Rain

Lyra sat in a bench at central park, watching people past by her. Most people were heading away from that park. It was raining, and slowly was getting heavier. Lyra just sat and smiled. She stared up to the clouds and enjoyed the rain falling on her face. It reminded her a memory from home, where she and a bunch of her friends got caught in the rain while riding horses. Ever since she was kidnapped years ago she felt as if the rain was liberating and washed away the stress and sins of the past. "If only the rain could really do that..." said Lyra to no one in particular.

Sheryll half closed her eyes, the sound of the rain clacking against her umbrella mixing with the city sounds to create a soothing melody of white noise, its purposeless sonata enthralling her mind as she absent mindedly strolled down the street. The rain was nice, it was an autumn rain, the drops flowing from the heavens like the tears of a god, its warm drops acting like some sort of mental and physical cleansing agent. The day was perfect, despite the rain as the sun occasionally peeked out from behind the cloud cover that had overtaken the city skies, the resulting brief rainbow more like a mirage. Sheryll normally hated the rain but right now it felt good to hear the drops hit her umbrella. She was wearing a coat that went down to her hips and had large buttons on it. Her boots were a faux leather substance that was more water resistant than one would expect and she wore a pair of mesh black pants that warmed her legs as she walked. The coffee she had picked up was black, but filled with sugar. She had picked up some doughnuts on her way home from the gym and she was looking forward to eating them all.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to stop" a voice said, coming from nowhere.

"Huh?" Sheryll replied. She looked up, her reverie broken by the scratchy voice calling out to her. She looked to where the voice had come from, it was a middle aged construction worker in full work attire. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked.

"Only if you don't feel like getting run over ma'am" the man said, his voice suddenly smaller as the other sounds of the world started to truly register once more in Sheryll's mind. She looked around and realized where she was. She had walked right into the middle of a busy intersection undergoing road work.

"I'm incredibly sorry, my mind was kind of somewhere else" she said, laughing.

"Perfectly alright ma'am, happens to the best of us. Just try not to walk into any pot holes okay?" The man said, smiling as Sheryll turned and tried to wave goodbye, her hands occupied by the coffee and her umbrella.

Once Sheryll was back on the sidewalk she took in her surroundings once more, the road to her house had been blocked by roadwork. She would have to take a detour through the park. "Dammit" she sighed, her grin fading only slightly "Guess that's an extra twenty minutes onto my trip" she added as she turned into the park.

The leaves were dripping with water as the rain continued, growing heavier. The sun was completely gone now, its warm rays disappearing behind the dark storm clouds unleashing their tears before they let loose their wrath. Sheryll took a sip from her coffee and sighed, the heat felt good going down her throat. She looked around, the sounds of nature muffled by the falling drops. Sheryll kept walking, her mind starting to drift again when she stopped, mere inches from another person, a woman. The woman had blonde hair and appeared to be basking in the rain's warmth. Sheryll put her umbrella over the woman. "Hi there, sorry for almost bumping in to you, I'm really off today." She said, her bubbly voice carried a chuckle behind it.

Lyra didn't even notice that someone was there until and umbrella was placed over her. She snapped back to reality in time to hear a lady in black hair apologize. "Don't worry about it." said Lyra. "I've been out of it for most of the day as well." Lyra smiled at the woman who provided her with temporary shelter under her umbrella. Then a realization dawned upon her. "I'm comply soaked, how long was i standing out in the rain?" Lyra said in amazement. It was true, from what she felt she felt soaked down to her underwear and then some. "I've must of been standing in the rain for quite some time and my apartment is a while away from here, damn." She began to shiver slightly, the warn rain water now felt cold across her skin.

((May I join?))

((Go ahead))

The rain had been pouring on Thomas' head for nearly two hours. He had made port in New York, sailing in on a British freight cruiser, and with barely any money in his pocket he had to walk all the way to the small, cheap appartment he had rented. Slowly, he slugged his tired feet along, carrying a heavy canvas bag filled with personal properties. He was completely soaked. His boots overflowed.

Thomas had been asking people for some spare change, but New York proved itself to be a rather inhospitable place. In order to avoid getting even more soaked than he already was, he took a shortcut through some park to get some slight cover from the rain. He saw a duo of damsels standing under the cover of an umbrella, having a chat, and as he passed them, he stopped and asked in his heavy Irish accent: "Pardon me, ladies, but do you perhaps have some spare change for me, to take the bus? I just arrived from England and I spend all me money on the journey t'here."

Sheryll smiled as the woman thanked her and began laughing, the rain beating down on her umbrella no longer even noted in her mind.

Sheryll looked out at the vast expanse of the park, its brick and concrete pathways snaking through the natural beauty like some sort of great beast residing in the park's center was sending out tendrils to trap passerby's. She quickly shook her head at the notion, it was not only insane, but completely irrelevant.

