| Rockefeller Lightning |
| Summary: | At the tree lightning ceremony, Jack Flag makes a full of himself, Stargirl and Tigra are witnesses, as is most of NYC and the world |
| Date: | (2014-12-03) |
| Related: | NA |
| NPCs: | NA |
| Scene Runner: | Mutual |
| Social/Plot: | Social |
| Players: |
 .. .. .. |
Its Holiday time, Rockfeller Center, tree lightning, ice skating. Lots of reasons to be here, and yet for Jack, just to hang out with Courtney is good enough reason. One of those rare moments she's not off clubbing, or heroing which is something more of an addiction for her than him it would seem. Not that he so much needs it, but he does have on a big parka and some gloves, looking festive against the cold.
Not long before the show, they're gathering to get a view it would seem. Maybe not quite in the thick of things, so they can half-commitedly watch, would be Jack's choice at least. "I've never done this," he admits, probably about Rockfeller Center and the lighting, but corrects, "Like even at home, down town, lightening ceremonies and holiday stuff, not like this. Its actually awesome."
Courtney is a big cheater-face when it comes to ice skating. With her CCB she is probably the equal of any well skilled ice skater, only without the fancier moves, no triple lutzing for her, just the simple stuff, no use showing off. She is taking a break from the skating though, ice skates tied togeter and hanging over her shoulder as she stands by Jack dressed in a cute winter appropiate outfit "I haven't here. Back home I went every year. The squad did a little holiday routine to Jingle Bell Rock or some other upbeat holiday tune.
Back in New York City for one reason or another, Tigra's path led her to Rockefeller Center. It might be she didn't even know what was going on here, but the crowd made her naturally curious. Making her way through a couple alleys to sneak closer without attracting too much attention, the tiger-striped woman peers toward the tree and her tail twitches after a moment. "Ooo." She's a block or two away at this point, mostly to herself.
"The squad," grins Jack, looking at Courtney and nodding, as if pondering her doing some Jingle Bell Rock routine, his smile saying how much he embellishes (or gets close to the mark depending on the squad itself). "If I go back to your folks for more holiday dinner, I might ask if they have video evidence of this." Then he realizes he never did ask for embarassing photos and stuch, not more than what parents might of shared with the Guardians as the holidied with Courtney's family. "I'll share my holiday elf suit from the 6th Grade musical … we have video of it, I did a solo, it might be painful to listen to but the getup might be good for a laugh."
"Yeah, the whole cheerleader thing." Courtney clarifies, it's no big secret, he's sure to have seen the pictures that adorn her parent's place. She claps and gives a whistle as a group of young carolers take the stage to open the live entertainment portion of the festivites "Knobby knees an all?" she glances at the knees in question, not that they can actually be seen under his pants. As she stands there she divides her attention between Jack, the performances and the crowd. This is New York and in a crowd anything can happen.
Some in the crowd are used to people that look different. Others, not so much. A young boy with his parents takes notice of Tigra and actually /tugs/ on her tail, enough that she spins to face the offender with a look of fury on her face before realizing it's someone who probably doesn't know better. Still in fume mode, she bites her tongue and disappears quickly down another alley before the boy can even get the attention of his parents long enough to point toward her and eagerly tell them, "BIG KITTYCAT!" With a sniff of annoyance, she ends up a bit closer soon enough, this time on the same side as Courtney and Jack. With her easier to spot, a few murmurs rise from her direction as onlookers find their attention now split.
Jack, like as not, doesn't think to watch the crowd so much or surroundings. Its Courtney and the carolers taking the stage. More to the carolers as Courtney points them out with her claps and whistles. Jack does clap hands, but its the gloved hand clap of loud paddedness more than real nose of approval. "Heck ya, in the 6th Grade, I think I had a high voice … it was so embarassing. And the girl I liked was playing Mary," naturally. "I swear, I looked more like an angel with some robe thing my mom made with tinsil on it, than an elf. I wanted red shirt and green pants … but no …" Or so he rambles. The murmurs cut some of the din of regular chat and enjoyment of the caroloers, he doesn turn partially to see what could be going on, thinking it part of the festivities at the mometn.
"I would have paid to see that." Courtney laughs at Jack's telling of childhood memories "And she had a big crush on someone else?" that's usually how it goes at that age. The murmurs and whispering that start to go through the crowd has her scanning the faces of those nearby, searching for the trouble that seems to go along with such things, "Could be trouble?" she idly comments starting to inch her way through the crowd in that direction.
