Of parkour and bulbs
Jan. 31st, 2012 07:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shelbyrouIt is currently 07:18 Pacific Time on Tue Jan 31 2012.
Currently the moon is in the waxing Half (Philodox) Moon phase (52% full).
Harbor Park -- The Meadow
One of the last bastions of green left in the city, mottled and withered grass and weeds covers the earth like a badly stained carpet, with the construction work turning what is left into just bare dirt. The vegetation seems marginally healthier the further it is from the river and much healthier towards the central area of the park around the fountain. Construction work is ongoing here: a raised earthen berm about five feet tall is being built all around the park perimeter, with two breaks each at the Bridge Street entrance and the First Street end. Wooden posts are being erected at regular intervals all along the earthen wall, while tasteful iron gates and fences are being added at the entrances. Overpowering the scent of living vegetation are the exhaust fumes from a busy street to the west and an unpleasant stench from the Columbia River to the east. From the street view or river view, the park is now isolated, as if it existed apart from the city. People in tall buildings have an excellent view of any goings-ons for now, though. In the center of the park, a small glade of six tall trees and a flower bed surrounds the fountain.
The murky waters of the Columbia River flow swiftly along the east side of the park. Bracketing the park to the west is First Street and the city of St. Claire.
Obvious exits:
Bridge Street Fountain First Street River
The park is pretty deserted this early in the morning. In fact, if you exclude the three drunks/junkies sleeping it off, that pretty much leaves Nicodemus. Who happens to be over towards the riverfront, carrying a plastic grocery bag from Home Depot, and poking holes in the moist ground with a sturdy but short stick. Hole poked, he drops a tulip bulb into the ground, then scrapes dirt back over it with a stick. He then moves onwards and makes another hole. Repeat as necessary.
A car pulls up on the park's northern edge and disgorges a Shelby, dressed for activity. The only obvious concession to fashion today is a cute little blue-green scarf around her neck - silk, maybe, but not really appropriate for winter. She heads for the fountain at a brisk walk, though Nicodemus' activity has her veering that way. "--Don't try and tell me that's advanced parkour," she says with a laugh.
Nicodemus holds up a hand, making a feeble attempt to shield you from his super secret activity that's taking place right out in the open for all to see. "Don't look! It's a surprise for spring!" he claims as he uses the stick to scratch dirt back over the last hole. He then offers, "Want to help plant a few?"
Shelby obligingly flings up a hand as though shielding her face from the paparazzi. "--What are they?" She drifts over to get a better idea of what he's actually doing. "Daffodils?"
Despite the early hour, there is a woman entering the park with a baby on her hip. No stroller, no fancy baby-carry-all, just on her hip. It's bundled well enough, in fact, it wears a miniature version of mom's ensemble; sweatshirt with hood. Sticking out from that hood is tufts of brown hair to match her very brown eyes. No jogging this time, just a casual walk toward the merry-go-round.
Nicodemus opens the plastic bag so you can peek in. Tulip and daffodil bulbs. "Got a mix that was on sale. Half off. I figured why the hell not?" Seems like a good enough explanation to him. He pokes another hole in the ground with the stick, leaning into it. "They do it so they can get you on the gardening trowel, but I'm on to their wiley capitalist ways." None of this sounds particularly serious: otherwise, he'd come across as completely insane.
Shelby obligingly takes a look. "Lovely. Grandmere had this tool... umm. Sort of like a post hole digger, only much smaller, that she used for her bulbs." She half-smiles at the memory. "It worked much better when Grandpapa or I used it." Funny, that. "How are you doing them? Randomly, or in a pattern, or...?" She hasn't yet noticed the new arrivals to the park.
With the merry-go-round empty, Emma decides to give it a quick spin. With toddler still on hip, she hold a bar with one hand, 'scooter pushes' off the ground with the opposite leg, and once it's spinning hops up and lets it ride out. The result is a belly giggle from the baby, high pitched and thrilled at the new adventure.
Nicodemus glances back to see how he's been planting them. It's nominally in a line that runs parallel to the river, but there's absolutely nothing even remotely linear to the line and certainly no recognizable pattern if you spend the time connecting the little 'dots' formed by freshly dug tiny mounds of dirt. He waves a hand vaguely in the direction he's been heading. "Just sort of along the edge here, really," he explains, considering the other options. "Should have thought about making a pattern beforehand, but it's too late now. Half the stuff is planted already. Shelby, right?" he asks of the nearby Fang. The child's giggle draws his attention towards the merry-go-round. "And Emma's finally showed up for some parkour practice. With.... a baby?" The latter seems rather unanticipated.
