Nils makes a motion to Maia for her to lean over. He turns his head and
murmurs softly in her ear.

Nils mutters to Maia, "... Suk... gift... day. Perhaps you could... for
her from... the... nicely,... you think?"

Maia bends down to offer the Viscount her ear, and nods slightly,
murmuring, "Indeed, my lord." She straightens up, and turns towards
Sumter with a barely suppressed smile. "Swordmaster, I'll be back in a
moment. Our Viscount asks for more seed," she explains, stepping aside to
let him take charge of the chair. She pivots on her heel and strides
quickly across the plaza.

Nils watches Maia cross the square. He opens up his sack, still filled
with plenty of seed, and begins to absently feed his pigeon cousines.

Sumter inclines his head, a raised left eyebrow and a faint smile
indicating a touch of confusion. "As he wishes .." He murmurs, his eyes
flickering down to the seed bag, as he goes back to his position of
watchfulness.

Time, as it is wont to do, passes.

Valentina smiles from the Doctor, then to the Viscount, "I trust you are
feeling better than the last time we nearly made acquaintances, My Lord
Viscount?" she asks.

Maia reappears, a tiny bag in hand made of some silken material swinging
from one hand. She stops beside the Viscount's chair and curtseys deeply
within his line of sight.

Sumter tilts his head towards Maia's bag as she brings it towards the
Viscount. A puzzled expression briefly flashes across his face, his mouth
quirking into a small frown, which he forces from his face. That's not
birdseed, the expression on his face says.

Nils turns his attention from the avian banquet to Maia, and accepts the
bag graciously. He then turns toward Valentina. "Much better, thank you,
much better. Although I apparently had some sort of...attack...last
night. I don't remember it, but my staff--" he indicates Sumter and Maia
"--tell me my behavior was a bit...out of custom."

Valentina notices Sumter's near scowl, and cannot help but chuckle at his
overseriousness... as though a Suk would harm another.

Valentina nods, and frows very briefly at the news, she turns towards the
Doctor, "If you are of in need of assistance in.. diagnosis and
treatment, you know I'm merely an Embassy away... thankfully Moritani has
been healthy as of late, so to be honest, the challenge," she grins at
Nils, halting for a second, before continuing, "would be welcomed," she
finishes, a grin again on her face.

Maia blushes faintly as Nils mentions his recent mental wandering, bowing
her head. A small smile of relief creases her lips as the Suk offers her
services in such a genial manner.

Nils opens the silk bag. "Here is a small token of my gratitude and
esteem. I do not know what would have happened had you not been around.
Dr. Schadenfreude was on Alvsgaard tending to the Dowager Viscountess,
and only returned recently..." He reaches into the bag, and brings out a
shiny object.

Valentina tilts her head slightly, her sharp eyes focusing on the shiny
object, "It was nothing really, My Lord Viscount. No doctor worth his or
her salt would sit by and not help...." Her words fade off some, but
color rises in her cheeks. Clearly, the idea of someone being grateful
enough to bring her a gift embarrasses her some, or at least, makes her
incredibly self-conscience.

Nils holds the object up to the light. It is a gold ring, set with
diamond and sapphire, that gleams in the light despite its age. "This
belonged... to my late wife...Cecilia. I can scarcely bear to look at it
anymore...it's not doing any good in a dark jewelry box, is it? I know
perhaps you might find it a bit unconventional, but please accept, if
only to humor this sentimental old man." He leans forward to hand it to
the Suk.

The two pigeons, attracted by the shiny object, fly closer for a better
view.

Valentina's mouth actually drops open as she eyes the small object. Then
after a moment she finds her voice, "Oh My Lord Viscount," she says very
very softly, "I... cannot except ... such a gift with such value still to
you," she says, as she finally realizes who Cecilia is, and why you keep
addressing her as so. "Your... thanks are enough," she finishes.

Nils tosses the ring into her lap, with the same motion he uses to toss
seed. He shakes his head silently. With a slight movement of his hand, he
commands Maia to wheel him away before Valentina can return the gift.

Valentina looks down to the ring, and picks it up after a moment more of
clear shock. Her hands shake ever so slightly, as she examines the
object, then, just because she has nowhere safe to put it currently, she
slips it onto a finger.

Sir and Lady Pigeon, startled by the sudden movement, retreat a safe
distance. Noticing his avian friends, Nils tosses them one final handful
of birdseed.

Sumter follows Nils and Maia away with barely a word, his hands still
kept at their previous positions, his step a light, almost marching step.

Maia takes control of the Viscount's chair again and wheels him off,
clattering over the cobblestones, a contented smile on her face.

Sir Pigeon--or is it Lady?--roots around in the seed as if searching for
something valuable. He finally picks out a big, tasty thistle and picks
it up in his beak. His head bobbing, he shuffles over to his ladyfriend
and offers her the thistle.

Lady Pigeon accepts the offering and, pleased, nuzzles Sir Pigeon's shiny
turquoise neck. They then fly away to do whatever young pigeons in love
do.

Nils watches the pigeons with a smile as Maia wheels him out of the
square.

Nils passes the Mall.
Nils has left.