What those looking Tigra's way might see is a hint of an orange-tinted face, and as a few people move back and forth between, more orange with black stripes starting around the shoulders. What becomes clear is she's blatantly ignoring the ice skating, the singing, and just about everything but the tree. She's simply staring at it, mouth working back and forth slightly.
"Ya," pouts Jack about that childhood crush having a crush on someone else, "Billy Zander, that jerkface! Ugh, she showed him mistletoe and what to do with it." Steamy, Jack says it such that if he ever turned crazy and went after childhood bullies or enemies, Billy Zander is probably a name to write down just in case. But he turns with Courtney, "Let's hope not, I don't need to face plant again." Referring to the last trouble they found at a public event of sorts. Eventually he'll probably get close enough to see the face, and maybe the shoulders of the starring cat-girl. "Ya, totally trouble." Said softly, as if thinking its less trouble and more just public reaction to a meta with distinguishing features. He starts looking more at the crowd though, hoping the trouble isn't in what some might think of her.
After a few months of hanging with the Guardians Courtney has kind of gotten used to strange looking people. She's spent time in space and bars on alien planets, but she isn't quite used to seeing them on her home planet, not like this "Is it just me or does that person look like kinda like a tiger?" she follows the tiger-person's gaze to the tree and then back "I think the tree is in more danger than the people here." she is young and a youtube afficiando, cat videos are all over the internet, she's seen them.
Enhanced senses are both a blessing and a curse. For starters, Tigra can smell a whole lot more here than others, and that's not such a great thing. She can also hear things others may not be aware of, and just the word 'tiger' is enough to cause her to glance in the direction of Courtney and Jack, her eyes showing a somewhat distant look to them as her head angles slightly toward one side. Lips curl into a thin smile, tail twitching enough that its tip becomes visible for a moment or two.
Hearing what Courtney says, Jack chuckles a little, as if that would be more amusing if she did go after the tree. He's seen the videos, too, might of swapped links with Courtney even, if she accepted his shares like that in the past. Turning back, he doesn't quite see the look from Tigra so much as he notices her tail. Used to aliens, certainly, but still cool at present. "Ya, a tiger … do tigers climb trees?" Apparently Jack is not familiar with tigers and the jungle, the zoo doesn't do a good job of portraying that aspect it would seem. "It won't tip over though, that thing could easily support her, and a few of us as well." Probably more so with better anchors being where it is and for safety.
A shrug lifts Courtney's shoulders at the question from Jack "You're asking the wrong person." she's no tiger expert "I do think they are one of the only cats that like water though." random tiger fact the knows "True enough, but you get this many people in one place and everyone's IQ drops to the double digits." suggesting crowds are stupid. The smiled offered is given a tentative return one "Merry Christmas." she greets, since that's the seasonal thing to do at the moment.
Tigra moves a hand to nibble at a clawtip, a more fidgety look to her. Even though she's not /too/ close to the others yet, the greeting and well-wishing from Courtney soon brings her near as she splits time between them and the large centerpiece to the gathering. "Hi! That tree is really something, don't you think?" The expression she wears is not quite..normal. She's grinning, an almost hyperactive state building.
Jack would be in that group of dropped IQ and wondering what it might be like to climb up it. Just curious, not curious enough to run out and do it, especially not while this event is going on. Almost curious now to go to No.Cal. for sequoias and climbing as a training excercie. As Courtney greats and the woman returns, he nods, "Hello, ya, its amazing, I'm surprised they still find trees that big, or cut them down at least." Not sure where logging practices stand and what is off limits. Its an impressive tree. "Imagine if they built a house in it, like a christmas tree house …" He just lets his mind wander, his mouth rambling as it does so.
"It'll be even more of a something when they finally light it up." Courtney says glancing toward the stage as the children's choir files off and the next performer comes on "Jack your inner child is showing." she teases the man, though in truth he doesn't have one, it's all outer child for him.
"Why can't they do that part now? I want to see it." Tigra's not complaining, but can you just imagine a cat /needing/ something right that second, and how they look and act? That's her, more or less, minus the mewling demands. She paces, which is not the easiest thing to do in a crowd, but others have given her some space for one reason or another. Perhaps to gawk, or maybe because they find her something they'd rather not be too close to.
Jack, much like Guardian, isn't in the group gawking or giving some space. He chuckles a little at Courtney, nodding, "But it would still be cool. Like Barin's dive," up on Mongo, "But christmas-y." Then more torward Tigra who can't wait for the lights it seems, "Its the anticipation, like you have to wait until christmas to open your presents, or the 8 days of Hannakuh, or whatever you like to celebrate. Its pondering what it will be and still being surprised at what it is, even if its what you thought it would be. Is it all white, do they have those radiant orb things this year, all LED … what's it gonna be?"