Looking back at the woman Sheryll noted that she was wearing very revealing clothing, in stark contrast to her own conservative attire, the woman had on short shorts and a small jacket that did very little to cover her breasts and left her midriff entirely exposed. Sheryll felt a little embarrassed at first but that went away quickly as she began to wonder why on earth the girl went out like this when it had been raining for hours.

"How long have you been out here standing like this?" Sheryll asked the woman, concern spreading across her face, the ever present smile still there, but its presence hampered by worry. As she began to ask another question, Sheryll heard a voice, it was heavily accented and she couldn't understand it at first, but as she turned to look at the man to whom the voice belonged his accent quickly became understandable to her, there was a scientist at the labs with a similar accent, but much more contained.

The man appeared to be asking for money, something about coming to America on a boat or some such thing. Sheryll had to fight her urge to open her wallet and give the man a hundred dollars, her father's voice reminding her how many people in New York were probably faking it because they were lazy. After all, quarters or dollars from at least a thousand people a day could really add up. She looked the man up and down, he was drenched and carrying a canvas bag, his features seemed world weary at best and shell shocked at worst... this one definitely wasn't faking.

"I'm sorry" She said, her voice edged with sadness

"I don't have any money to give you..." she trailed off, her thoughts drifting to how close they were to her apartment. It was large enough to accommodate two or three people for a couple hours at least.

"I've got an idea, my apartment is only about 20 minutes from here and it's pretty big." She said, somewhat abashedly, realizing halfway through how little this man had.

"At any rate, I'm headed there now, so if you want come, just follow my lead" she chirped, a big smile returning to her face. She was sure her dad would be angry when he found out but she could take care of herself, for god's sakes, she took on super humans on a daily basis, she sincerely doubted a hobo and a cowgirl could pose much of a threat to her. Sheryll led the way, ranting on the whole time as she was wont to do. As they arrived in her apartment complex, the door man looked at her and her 'guests' and seemed to be repressing a sneer as he opened the door for them. Sheryll stepped into the elevator with the two in tow and pressed the button for the penthouse suite. As the elevator chime sounded and the door opened, she stepped out and turned.

"Well, we're here, let me get you both some towels to dry off with" and with that she rushed into the bedroom.

"For a while I think, I must have been, I'm soaked." giggled Lyra. Lyra shivered a bit, until recently the rain had been warm but now that attention had been brought to it the water on her body felt cold. Then a man with a thick accent, much thicker then her southern draw approached them. He ask for money, which is normal in New York, but it was hard to tell who was lying and who wasn't. Lyra did have some money, but she also had bills to pay which she normally barely collected enough money to pay. She did have a bit extra left over but she was planning on treating herself to something or just to save it for the nest months rent. "Sorry hun. I''m tight on money at the moment." She said to the man sadly. Then Sheryll suggested that they all went to her apartment to dry off till the storm past. She did have some reserve about it but eventually decided that it would be better then walking to her apartment in this weather.

She showed them to an expensive apartment complex. Lyra was surprised by this, Sheryll didn't look like someone who had a lot but here they were. She followed her into the elevator and was even more surprised when she hit the penthouse buttons. "Damn, how rich is this girl." thought Lyra to herself. Once they got into the apartment Sheryll ran to grab some towels. "I might need more then some towels." mused Lyra. "My clothes are soaked through, do you have a change of cloths I could borrow and a drying machine that i can throw my wet clothes in?" Lyra shivered, the AC was blowing air into the apartment and it felt cold to her wet skin. She opted not to sit down on the nice furniture while wet. "By the way, I'm Lyra."

Okay, son, you're a guest here. Don't make rude comments about her million dollar furniture. Don't set anything on fire. Behave yerself, alright? Thomas thought when he stepped into the apartment. It was pretty weird that a girl he just met in a city he just arrived in would let him, a beggar, a man from the mud, in her home. But even Thomas enjoy a warm welcome more than a cold rejection. He hung his coat on the hallstand and dropped his bag in the corner of the hall, after which he realised what a mess he had made in process. "I'll mob that up in a sec," he said with a worried frown and turned to the one darling damsel who had not rushed off, "The name's Thomas Murphy, in case y're wondering."

Without his jacket on, a number of his tattoos were visible. The large Celtic cross on his lower arm would probably attract the most attention, and under the left sleeve of his white t-shirt a part of what appeared to be a coat of arms peeked. Thomas leaned with his shoulder against the doorjamb. "So, what'd you folks do for a livin'?"

Sheryll came back out with towels, the smile on her face wide and filled with glee, she really enjoyed company. She heard the man introduce herself to the other woman and chimed in. "Nice to meet you Thomas, I'm Sheryll, I enjoy doughnuts, soda, and long walks down dark alleys. I've also gained a strange taste for coffee as of late, which is weird because up until last week I hated it with a burning passion" she said as she handed them both towels, her eyes registering the man's tattoos as well as his dog tag.

