Setting
Lincoln Park - Lake Shore Drive: North
Lincoln Park is one of the most beautiful spots throughout Chicagoland. It is one of the advantages characterizing life in a large urban center. Every day Lincoln Park is enjoyed by many residents and visitors to Chicago. The park includes many unique items that represent Illinois. Some of the most interesting are the statues. Citizens put up statues of people who were important to them. In Lincoln Park, most of the statues commemorate Illinoisans, reflecting the local outlook of the world in the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century.
Vast lawns stretch toward Lake Shore Dr, groves of trees, gazebos, bandstands and picnic areas dotting the view. Cobbled pathways wend their way through scenic areas, running alongside bike and jogger trails. To the west the Lincoln Park Zoo can be seen, reddish brick walls enclosing the area, while the east finds the shores of Lake Michigan.
The sky is grey-black, without moon or stars. The air is cold and wet, and there is little wind. Snow flurries fall from the east. It is easier to feel the flakes landing than it is to see them in the darkness. The winter Hawk wind is concentrated in the Loop. There is about nineteen and one half inches of snow on the ground.
Cast
- Rob Adder
- Virginie Danvers
- Isabel Johnson
- Riley Kilpatrick
- Marius Kline
- Alyssa Mourning
- Nuri
- Aaron Ordando
- Cherish Roseworth
- Detective Eleanor Wickham
RL Date
Monday, April 27, 2009
IC Date
Sunday, January third, 2010. 12:00 am
The sun is down. The waning gibbous moon is up. <83.3% full and fading>
The tide is high and rising.
The sky is grey-black, without moon or stars. The air is cold and wet, and there is little wind. Snow flurries fall from the east. It is easier to feel the flakes landing than it is to see them in the darkness. The winter Hawk wind is concentrated in the Loop. There is about 19.5" of snow on the ground. The average temperature is around Twenty-seven degrees Fahrenheit, Negative three Centigrade.
Scene
«Note: I'm missing the parts of this scene that occur before Eleanor arrives and after she leaves. If anyone has it, please feel free to edit this page and add it, then remove this note.»
Cherish decides, it's time to get down. The numbers are narrowing down and she's still one of the crunchy, squishy ones. Hearing Rob on the phone, she slides a foot carefully to rest on the crook of the statue's arm once more. Getting down is always harder than climbing up, she's got to be careful not to slip.
Mourning scrambles back up from the snow, pushing her way over to the lion and jumps onto her back. She hops onto the back of the lioness, wrapping her arms and legs around the great beast and bearing down her strength.
Dancing about with the Lion, the wolf man snarls and swipes at her once more with blinding speed. Though the feline form rolls and moves out of the wave, rendering his attack to be little more than a glancing blow. Never the less the scent of new blood being spilt fills the cold air as his fur starts to take on a grizzled appearance from the freezing wind. His animal-like eyes gazing with a mocking condemnation as Wolf-man and lioness fight.
As he unleashes the winter storm upon the park by accident, Marius can now see it is a lioness that is attacking him. He wants to thank Riley for saving him yet he takes this time to turn and start running as fast as his feet will carry him out of the park. He disappears into the night unless he is chased…
The lioness lashes back at the wolf out of rage and pain-filled instinct. But another's weight bears down on her and the aim of her massive paw misses the wolf man and throws her off balance into the snow. She twists toward that weight but that only hurts so she tries to scramble back to her paws.
She really should not be out here. Eleanor Wickham has the flu. She is very off duty and has been staying over in the Lincoln Park neighborhood with her sister's family while they all suffer through the mutual misery. However, she is also a cop, and she keeps her version of a police scanner on hand. Basically some of the other lab rats forward her automated texts when calls come in. Since the emergency was so near, she bundled up and drove her small hybrid SUV to the park proper. She skids the vehicle to a halt and scans the conflict as she checks her Glock's magazine. She slaps it back in, making sure the safety is on, and exits the vehicle. Thanks to medication her fever is mostly gone, but she's still nowhere near 100%. She pulls her badge out and clips it visibly on the lapel of her coat before opening her car door.