"Grandmere alternated between randomly casting them," Shelby demonstrates, "and then the next year or two filling in the empty spots." Or having her husband and granddaughter do it - same thing, really. "That's right, Mr. Dalton. Shelby." She too looks toward the spinning merry-go-round and giggling baby, shooting Nico a quick, surprised look at his identification. "Oh, you know her? I can't imagine trying to do parkour with a baby; maybe it's someone else? Or she's not going to run today?"
Just one more spin is given before the Get dismounts with the baby, spinning her to the other hip and leaning in to give her a nose nuzzle. "Fun huh? When you get older we'll come play on this some more ok?" It's then she gives another glance around and comes to find the man she's looking for- and, judging by the reaction, someone she wasn't. Without hesitation though, she begins to move in their direction. "Hey, morning." The baby watches the approaching individuals with curiosity in her eyes.
Nicodemus says to Shelby, "We ran into one another in the park about a month or so ago when I was doing a little parkour and she was doing some off-the-path jogging. Turned out she was a friend of a friend sort of thing, so we've been doing parkour out here off and on in the mornings. Small world," he says by way of explanation as he drops another bulb into the ground and scrapes dirt back over it. As Emma calls out and heads over, Nick adds, "The kid's new," he claims as he finishes burying the bulb. His phone then makes a klaxon noise, the alert sound from the original Star Trek that puts the ship on high alert when Klingons or other threats are about. "Well, shit. I've got to go. Client. You want the bulbs?" he motions to the bag on the ground, offering them to Shelby as he drops his digging stick. He waves to Emma as he makes his way past and out of the park, phone coming up to his head. "Work emergency. Catch you latter, Emma!" And he's off at a jogging pace. Busy guy, that Nick.
Shelby listens to Nick's explanation, nodding at the appropriate bits, and is about to add something when his phone goes off. "No no, of course. I'll watch them," the bulbs. She watches him until it's obvious where he's heading, turns back to the other woman with a little start of recognition. "Small world."
Emma rolls her eyes as Nick jogs past her, "S'alright, I obviously wasn't here to run today. See ya." Then she turns to the Fang. "I guess it was the same guy." She grins at this while settling baby to other hip. "What's with the bag and garden tool?"
"He was planting bulbs," Shelby explains of their departed gentleman friend. "Want to help me finish? If you don't," she adds, considering the baby dubiously for a brief moment, "I can do it later." She looks thoughtful as she stoops to collect the bag (but not the stick).
"Planting bulbs. Huh. That even legal? I mean, wouldn't public works have a fit if a ton of flowers pop up unexpectadly? Not that I'm against it, just seems an odd thing for him to do." She grins a bit then, but nods after it all, "Yeah I can help- what do you need me to do? And, were you working on the same free running stuff he's doing?"
Shelby only shrugs. "Maybe that's why he's doing it now, instead of at two in the afternoon. Is the baby old enough to help? Or at least poke at the dirt and occupy herself a little? We need to dig a hole, pop the bulb in, cover the hole again. Pretty simple, really. We can either go on from here or else go back along his path and double up." She checks in the bag. "Ten bulbs left."
Emma chuckles a bit and puts the sprog down to the ground. "She won't be very helpful, but she shouldn't be too much in the way either." True to the words, the brown eyed baby plops down and just looks up at mom. "You wanna do the hole digging and I'll pop the bulbs in then?" The Get drops down to a squat and pokes at the dirt, which is of course imitated by little Zoe. "How you liking the parkour stuff? And how well do you know Nick?'
"All right," the Fang agrees readily enough, and hands over the bag before collecting the forgotten stick. "It's... it's a challenge," she says after a moment and the beginnings of a hole. "It's good for running off the yayas, and it's really helping me think about my surroundings in a new light. I'm getting to know the city better, too." Once the hole is deep enough, she looks back at the Get. "Not very well at all. We haven't done much running - other things always get in the way, like his job. I took him for coffee, once, and," she slaps at one hip. "Phone call."
Emma looks at the gesture and nods, "Yeah. Gets those a lot. No shows on occasion too. Though I guess I can't complain about that, I do the same when the full moon comes." The baby has gotten hold of a bulb and is raising it up to show mom. "In the hole Zoe, here." She helps guide the toddlers fingers to the hole and pries the object loose before mounding dirt back up over it. "What's you're take on him? On Nick?"