Courtney shakes her head at Jack, "You were deprived a tree house when you were little weren't you?" the only thing she can think of is the bugs that would be all in the tree house. "They will probably do that last, to keep the crowd here to watch all the performances." she gestures to Jack, "And everything he said." she watches Tigra pace back and forth "Did you want to get closer?"
Tigra frowns. "I hate waiting. There's no reason to have to wait." Petulant? Not exactly. Just impatient. Very, very impatient, evidenced by the lashing of her tail as it darts back and forth, to and fro. Some of what Jack and Courtney discuss is lost on her, but she's still got a very singular focus right now. Not the best way to make a good first impression on strangers, either. An emphatic nod follows Courtney's question to her. "Yes!"
"Save to last, that ruins the glamor of christmas spirit and waiting," grins Jack, she did agree with him as a second to the actual waiting to make sure the entire performance someone paid for is at least witnessed by the crowd. More on Tigra though as she can't wait but seems more excited as Courtney mentions going closer. Then for Courtney, "How close do we want to get?" Though he offers hands, to either if they want to follow. He's not too ashamed to part crowds with his added benefits of strength to help nudge any unparting person. Of course, children will be avoided by the man if they do move and press forward. Its dependent on Courtney agreeing to go ahead and move up.
Courtney grins at the ready agreement of the catwoman "I guess we are getting closer than." an easy feat for the three of them certainly, Jack isn't the only one that can part a crowd, but she will let him do so anyway. She takes the offered hand so that they don't get seperated in the crowd as he begins to move forward. There are some jeers at this, but nothing beyond that, they aren't the only ones moving through the crowd, others are trying to get closer too, while there are some that try to get further away as well.
Tigra may or may not be one for taking hands, but she does make her way forward with them. Nimble and quick, it looks to be a simple task for her to weave her way through the crowd, at least those that don't move when they see her. Naturally, cellphones turn toward her as well. She does stand out, not just because of her appearance but because she's also wearing much less than others in the cold weather. However, her pace begins to take her away from Jack and Courtney. "I'm going to see the tree!" she tells them, pointing.
All the happy to move, Jack is grinning too, more like seeing a kid in a candy store, and being child-like, its almost motivating to that outer-child that he is. Then realizing a moment too late there new friend, Tigra, has bounded past them and is beelining for the tree, he pauses to look at Courtney, "Er, I think this is turning to 'getting too close ….'" Eyes wide a little, he looks to see Tigra going. Oddly, with crowds and gawking and her beelining, he'd have more to push through to get up or try to stop her and he's not about to injure anyone simply to stop one Tigra from checking out that tree, but he lets go of Courtney enough to try and keep pushing forward without injuring anyone now.
There is amused startlement from Courtney as Tigra suddenly decides that she doesn't want to wait to see the tree up close and begins to run through the crowd, "What the…" she looks from the departing Tigra to Jack "This could either go very good or very bad." she is just short of facepalming as she quickly begins to move through the crowd after Tigra. While it may not have been noticed before when she was moving casually, her own agility in moving through this kind of environment becomes quite clear. "Hey, wait up!"
The lack of patience wins out. Through no fault of the other two, Tigra's pace results in her disappearing further into the crowd and it's tougher to pinpoint exactly where she's gotten off to. That shouldn't be too hard to guess, however, given what she was in such a hurry to get to. The only question now is how long it is until something else happens.
Not sure what to do at that point, not as agile, but certainly strong enough to easily muscle through a crowd, Jack has lost sight of Tigra. An idea strikes him, "Courtney, throw me at the tree." Sure, he could throw her at the tree to intercept Tigra, but Courtney can do cool stuff like fly. As certain as he is if he threw her she could catch the tree, that flying thing gives her an advantage. Leaving him lost in the crowd. Then again, that whole throwing thing, depends how much further the more lithe Courtney has got in her crowd pushing, and pausing to say it to her means he lags further behind the quick Tigra just the same.
The perky blonde, because, that is what Courtney is, looks back over her shoulder and then at the tree "Roger that." she is back at Jack's side quickly, she moves fast in short bursts when she wants to, not like Flash fast or cheetah fast, but fast enough. She takes a knee before she even stops moving and offers her laced fingers for Jack to put a foot into, once that is done she hurls him upward and aiming him for the large spruce Christmas tree.