There is a small crack, as Cherish once again plants her second foot on the arm of the statue, between wrist and elbow. Eyes widen and she looks down, one hand on the concrete shoulder, the other wrapped around it's upper arm. Okay, maybe the statue wasn't made for climbing on, not even with her weight. A booted foot shifts, planting it on the statue's thigh when that crack is heard again. In her hurry to get down before she does damage to the statue, she slips. THUMP! Thankfully she didn't hit the base on the way down, landing on her back with a grunt. Stunned with the breath knocked out of her. Maybe she'll just play dead.
Thank the stars someone's here. Rob whistles to Eleanor as she arrives, signaling her to his position and hoping that she can back him up at least a little. But then again, given what's happening here, they'd probably need a SWAT team or two!
The phone in the tattered pair of pants is ringing…
It's a bit of chaos here in the park at the moment. Under the waxing fullmoon, there is a scuffle. That scuffle involves a werewolf, a lion, and a blonde woman. The wolf is clawing at the lion but missing, and the blonde woman is hugging onto the back of the lion. There is a woman climbing down from a statue as well.
Between the Vampiress pinning the lioness and the Lioness attempting to throw her off. The massive wolf man just can't seem to get a good shot in as he swipes at their brawling forms though to no avail, this time around catching nothing but air.
The phone in the tattered pair of pants is ringing… still. Lying in the snow.
Mourning clings onto the lioness' back, holding her down for the moment. She hisses at the lion, "No! You need to get control of yourself."
The large, tawny and now blood colored lioness struggles to get her feet under her and maybe even dislodge the vampire holding onto her. She coughs a distressed sound, calling for her own to help her but there aren't any around to do so. The lioness pants hard, breaths visible in the cold air, and she stills beneath the blonde's strength and hissing voice.
"We're gonna need backup," Rob yells to Eleanor as he pulls out his phone again and calls for more backup, before pulling back to try to signal for where the situation is happening.
Actually, said woman fell off the statue and is now, admit trying to get her breath, trying to decide if it's safer to play dead, or run. Cherish opens her eyes, only to see the falling snow that hits her face gently. Nothing seems broken, the cold air is hell when she breathes in, but she is breathing. Popping up in a small flurry of snow (hey, a snow angel!) … she creeps, putting one knee on the ground, trying not to make any sudden moves as she gets to her feet. Yes, running it is.
"POLICE!" Eleanor shouts, leveling the gun in a two handed cradle at the brawl participants as she stalks in their direction carefully, taking the time to plant her feet solidly in the foot and a half of snow covering the ground. It would be embarrassing to end up taking a header in a snow bank while trying to break up a fight. "Everyone stand down!" She sounds very stuffed up and hoarse, but her eyes are sharp. She also has the presence of mind to keep herself at a healthy enough distance to be able to get a shot off if anyone charges her. Rob gets a cursory nod though she doesn't take her eyes off the tussle.
Aaron pulls up in a patrol car, he comes over ready, pulling out with him his weapon, a shot gun. Aaron sees the fight and then looks to Eleanor, the words 'RPIT' written across the front of his vest, must have been working in that office at the time of the call. Aaron doesn't make any hostile moves but to back up the other officer that is on the scene.
She was almost out of there, when the shout of Police! brings Cherish to a rather ungraceful, sliding stop in the snow. A teetering attempt to keep her balance as she moves from full on run, to full on stop in a matter of seconds ends in a slide. Thump, slide. "Oooow, my ass." She mutters, that rump hitting snow side first as she leaves a ripple in the snow that is body sized. Yeah, playing dead might have been the better option. Just so the cops know she's here, she thrusts her hands up, palms open.
Stepping back and releasing his half-change, Riley's massive form begins to shimmer and shrink. Not having sustained any damage he eyes the shotgun and isn't ignorant. Nor is he terribly riled up as he once more assumes his human form. His breathing heavy as a hunger gnaws at his stomach. The dollar menu is sooo getting attacked after this.. His hands coming up over his head and behind his head as he takes a step back towards his tattered cloths.
