The Maryland Zoo, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Tuesday evening

[betterthanaplan]

It'd been a nice day in Baltimore, sunny and cool without quite being cold, so there were a few more people still wandering around the park and the zoo than Duke had anticipated when they got there. Still, while there were some people, it still wasn't a lot of people. Slightly more than Fandom numbers, much less than usual downtown Baltimore numbers.

"So, what should we check out first?" Duke asked. "Polar bears? Alligators? Oh hey, porcupines!"

[it's Tuesday where okteiviakom is, and I'm impatient. For the one expected, and probably some slowplay!]

[Somewhat belated content note: the Park thread gets pretty dark, and involves references to: alcohol and drug abuse, prostitution, child endangerment, and domestic violence.]

Comments

The Zoo

[betterthanaplan]

It's a small zoo, but that's not going to stop it from having big dreams! . . . Or something!

Anyway. Got to get the fluffy animals in here. And the scaly and feathery ones, too.

Re: The Zoo

[okteiviakom]

It wasn't an unbearable number of people, he was right about that. So Octavia was only walking a little closer to him than she might've back on the island.

She didn't realize she was doing it, either. Despite how she clearly considered her combo of leather jacket and beanie some kind of mainland armor, since it was making its second appearance after the aquarium trip.

"Is there like a map or something?" she wondered, looking around. "With what's where?"

Re: The Zoo

[betterthanaplan]

"I can pretty much guarantee it," Duke said, looking around. He'd noticed she was walking closer, and was not about to mention it. He did let his hand brush hers on occasion, making sure she knew it was right there if she wanted to take it, though.

He spotted a little information kiosk and led the way over. It had a map showing the various exhibits, as well as some pamphlets they could take with them. "Here we go."

Re: The Zoo

[okteiviakom]

And Octavia was grateful for every brush. She might not have realized how it was manifesting itself outwardly, but she was definitely aware of the slightly jittery feeling she was having. The touches helped ground her.

So did looking at the map, though, apparently. Or at least she looked very focused as she looked it over, like she didn't want to skip over anything.

After a moment, her hand came up to point at a particular spot. "Oh, look."

She was pointing at the bit that said OTTERS. Because, of course.

Re: The Zoo

[betterthanaplan]

Duke looked down and nodded with a grin. "Hoping to see them holding hands, huh?"

Re: The Zoo

[okteiviakom]

Octavia made a slight face like a person caught being a little ridiculous.

"No."

A beat.

"Okay, maybe." It was only the first thing she associated otters with, after all. "Mostly I just want to see them, though."

Re: The Zoo

[betterthanaplan]

"Hey, I'm definitely hoping to see that," Duke said. "And I've seen the suckers before. They're also very fun to watch run and slide and float around."

Otters were on Duke's mental list of things he wouldn't mind being reincarnated as in his next life.

Re: The Zoo

[okteiviakom]

That was not surprising in the slightest.

"So we're definitely visiting the otters," Octavia concluded, her gaze returning to the map. "And bobcats." Of course. "So we should probably start over there."

Re: The Zoo

[betterthanaplan]

"With the bats and the giant tree slide, too," Duke said approvingly. "Sounds good to me." He picked up one of the pamphlets for reference later. "We might have to fight off some tiny people for the slide, though."

Re: The Zoo

[okteiviakom]

"Have you ever seen me not end up victorious in fighting off anything?" Octavia asked, managing a tiny smirk to go with her joke. "We'll be fine."

Re: The Zoo

[betterthanaplan]

"True. I am going to need to institute a 'no stabbing' rule while we're here, though. Light bludgeoning at most."

Re: The Zoo

[okteiviakom]

Octavia huffed. "You're no fun." No, he was all the fun. "Bt, fine. Let's go already."

She did actually reach for his hand, this time. And she hoped it seemed like just a casual thing - like other people she'd already spotted holding hands, who probably weren't doing it because one of them needed reassurance (except for some of the kids) - but it really wasn't.

The Park

[betterthanaplan]

Druid Hill Park ranked up there with Central Park as one of the oldest landscaped urban parks in the country. Which meant it had lots of history -- but also that it got kiiiinda sketchy after dark.

Not that Duke bothered to worry about that much. After all, he'd grown up sketchy himself.

Re: The Park

[okteiviakom]

Octavia hadn't grown up sketchy, but she was still strangely at home in environments that made her feel like she should stay extra alert. It wasn't a conscious thing, but it was there in her posture, in the way she carried herself. Gone was the jittery excitement of the zoo, now that they were making their way homew-- islandwards, again.