Shelby shrugs. "Hard to say. Seems nice enough. I mean, you don't go into the looking-for-lost-people business because you want to be a millionaire. He's willing to teach, too, which is always a benefit." She continues with her hole-digging ways. "I hope I'll be able to keep on - new Pack." The last two words are delivered at a volume designed to not carry. More normally, "There's only so much you can learn from videos, after all."
Emma grins at this, "You can learn what not to do pretty well from those. I've taken a peek myself." She pulls small fingers away from the hole in attempt to stop Zoe frmo digging up what was just buried. Thankfully, the next one is ready and with a new bulb to be planted, the baby is distracted with the new task. "Nick and I've been running a few weeks now. Yesterday though, we ended up at the gun range after we got on the topic. He is willing to teach folks stuff. He's cute too."
The Fang shoots Emma a thoughtful look. "Oh? I don't know how to use a gun. I don't suppose you know how to fight with a knife?" The last quirks half a smile to her lips. "Cute enough to look at," she agrees readily. "Not my type, though."
Emma smiles at that, almost like a bit of relief has come through her shoulders. (Not that she'd admit it, or possibly even realizes it at all.) "I don't know how to use a gun either. That was got us there. Knives yeah. A bit. From my most recent adventure." This time, Zoe has taken up the next bulb and decided to gnaw on it. A ttcht from Emma is all it warrants though, and once the hole is ready, she encourages the planting of it. Look, pre-moistened. "I figured learning to handle a gun might be a good thing though."
That's one bulb that could be planted in Arizona. Thanks, Zoe! Shelby turns away to dig another hole (and hide the twitch of lips that accompanies Emma's relief). "Probably, but... I was... 'discouraged' from learning one when I was younger. If you're offering lessons in knives, though, I'll take you up on those. I've got one in my purse and I have no idea what to do with it, besides aim the pointy bit at someone else."
Emma smiles again, "Well, I'm better using them against vines and creeping bushes, myself. But maybe the two of us could figure it out if we put our heads together. I'm always game for expanding my skill-set." The next bulb put in and patted into the soil is given a nod, "Last two. Then I should get the kiddo cleaned up I suppose."
The Ragabash shoots Emma another look. Seriously, "I've been talking to Mouse. Far, far better that we make plans to get out of Dodge. This isn't the place to discuss it, but you should definitely ask her about it." She nods to 'two more' and concentrates on getting those finished. "I need to go talk to some people, but you've got my number, right? If you want to run together, or work knifes, or whatever, give me a call."
Currently the moon is in the waxing Half (Philodox) Moon phase (52% full).
Harbor Park -- The Meadow
One of the last bastions of green left in the city, mottled and withered grass and weeds covers the earth like a badly stained carpet, with the construction work turning what is left into just bare dirt. The vegetation seems marginally healthier the further it is from the river and much healthier towards the central area of the park around the fountain. Construction work is ongoing here: a raised earthen berm about five feet tall is being built all around the park perimeter, with two breaks each at the Bridge Street entrance and the First Street end. Wooden posts are being erected at regular intervals all along the earthen wall, while tasteful iron gates and fences are being added at the entrances. Overpowering the scent of living vegetation are the exhaust fumes from a busy street to the west and an unpleasant stench from the Columbia River to the east. From the street view or river view, the park is now isolated, as if it existed apart from the city. People in tall buildings have an excellent view of any goings-ons for now, though. In the center of the park, a small glade of six tall trees and a flower bed surrounds the fountain.
The murky waters of the Columbia River flow swiftly along the east side of the park. Bracketing the park to the west is First Street and the city of St. Claire.
Obvious exits:
Bridge Street Fountain First Street River
The park is pretty deserted this early in the morning. In fact, if you exclude the three drunks/junkies sleeping it off, that pretty much leaves Nicodemus. Who happens to be over towards the riverfront, carrying a plastic grocery bag from Home Depot, and poking holes in the moist ground with a sturdy but short stick. Hole poked, he drops a tulip bulb into the ground, then scrapes dirt back over it with a stick. He then moves onwards and makes another hole. Repeat as necessary.
A car pulls up on the park's northern edge and disgorges a Shelby, dressed for activity. The only obvious concession to fashion today is a cute little blue-green scarf around her neck - silk, maybe, but not really appropriate for winter. She heads for the fountain at a brisk walk, though Nicodemus' activity has her veering that way. "--Don't try and tell me that's advanced parkour," she says with a laugh.
Nicodemus holds up a hand, making a feeble attempt to shield you from his super secret activity that's taking place right out in the open for all to see. "Don't look! It's a surprise for spring!" he claims as he uses the stick to scratch dirt back over the last hole. He then offers, "Want to help plant a few?"