Mourning grabs onto the lion and continues to hold her down. Arms and legs pressing and undead strength bearing down to try and keep her in place. She calls out, "Respectfully, unless you are a preternatural or capable of calming down a hungry shapeshifter, I shall /right where I am/. She has not attacked nor harmed anyone. And it is not illegal to be shapeshifted in public."
While she has not been here long, Nuri has seen enough to deduct, a bit, about what has been going on. Her gaze is immediately upon Mourning, and the lioness that she's clinging to. Towards the police, or at least those she assumes to be police, given the drawn weapons and commands, she offers, "I would like to help if it is possible, so no harm comes to anyone."
Riley raises his hand abit and says, "Cloths. Lawyer." After that, nothing else is said as his hand returns to the back of his head and he moves to his knees. It is afterall snowing, and the ground itself is covered in several inches as he never the less waits.
The lioness struggles but with mush less conviction. She's tired and hungry and she hurts and Mourning smells familiar enough that the big cat doesn't feel quite so directly under attack. She is far from relaxed, though, and she still pants heavily, bleeding into the snow. The scent of guns don't do much to ease her quiet panic and she rumbles a sound that vibrates through her body as she tries to turn her head to put the source of the scents in her sight.
"I had nothing to do with this!" Says the woman in the snow, hands still thrust up in the air for another moment. Dropping her arms down, Cherish raises up, daring to peek over at the vampire who is riding the lioness like she's got 8 seconds to win the belt buckle. Well, the police are here now, so she slowly raises up again, brushing snow off herself. If no one stops her, she means to move out of the park, to get somewhere warm. Enough of this snow, dangit!
"So help me God, if I have to discharge this firearm and do a metric ton of paperwork for that because the lot of you have the combined IQ of belly button lint and refuse to STAND DOWN, I will give each and every one of you a silver enema for getting me out of my nice warm bed on my night off!" Eleanor hollers at the top of her lungs, training her weapon on the big cat and her piggy back rider. She sounds serious and she looks really cranky, however that might be undermined by the fact her nose is running like a faucet, which makes her look more like a snotty toddler than an authority figure. Her eyes narrow as she looks at Mourning, and to Aaron she mutters, "fang," as she tips her chin at the woman grappling the lioness. "If she is in public, shifted, and trying to attack people and has only not done so because there is a vampire holding her down, she is considered a public hazard," she points out. "Police policy is to kill a lycanthrope in this state for public safety reasons, so unless you are offering to carry that lion to the containment cell in the CPD, you need to move or we'll be forced to shoot through you to protect the safety of our citizens."
Aaron looks at Eleanor and looks to Cherish, "Stand Down." the weapon is moved a bit as he stops her, Then looks to the pair. The man looks at Cherish his weapon held side ways, "If you want a spot to sit, that police car is where it will be." Aaron doesn't turn his back to the group but then looks to Nuri and shakes his head.
"Can you knock her out?" Eleanor shouts to the vampire. "If you can, she'll shift back and the threat will be gone. I'd really rather not be up all night filling out forms for having to shoot people."
Aaron addresses the wolf shifter, "Stand up, and move towards me, you may pick up your cloths. Keep your hands visible to me at all times, you make one wrong move, you will get a load of silver buckshot."
For a moment, Cherish almost looks like she'd rather be in the police car. It would be warm. A narrowing of her eyes on Aaron, she can't help but shiver as she's fallen in the snow not once, but twice, she's wet with melted snow, cold and overall getting grouchy with this situation. Pressing her lips together, hands are shoved into his pockets, her jacket wrapped around her and she snorts softly. "There is a naked guy, a vampire and a lioness, and you want to give me a hard time!?" A toss of her hair. "Chicago's finest."
/THAT/ makes Mourning angry. She keeps her arms squeezing onto the lion however. Pressing down her weight even more on the lion. She responds, "I will /not/ let you kill her because you're a racist, officer. And I am in the process of doing non-lethal apprehension. I need a few moments. I need to put pressure on her lungs to knock her out."