The data was cataloged for later. She set down another set of towels on her sofa and one of the chairs before taking off her own coat, revealing a T-shirt with the logo of a minor alternative rock and roll band on it. She hung it up on the rack next to Thomas' bomber jacket. and massaged her shoulder. It ached every time it rained and she had no idea why. No use dwelling on it she thought, turning back to her two guests. She saw on the floor where the man had dropped his sack, he looked like he was trying to find something to clean it with. Sheryll just giggled and picked it up "Don't worry about it, I'm the host so I'll handle it. I'll just put this in the bathtub" she said as she took the pack and gently set it in her tub.

She entered the main area again and motioned for the two to sit down before she headed to the kitchen. She unwrapped her bag of doughnuts and took one. She held it in place with her teeth as she grabbed a paper towel and dried up the water from the man's pack. Grabbing the doughnut, she took a bite and looked at the pair. "I'm sorry, how thoughtless of me. Can I get you two anything to eat or drink?" she chimed as she scurried into the kitchen not waiting for an answer.

She wasn't the best cook but it wouldn't be that hard to provide snacks for two guests who were probably just happy to have something to eat at all. Sheryll put a pot of coffee on and came back out. Sitting down, she sighed and looked at the two. "In response to your question Thomas I work for the government, nothing big, but it pays the bills." she said as she put her feet up on the glass coffee table.
She was exhausted. She'd had to take out a few supers earlier and then come home and go out again without her suit. The suit itself was comfortable but it started to feel a little constricting after a while. Especially when you had to fight in it. Closing her eyes, she reclined in her chair, the cushioning feeling good against her aching shoulder. She opened her eyes once more and looked at the ceiling.

"So, what were you two doing out in the rain... if you don't mind me asking?" She queried as she looked back at the two.

Lyra took the towel and began to dry herself off, it seemed as if the request to borrow some clothes fell on death ears but it didn't matter, she would dry off eventually. "Some coffee and any type of snack will be fine for me. And it must be some job if you have a place this nice." said Lyra. Lyra left out a small laugh. "Well, I do odd jobs, not really want i want to do but hey, if gets the bills paid. And it's better then what i was forced to do 4 years ago. Hell I'm not even here cause i want to be. So what about you? why have you come here?" If they asked she would tell them how she got here, but she didn't feel like going right out and saying it. She did wonder why Tomas came to America though. Lyra poured herself a cup of coffee, put some cream and sugar in it and grabbed a pack of powdered mini-doughnuts. She sat down on the couch wrapped in a towel on the other side of the coffee table. She took a sip of coffee and placed it on the table then opened a pack of doughnuts. She took one out and looked at it. "God... I haven't had one of these since I was back at home around 8 years ok." She ate and she perked up a bit at the taste. "Yeah that's good." mused Lyra after swallowing it. Lyra noticed that Sheryll roll her shoulder like it hurt. "Is your shoulder ok? I can massage it if you want."

"Coffee will do fine." Thomas said as he sat down on the couch and poured himself a cup too. The steaming black brew dropped into the glass cup like a nightly waterfall and Thomas cursed a little under his breath when the cup overflowed. I'm really messy today. He looked quickly at Sheryll, moved his gaze to Lyra, back to the cup and got up to get some tissues from the kitchen. "Well, I was on me way from the harbour to this apartement I rent in...eh...what's it called," he made a pondering gesture with his hand,"....Bronxville!" He grabbed a towel from a rack (This will do...) and returned to the table. "I heard about this scrapyard that's always looking fer some more employees. Thought I'd give it a go. Had to leave Ireland due to the crisis. There're no jobs fer people like me back home." He cleaned the spilled coffe with the towel and sat down again, leaving the towel on the table. "But, y'know, I ran out of money on the boat... Terns out I'm not that good at cards."

((Bump))

Sheryll rubbed her shoulder and smiled at Lyra. "That would be lovely, thank you" she said, glad to have someone to relieve the ache.

The pain -she now realized- had come from her battle with Cilian roughly a week before and her father's men had had to open her up and cleanse her system of any residual ink. In addition they stated that they might have to construct some sort of sealing system to avoid this happening with other liquid based supers. She sighed and leaned forward, hoping that the massage would be as pleasurable as she expected. Sheryll looked over at Thomas and smiled, slightly amused at his story, but hiding it completely behind her every present smile.

"I'm really sorry about your situation Thomas, you can crash here for a while if your apartment lacks the necessary... living requirements." she said, imagining both the usefulness of a man of Thomas' level and how bad the Bronx was to live in...


((sorry for the short post, tired, but need to get this thread moving))

Lyra got up and then sat on her knees behind Sheryll. She began to message her back. "God your either really tense or you got metal in your back." Joked Lyra putting a bit more pressure. "Remember how i said four years back i came here against my will? it's actually 8 but the past four years i've been free. I picked up how to message people in the four years before hand so excuse me if i'm a bit rusty at it." She looked over at Tom. "I don't get gambling, especially if your low on cash, so why do it?" said Lyra. "You also have to be careful about who you gamble with and where. i doubt the criminal underworld would be for giving if you accidentally got caught up with them."