Shelby obligingly flings up a hand as though shielding her face from the paparazzi. "--What are they?" She drifts over to get a better idea of what he's actually doing. "Daffodils?"
Despite the early hour, there is a woman entering the park with a baby on her hip. No stroller, no fancy baby-carry-all, just on her hip. It's bundled well enough, in fact, it wears a miniature version of mom's ensemble; sweatshirt with hood. Sticking out from that hood is tufts of brown hair to match her very brown eyes. No jogging this time, just a casual walk toward the merry-go-round.
Nicodemus opens the plastic bag so you can peek in. Tulip and daffodil bulbs. "Got a mix that was on sale. Half off. I figured why the hell not?" Seems like a good enough explanation to him. He pokes another hole in the ground with the stick, leaning into it. "They do it so they can get you on the gardening trowel, but I'm on to their wiley capitalist ways." None of this sounds particularly serious: otherwise, he'd come across as completely insane.
Shelby obligingly takes a look. "Lovely. Grandmere had this tool... umm. Sort of like a post hole digger, only much smaller, that she used for her bulbs." She half-smiles at the memory. "It worked much better when Grandpapa or I used it." Funny, that. "How are you doing them? Randomly, or in a pattern, or...?" She hasn't yet noticed the new arrivals to the park.
With the merry-go-round empty, Emma decides to give it a quick spin. With toddler still on hip, she hold a bar with one hand, 'scooter pushes' off the ground with the opposite leg, and once it's spinning hops up and lets it ride out. The result is a belly giggle from the baby, high pitched and thrilled at the new adventure.
Nicodemus glances back to see how he's been planting them. It's nominally in a line that runs parallel to the river, but there's absolutely nothing even remotely linear to the line and certainly no recognizable pattern if you spend the time connecting the little 'dots' formed by freshly dug tiny mounds of dirt. He waves a hand vaguely in the direction he's been heading. "Just sort of along the edge here, really," he explains, considering the other options. "Should have thought about making a pattern beforehand, but it's too late now. Half the stuff is planted already. Shelby, right?" he asks of the nearby Fang. The child's giggle draws his attention towards the merry-go-round. "And Emma's finally showed up for some parkour practice. With.... a baby?" The latter seems rather unanticipated.
"Grandmere alternated between randomly casting them," Shelby demonstrates, "and then the next year or two filling in the empty spots." Or having her husband and granddaughter do it - same thing, really. "That's right, Mr. Dalton. Shelby." She too looks toward the spinning merry-go-round and giggling baby, shooting Nico a quick, surprised look at his identification. "Oh, you know her? I can't imagine trying to do parkour with a baby; maybe it's someone else? Or she's not going to run today?"
Just one more spin is given before the Get dismounts with the baby, spinning her to the other hip and leaning in to give her a nose nuzzle. "Fun huh? When you get older we'll come play on this some more ok?" It's then she gives another glance around and comes to find the man she's looking for- and, judging by the reaction, someone she wasn't. Without hesitation though, she begins to move in their direction. "Hey, morning." The baby watches the approaching individuals with curiosity in her eyes.
Nicodemus says to Shelby, "We ran into one another in the park about a month or so ago when I was doing a little parkour and she was doing some off-the-path jogging. Turned out she was a friend of a friend sort of thing, so we've been doing parkour out here off and on in the mornings. Small world," he says by way of explanation as he drops another bulb into the ground and scrapes dirt back over it. As Emma calls out and heads over, Nick adds, "The kid's new," he claims as he finishes burying the bulb. His phone then makes a klaxon noise, the alert sound from the original Star Trek that puts the ship on high alert when Klingons or other threats are about. "Well, shit. I've got to go. Client. You want the bulbs?" he motions to the bag on the ground, offering them to Shelby as he drops his digging stick. He waves to Emma as he makes his way past and out of the park, phone coming up to his head. "Work emergency. Catch you latter, Emma!" And he's off at a jogging pace. Busy guy, that Nick.
Shelby listens to Nick's explanation, nodding at the appropriate bits, and is about to add something when his phone goes off. "No no, of course. I'll watch them," the bulbs. She watches him until it's obvious where he's heading, turns back to the other woman with a little start of recognition. "Small world."
Emma rolls her eyes as Nick jogs past her, "S'alright, I obviously wasn't here to run today. See ya." Then she turns to the Fang. "I guess it was the same guy." She grins at this while settling baby to other hip. "What's with the bag and garden tool?"