Rising up and picking up his clothes, he takes his time, which is hard for someone who naturally reacts at a supernatural speed. Picking up his tattered clothes. He takes a look at the officer, remembering the face as he makes a mental note of the threat for when he contacts his attorney.
"Unless you are suddenly a police officer," Eleanor snaps towards the vampire, "you have no authority to be apprehending anyone. You are not a law enforcement official and this is a law enforcement situation. Unless you believe you are above the laws of the state of Illinois, in which case we have a whole different problem here. Don't go mistaking racism and police procedure because at this point you're looking at assault charges from that lioness if she chooses to press them because you took the law into your own hands. I have a job to do so either you're going to do as I suggested, or I WILL be forced to take her down, even if it offends your sensibilities, in which case you can answer to a judge for obstructing justice. Am I clear?"
She tries to keep that panting up because, well, breathing is important and it's getting harder to do it. Add to that the ache in the lioness' side that protests the vampire's pressure, and the shifter can either fight or give up. Fighting hasn't gotten her anywhere worthwhile and, somewhere deep down, she trusts Mourning not to tear out her throat just because she can. The lion stops fighting and stills with one last twitch of her tail.
Mourning is now not responding to Eleanor. She slowly takes one hand off off Virginie's side, starting to stroke the side of the lioness softly. The woman says softly, "It's alright. You're alright." Her words are soft and soothing, just as the hand that strokes the lion's side.
The offer to help not taken up, Nuri seems to just…fade away. Must've taken off while everyone else was busy with the hooplah happening.
Cherish waits, a little bit impatiently, for someone to tell her she can go. Hands still stuffed into her coat pockets, she turns her back subtly to the window and closes her eyes, thinking warm thoughts.
Nuri whispers to Mourning.
Aaron looks at the wolf shifter and frowns a bit at his comment but doesn't with draw it. "Ma'am, Move to the patrol car, Sir please sit down and I trust you won't try to run." Aaron can't pay attention as more (NPC) officers arrive to assist the two that have been here, Aaron frowns deeply and lets the wolf shifter be taken by the new officers while he looks at the vampire, "Madam, you are interfering with police procedure." the officer moves forward, Shotgun now level with the pair.
Riley is taken away without a word, using what's left of his jeans and t-shirt to cover his privates. He doesn't resist, he simply waits for them to give him his phone call to call his lawyer. He's been through this shit before it would seem.
"No." Cherish says stubbornly. "Unless I'm under arrest, I would rather not, thank you." While the tone is verging on haughty, even ill tempered she manages to keep it just under the line of sounding as if she's telling him to fuck off with more words. A blink as she turns to watch Aaron level the shot gun on the pair. Lips press tightly together, anger beginning to show obviously in her eyes.
"You are not under arrest," Eleanor says in Cherish's direction, while keeping her eyes on the lioness, "but you will need to give a statement. Please go with one of the officers to do so, and you will be free to leave after." She takes in a steadying breath. "Tell her to shift back to her human form. You can either help this situation work within police purview, or we will be forced to consider you part of the problem. A 911 call was made about this situation. This is not going to be a situation in which we turn our backs and let everyone slink away. If she's done no harm, she has nothing to fear from a trip down to the station to answer some questions."
Riley for his part is stretching out within the warm police cruiser, already fiddling with his phone since he hasn't been put under arrest. Sending out a couple of text messages as he waits for the cops to finish up out in the cold. He eyes his car through the window of the cruiser and says, "I knew I should have got the Beamer with the cellphone remote like Pierce Bronsnon." Speaking to himself in Gaelic.
The lion doesn't need to be told to shift back to her human form. Perhaps she was out long enough to trigger the shift back but it starts to happen and there's very little resistance from the woman that ends up laying where the lion had been, sucking in a breath and rolling into a ball as best that she can despite the healing injury to her side.