It happens that the first one to the tree is not Tigra, but rather Jack. Where she is, for she's managed to reach one side of the staging area, she gets a good look at him in midair and it leaves her to stop and stare, blinking only a couple times. "What's he doing?" she utters under her breath, as if she can't believe it.
Jack, of course, having no clue where Tigra is, manges to catch some of the tree, unsetting some of the decoration. Not that it crashes down, but its all askew and not as pretty as indtended. So, instead of looking down where she is, he scampers into the tree to start going up branches instead. "Okay, okay, we can't be in the tree, ma'am, we should all just climb back down."
There is a collective gasp from the crowd that is watching as Jack flies above them and graps hold of the tree, thankfully it has a lot of give, not breaking as it bends and snaps back under Jack's momentum. The Rockettes, performing on stage in thier little costumes and kicking there heels up in thier signature kick line, squeal and shriek as the tree seems to be attacked by the man and run off stage in all directions. The emcee of course takes it in stride and starts to do a play-by-play for those watching live at home. Yes this is being televised and all cameras have focused in on the flying and now tree climbing Jack.
Courtney meanwhile, facepalms and shakes her head in disbeleif.
As this happens, something else does. Tigra simply melts into the crowd and disappears. In actuality, Jack's flight of fancy helps to snap her out of whatever had her so eager to scale the tree, and as the dancers, crowd, and emcee react to it, she reconsiders this particular quest. Or, maybe she just spotted a fat rat and decided it was dinner time. One way or another, no tigress in a tree this time.
Jack of course, merely climbs up the tree, calling for the nice lady to come down and to keep the tree safe for the children. Forget that he's the one doing the most harm to it now. Maybe by the time he pokes his head out near the top, realizing she isn't up there, is when they turn a spotlight towards him. He has to shield his eyes of course, realizing himself, sheepishly, that he did what he was trying to prevent from happening. "Nothing to see here …" Hopefully no one has found a bullhorn to tell him to get down.
Of course they have, there are security guards, police and other emergency personnal all over the place to make sure the crowd stays safe and to deal with any problems that come up. This one though was unexpected "Sir, climb down from the tree." one of the police men says through the bullhorn from the stage. From the audience there are flashes of cameras and cellphones as pics and videos are taken.
It is the day of reckoning, Jack Harris hasn't really shown himself since a few years back when he escaped federal prison thanks to Kobra busting him out and was a wanted felon. Funny, Courtney has probably told him more than once to turn himself in, get it worked out legally. Now, this is going to make his case worse in the long run. "I'm coming down, sorry … I thought someone was up here …" That doesn't help him from a pyschological stand point either, good luck explaining that one. He works his way down, trying to avoid spotlights.
As the police surround the tree and wait for Jack to climb down Courtney shuffles from foot to foot trying to figure out a way to get Jack out of this one. Distraction…that's what is needed. "Stall." she says through the team comm to Jack, hoping he has it on him "Say you are caught on a branch or something." she offers as she pushes her way through the crowd and ducks into an alley.
There is a pause, Jack in the tree climbing down, the rustling of branches and the tinkling of large ornaments and such could be heard until she says to stall. There is a 15 second pause, awkward, before he dead calls, "I'm suck … in a branch or something …" Then realizing that doesn't sound quite right, "The wrigging, on the branch, holding the ornaments up, my shoe … foot, is caught. Just have to wiggle free!" Its working, Jack thinks, 10 second pause, then he remebers to rustle a branch to show he's wiggling free. In the team comm, he calls, "Its working …"
After a few moments there is the sound of a small explosion down and around the block, and an alarm starts blaring. There is squawking from the policemen's radios about a bank being robbed, which takes priorty over some crazy guy in a tree. There is a bit of a indecive shuffling of police before they all break from around the tree and rush to get to vehicles so they can deal with the felonious bank robber and not have to deal with Misdemenor Jack.
A small victory, Jack smiles as the radio's buzz after the explosion. Figuring out as much of what it is as, well, it is. "All clear now, hopefully cameras unsure if they should go to the development in progress, or stay on the tree. Jack takes a moment to gauge where he is on the branch. Then figures the nearest building. He'll use his super speed leap to try and get from the tree to the building without hitting the ground, and get his hands into it. Too many people to jump out of their way, but its faster than going down the tree and hopefully less cameras. He'll use it to climb to safety and drop off a building someplace else if he can. As he readies his leap, he uses the comsys, "Brilliant."