"He was planting bulbs," Shelby explains of their departed gentleman friend. "Want to help me finish? If you don't," she adds, considering the baby dubiously for a brief moment, "I can do it later." She looks thoughtful as she stoops to collect the bag (but not the stick).
"Planting bulbs. Huh. That even legal? I mean, wouldn't public works have a fit if a ton of flowers pop up unexpectadly? Not that I'm against it, just seems an odd thing for him to do." She grins a bit then, but nods after it all, "Yeah I can help- what do you need me to do? And, were you working on the same free running stuff he's doing?"
Shelby only shrugs. "Maybe that's why he's doing it now, instead of at two in the afternoon. Is the baby old enough to help? Or at least poke at the dirt and occupy herself a little? We need to dig a hole, pop the bulb in, cover the hole again. Pretty simple, really. We can either go on from here or else go back along his path and double up." She checks in the bag. "Ten bulbs left."
Emma chuckles a bit and puts the sprog down to the ground. "She won't be very helpful, but she shouldn't be too much in the way either." True to the words, the brown eyed baby plops down and just looks up at mom. "You wanna do the hole digging and I'll pop the bulbs in then?" The Get drops down to a squat and pokes at the dirt, which is of course imitated by little Zoe. "How you liking the parkour stuff? And how well do you know Nick?'
"All right," the Fang agrees readily enough, and hands over the bag before collecting the forgotten stick. "It's... it's a challenge," she says after a moment and the beginnings of a hole. "It's good for running off the yayas, and it's really helping me think about my surroundings in a new light. I'm getting to know the city better, too." Once the hole is deep enough, she looks back at the Get. "Not very well at all. We haven't done much running - other things always get in the way, like his job. I took him for coffee, once, and," she slaps at one hip. "Phone call."
Emma looks at the gesture and nods, "Yeah. Gets those a lot. No shows on occasion too. Though I guess I can't complain about that, I do the same when the full moon comes." The baby has gotten hold of a bulb and is raising it up to show mom. "In the hole Zoe, here." She helps guide the toddlers fingers to the hole and pries the object loose before mounding dirt back up over it. "What's you're take on him? On Nick?"
Shelby shrugs. "Hard to say. Seems nice enough. I mean, you don't go into the looking-for-lost-people business because you want to be a millionaire. He's willing to teach, too, which is always a benefit." She continues with her hole-digging ways. "I hope I'll be able to keep on - new Pack." The last two words are delivered at a volume designed to not carry. More normally, "There's only so much you can learn from videos, after all."
Emma grins at this, "You can learn what not to do pretty well from those. I've taken a peek myself." She pulls small fingers away from the hole in attempt to stop Zoe frmo digging up what was just buried. Thankfully, the next one is ready and with a new bulb to be planted, the baby is distracted with the new task. "Nick and I've been running a few weeks now. Yesterday though, we ended up at the gun range after we got on the topic. He is willing to teach folks stuff. He's cute too."
The Fang shoots Emma a thoughtful look. "Oh? I don't know how to use a gun. I don't suppose you know how to fight with a knife?" The last quirks half a smile to her lips. "Cute enough to look at," she agrees readily. "Not my type, though."
Emma smiles at that, almost like a bit of relief has come through her shoulders. (Not that she'd admit it, or possibly even realizes it at all.) "I don't know how to use a gun either. That was got us there. Knives yeah. A bit. From my most recent adventure." This time, Zoe has taken up the next bulb and decided to gnaw on it. A ttcht from Emma is all it warrants though, and once the hole is ready, she encourages the planting of it. Look, pre-moistened. "I figured learning to handle a gun might be a good thing though."
That's one bulb that could be planted in Arizona. Thanks, Zoe! Shelby turns away to dig another hole (and hide the twitch of lips that accompanies Emma's relief). "Probably, but... I was... 'discouraged' from learning one when I was younger. If you're offering lessons in knives, though, I'll take you up on those. I've got one in my purse and I have no idea what to do with it, besides aim the pointy bit at someone else."
Emma smiles again, "Well, I'm better using them against vines and creeping bushes, myself. But maybe the two of us could figure it out if we put our heads together. I'm always game for expanding my skill-set." The next bulb put in and patted into the soil is given a nod, "Last two. Then I should get the kiddo cleaned up I suppose."
The Ragabash shoots Emma another look. Seriously, "I've been talking to Mouse. Far, far better that we make plans to get out of Dodge. This isn't the place to discuss it, but you should definitely ask her about it." She nods to 'two more' and concentrates on getting those finished. "I need to go talk to some people, but you've got my number, right? If you want to run together, or work knifes, or whatever, give me a call."