A small nod to Eleanor, it's followed by a narrowed flick of her hazel eyes towards Aaron. As if on que, one of the police offers approaches her politely and the woman walks off a few dozen paces, making a bland statement. Hungry lion, the heroic vampire and a helpful werewolf, both attempting to save the squishy humans. Chaos ensued, so on and so forth. Her name, her phone number, address and other needed information is given easily and Cherish turns to leave. As she goes, she walks by the car Riley is in. Putting thumb to nose, fingers stretched out, she gives him the classic 'neener' face with tongue stuck out, wiggling, before she lowers her hand, flashes a smile and moves off in the direction of home.
Riley can't help but laugh, quite abit at the face Cherish makes towards him through the window and offers a departing wave towards her. Then shrugging to himself he starts to play snake on his phone to give him something to do to pass the time.
"It's okay, Ginny." Says Mourning quietly to the woman that ends up laying there. She scoots backward so she doesn't end up covered in shifter-goo (ew). And then shrugs out of her jacket and wraps it around Virginie. She then moves to scoop her up into her arms.
Eleanor lowers the point of her gun towards the snow when the lioness shifts back into human form. She grabs the arm of the closest uniformed officer. "Call ahead that they're going to need some clothes for her and a lot of meat for her to eat." She sends him off and addresses the vampire again. "Put the woman down. We can take it from here. I assure you, she will not be harmed. She needs to be contained until we can get her fed, and make sure this will not be repeated, and we will need to talk to her about what happened here tonight and make sure she has proper resources to prevent it from happening again."
Aaron lowers his weapon but doesn't shoulder it, as six more cars pull up. Two officers moving to assist the three that were already here, and the other four coming to help detain the lion shifter and vampire, due to both being involved in the fight. Aaron approaches to the pair on the ground, with a few Ex-RPIT officers, two vampires officer approaching to assist with Mourning and the lioness. They request both to follow them to a cruiser, the other two RPIT trained officers assisting the two vampires.
Riley catches the talk about food and gives a rather pissed off look. Hey what about him? Just makes another thing for him to tell his lawyer about as he grumbles, arms crossed over his chest abit as he mentally writes himself a note to bill Marius.
Mourning will start to put Virginie's feet down onto the ground, slowly. Her green eyes narrow in the darkness toward Eleanor and she says, "You mean you want to find out if you need to put her in one of those /safe/houses." The way she says 'safe' has acid in it. A shake of her head is given and she says, "I'm afraid, I'm going with her. She's my girlfriend, you see." A glaze flickers toward the two vampire cops, eyeing them /intently/.
Oh, look, there's Nuri. It's like she never even left that spot she was in. Perhaps she didn't. Her arms cross beneath her chest as she watches, lips pursed. To Mourning she offers, "Is there a lawyer you'd like me to call on your behalf?"
Mourning glances toward Nuri and says, "Yes. He is the lawyer for Chayim Animation." A pause, "And tell my father, just in case I don't make it home for dinner."
Virginie doesn't resist being picked up by the vampire but she's lucid enough to know that Mourning is being told to put her down. She might cling a little bit in protest to that demand but she doesn't try to climb back up the vampire when her feet touch the cold ground, at least. The woman looks a little dazed when she actually looks around. "I want to stay with her," she says, a hand still grasping some part of the blonde vampire.
Nuri inclines her head to Mourning in a slight nod. She pulls a slim phone out of her pocket and starts dialing a number. Moving off to the side as she speaks quietly into it.
"I'm not an advocate of safe houses. I am a preternatural rights advocate, much to the chagrin of more people than I care to think about. However, I am first and foremost an advocate of pubic safety. And whether you like it or not, your girlfriend is not carrying the flu. She is carrying a disease that, if she passed it on to anyone else, regardless of her mental state and circumstances at the time, she could be executed for. That does no one any good. And it appears neither you, nor your girlfriend, were equipped to prevent it tonight, now were you?" Eleanor replies in a deadpan tone in response to the acid in the vampire's. "So please come down off your cross before the persecution complex starts to chafe." She looks to Aaron and her illness starts to show around the edges now that the adrenaline is ebbing. "Sergeant, I'm officially turning the scene over to you. I'll head to the station to file my report." She is beginning to look like death microwaved at this point.