"Doesn't feel like Fandom, huh?" she rasped in a low voice. "Doesn't to me, anyway."

Sometimes, it was hard to tell what was a universal experience and what came directly from her particular background.

Re: The Park

[betterthanaplan]

"No, this definitely isn't a Fandom kind of park," Duke agreed. "Fandom tries, but it's really not a city." He glanced over at her. "You doing alright?"

Re: The Park

[okteiviakom]

"I'm fine."

It wasn't even his type of 'fine', although she heard the potential for that as soon as it was out of her mouth.

She shrugged. "Not as many people."

Re: The Park

[betterthanaplan]

"Nope," Duke agreed. He shot her a quick glance at that "fine" -- he couldn't possibly be the only person who did that -- but she seemed actually fine, so he didn't say anything about it. "By this time of night, all the soccer moms and office dads and . . . well, 'normal people' will be inside in their nice, warm houses. Leaves more room for us interesting folks."

Re: The Park

[okteiviakom]

Octavia snorted. "Like smugglers and 22nd century warriors," she drawled, though it felt odd to refer to herself as that here, for some reason. "Makes sense."

Re: The Park

[betterthanaplan]

"Exactly," Duke said, looking down at her with a grin. Which meant he didn't notice the woman immediately.

She was thin, just this side of unhealthy, with pale skin and lank, salt-and-pepper hair. She'd been beautiful once, and it still lingered in her dark eyes and strong features, enough to turn heads if you didn't look too closely. If you didn't notice or mind she'd gone a few days without washing, that her teeth were cracked and stained. That she wore her sensuality like a mask over her desperation.

The grin melted right off Duke's face when he saw her, shock and a deep pain flashing across it before it locked down. Then he bared his teeth in something that could be mistaken for a smile, so long as you didn't look to closely.

"Hey man," the woman said, voice dry and thin as paper. "You holding?"

Re: The Park

[okteiviakom]

Octavia always looked closely. When it was him, she always looked closely. She'd seen his expression change and she couldn't figure out why, because while there was something unsettling about the woman, nothing Octavia could immediately spot explained this shift in him.

Her gaze flicked back and forth between Duke and the stranger.

"Chit's gon daun?" she asked under her breath, not really expecting an answer, not really expecting him to even get the question - what's going on? - except from the context. All it really was was instinct: establishing that she was here and they were a team.

She'd seen pain and she couldn't figure out why.

(Her hand was already under her jacket, over the familiar bump of a sheathed knife. She wasn't expecting to need it, but going for it was another instinct she didn't bother to fight.)

Re: The Park

[betterthanaplan]

“I —“ It took Duke several seconds to wrap his head around the woman’s question, his mind too busy chanting oh fuck what the fuck she’s here how is she here?

The woman leaned in, giving Octavia no more than a brief glance. “Look,” she said. “You’ve got to hook me up. I don’t have any cash on me right now, but, uh.” She gave Duke a clear up-and-down look and licked her lips. “I’d be happy to pay you another way. . . .” Another quick glance in Octavia’s direction. “Your girl’s be welcome, too.”

Re: The Park

[okteiviakom]

Okay.

Octavia still didn't know what was up with Duke right now, but -- following a quick glance up at him, instinct had her stepping up, angling her body between him and whoever this woman was.

Something about her eyes was jangling at a connection at the back of Octavia's brain, but she wasn't paying that any attention.

Her tone was flat but definite. "We don't have anything for you."

Re: The Park

[betterthanaplan]

Duke would appreciate that show of protectiveness some day. He wasn't really in the shape to even notice it right now, though.

He had, in fact, burst into hysterical, horrified laughter at the woman's proposition.

She didn't recognize him. She didn't even recognize him. Holy fuck. This was -- this was just -- basically perfect, honestly. Exactly how his life worked.

His own mother had just propositioned him in exchange for drugs.

Duke's mom backed off, giving them both a scathing look. "Fine," she said. "Don't think I want what he's on anyway."

Re: The Park

[okteiviakom]

Yeah, you know what made Octavia even less okay with this situation? That laugh, which was likely to be ringing in her ears for much longer than she would like it to.

She was going to keep her eyes on the woman until she backed way the hell off, though. But didn't say anything further.

OOC

[betterthanaplan]

Because world ending is my LEAST favorite thing to do.