Aaron shook his head, "Thought as much." He stands and looks at Nuri with a deep frown before looking at the rest. "You have a Constitutional right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to legal counsel. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you by the court. If you choose, you may have a lawyer present during questioning. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?" The man says looking at Mourning and Virginie. He never makes eye contact with Mourning, the Vampires do not seem phased by Mourning’s stare.
Riley is just sitting quietly in his care fiddling with his phone. Pressing the call button he hums.
Nuri does not seem intimidated by Aaron's frown, returning it with one of her own. She speaks into the phone in a hushed voice, and anyone listening in will only get information they already knew: she's requesting a lawyer for Mourning's benefit to be sent to the CPD.
Into his phone, Riley says, "Hi ya, this is riley Kilpatrick. Preter. Wolf. I had an incident down at the Park and am going to need my attorney if you could show up before they they take me away. I'm willing to pay you triple your hourly rate for the enxt five hours."
Into his phone, Riley says, "Lincoln Park. And other than asking for my clothes I immediately evoked council, hence the call."
Into his phone, Riley says, "Obliged. -click-"
Riley casually presses the end button upon his cellphone and then leans back into the cruiser. A light hum escaping his throat.
Mourning pets Virginie's hair quietly for a moment, before stepping away from her. She smiles toward Eleanor and says, "Of course, Officer." She looks toward Aaron- not even attempting to catch his eyes -she states, "I have legal council, and since I am being arrested. I shall be invoking my right to silence until I have a lawyer present." With that she promptly shuts her mouth, and holds her hands out for handcuffs.
Aaron looks at the group and sighs a bit before putting the cuffs on both Mourning and Virginie if she doesn't resist and the moves to the patrol car and looks at the man, "Step out please." he requests and then says to Riley. "You are under arrest. You have a Constitutional right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to legal counsel. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you by the court. If you choose, you may have a lawyer present during questioning. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?" Two RPIT trained officers stand beside Aaron.
Virginie is staring at the ground in silence at this point. Her feet are cold and she doesn't really look like she cares what's happening anymore so she lets herself be cuffed and stumbles toward the patrol car where she promptly passes out as soon as she's not standing on her feet anymore.
Riley feigns not understanding the officer as he starts to speak in fluent gaelic, a Dublin accent and everything. Which would go a long way to explain his previously stating only two words. Gesturing down towards his privates and his tattered clothes he holds over them as a way to explain why he can't lift his hands up, though they are offered outward.
Nuri finishes her phonecall and flips said phone closed. She slides it back into her pocket and watches Mourning and Virginie as they are led away.
Isabel is fairly quick to show up on the scene. Noticing the caution tape and the police cars she quickly makes her way in that direction carrying with her a small brief case. She speaks up in a firm voice, "I am looking for Riley Kilpatrick." She glances around a bit, trying to notice which one he is. "I am his lawyer."
Immediately pointing towards Isabel as she speaks his name Riley nods his head rapidly up and down.
Eleanor calls her father to come pick up her SUV, and gets into the car that Virginie is in; to make sure nothing happens to her on the trip to the station and throughout processing. She was serious about being an advocate for preternaturals. She puts her coat over the woman to ensure she doesn't freeze and has some chance at preserving her dignity until she can get some clothing to her.
Mourning gets into the cop car, and remains silent. Allow herself to be taken peacefully down to the station.
Aaron puts the cuffs on Riley and puts him back into the car, attempts anyway, before Aaron turns to Isabel letting the two RPIT Trained officers handle Riley. "You can talk with him at the station, After he is booked on charges." Is all Aaron says to the woman before turning to Riley, "Sir, please get in the car."
Isabel glances over towards riley before looking back to Aaron, nodding her head slightly. "And what are the charges being brought against him?"
Frowning as he says he is going to be booked he looks towards his attorney, as though not understanding. Smiling brightly as she asks the question for him. She's worth every penny.
Aaron looks at Isabel and then to the Shifter, "Please get in the car." He then looks to the Lawyer. "You will be informed of all charges once your client is booked. Now please back up and let us do our job."
