Description: Arika's working things out emotionally. Aranha's just working out. Eventually Aranha manages to work out the potential for a future fight.
Mid-afternoon and heated rays from the sun shine down; casting a bright glinting reflection off the Southtown River. Too bad what lurks beneath is far less beautiful than what the golden reflection offers. But the river is far below the concrete barriers, and beyond looking at the serene beauty, the punk rock princess has no desire to get any closer.
Up above on her perch, she allows her feet to dangle over the edge of the barrier. In a somewhat lighter mood than last evening, she looks down at a small notebook that lays open in her lap. For all appearances, she's quite lost in thought at the moment. Just looking for a place where she can find a small bit of quiet solitude to relax in since her last two forays into the world of tranquility were interrupted.
Once again her foray into the world of tranquility is about to be interrupted. Aranha, the dancing spider had chosen this spot for one of his practice sessions since as far as he was concerned it a new obstacle for him to conquer. There are the tall walls and the scattered banks and the various docks for him to travel over under and through. And with his agility, it should be no trouble for him to do so without getting wet.
Aranha at this time is running along the top of the barrier seperating the rest of Southtown from the river when he happens across Arika. After he comes to a dead stop he says, "Hey there. Didn't think someone else would be around." He doesn't add anything else to it in case the woman tells him to take a hike. But there seems to be a bit of a look of recognition on his face and considering that he did meet up with Drake yesterday, it's no surprise that he's able to put two and two together.
Something about places like Southtown. They're not like London, where one can be lost in a sea of faces. Disappearing into the day or night seems less than feasible here. Violently yanked out of her reveries by the sound of someone running along her chosen seat, the diva quickly slams the notebook closed and slips it into a bag not to far from where she sits.
"Neither did I," Arika states in a quite calm manner. At least this one isn't wandering around in the dark toting a three-yard oar. "Guess it's a busy place." Shoulders lift up in a small shrug as she glances around. Checking to ensure there isn't a group of people wandering around out here.
As the book is slammed shut, the traceur capoeirista cringes slightly. He's pretty sure that she isn't in the mood to talk but it doesn't stop him from putting out a conversational feeler anyway, "Sorry to disturb you. I'm..." He pauses for a moment thinking it would be a better idea to figure out which way to approach the situation. "Haven't I seen you somewhere?" Of course he has. He was on the roof top when Drake and Arika was fighting Balrog and seen her in pictures as well as Youtubed fights but asking that question will allow him to pick up on a few cues to continue the conversation.
So far as social mores go, he seems to have them down pat. Conversational feeler or highly overused pickup line aside, Arika shifts her eyes over to him. "Last I checked I didn't own this barrier." Even if she considered him a disturbance, that would stand true. With him standing up above her though, it gives her an unsettling feeling. Ground is too far away and since she's never met him, it's best she take precaution.
A graceful movement sees her pushing herself up to her feet and then folding her arms in front of her chest. "Might've." Deep blue eyes shift sideways to glance at him. The pause that follows that simple statement is long enough for one to think that's about all she's going to bother saying. Turning to face the polluted river, she lifts her shoulders in a tiny shrug. "Been 'round 'ere a while." No mention at all of the band or her fighting career. That's all easy enough information to find, so he's either asking to make sure it's her or for some other nefarious purpose.
It's actually not quite either scenario. He was fairly certain that it is her so he wasn't asking for that reason and Aranha doesn't do nefarious unless absolutely necessary after all, why call attention to yourself? In the end, it just makes your life harder.
It was asked to give him an idea of how he should introduce himself, whether by his real name or going by pseudonym. After his decision is made he extends his right hand forward while his left hand moves upward to guard his face as he says, "I go by Aranha. Nice to meet ya."
Pseudonyms all around then.
Arika sets her eyes upon the extended hand, and then the one set on guard. Come on! Does she look like the type to just randomly slug some guy for saying hello? While she won't deny it's happened in the past, it was entirely different circumstances. Reaching out with her left hand, she takes his and gives it a firm but gentle shake. "Arika. Arika Fade."
As her hand is pulled back, she crosses her arms again and nods at him. "Used to bein' 'it I see." Only reason for the guard. Easy to assume it's because of an abusive background or something less serious. He's a fighter.
While the assumption is well founded and he has the scars and the broken nose that never quite healed correctly to back up that educated guess as well as the fact that he did indeed come from an abusive background there's another perfectly good reason for that.
He smiles as his hands go back to his side. "It's sort of a habit I picked up from Capoeira. Some people like to use trickery when they play and it became one of my... quirks when I shake hands with people. Though a lot of capoeiristas don't do that when in an everyday situation but I just find that it gives me comfort." Well the assumption wouldn't be entirely off the mark. He is indeed a fighter.
No one can every say that she's not observant in any case. Arika nods briefly at the confirmation of her assumption. "Ain't a bad 'abit to 'ave. Lot's'a people wouldn't mind slammin' a fist in a face if they 'ad the chance." Certainly no one -she- knows is like that, but she's fairly certain some are. Cheap and dirty types to say the very least.
"Capoeira, hmm? Partnered with a young Capoeirista once. Spunky wee poppet she was."
The mention of a Capoeirista does get his attention. There isn't much mention of other fighters in the Neo League or Saturday Night Fights who use that style. His eyebrow raises a bit. "She... Spunky... Wee," he muses to himself. There's a pause to think over those clues and it seems there's someone he has met. He then looks at the diva as his lips open to speak. "Would her name happen to be Momoko? That's the only Capoeirista in Southtown I know of that fits that description."
"We were in Paris," Arika begins to say, but she can't hold him in suspense forever. For one, that wouldn't really be fair, considering that it -was- Momoko. For another, she's not sure of any -other- Capoeiristas. "But that would be 'er, yes." Posture relaxing slightly, she brings her right hand up to adjust the hood on her cropped hoodie and glances around. "So, besides the chance at random conversation, wot brings ya out 'ere to Southtown's most illustriously polluted river?"
"The Neo League matched us up once. It was a really fun one actually she has good energy to her. And she's a lot better than I was at her age." A big toothy grin appears on his face as he remembers that particular fight. He still thinks of that particular fight as one of his favorites even if he didn't win.
He glances over to the river, a slight chuckle leaving his lips. "One could say it's because of the aspect of my style that's different from other Capoeiristas." He pauses before adding on as an afterthought "Another person could say it's because I look at this place as an obstacle course. Neither person would be incorrect."
"She's a good kid." Arika really doesn't have much more to say on it though. Beyond their brief meeting in Paris, she's not run into Momoko again. "Different people get different starts in life. Ain't nothin' wrong with it. From wot I saw, she puts in a good deal of trainin'." Eyes never leave the river as she speaks; content on watching the sun glisten off of it. "Should look me up sometime for a League fight. Provided I ain't out'a the country, unless you wanted to match up somewhere else." She's assuming that since he figures he recognizes her, that's likely where it's from.
"Will do. Anyway. I've probably been slacking off just a little too much. I should get back on the grind." He hops down grabbing the edge of the wall and holding himself just long enough to say, "I'll see ya when I see ya. Peace." After that he releases his grip on the wall with one hand as he turns out away from the wall and then releases the other hand letting himself fall completely from the wall.
That free fall seems to last for awhile then when he finally lands, he flows into a smooth roll before going into a run into places unknown.
Log created on 14:52:55 07/25/2007 by Aranha, and last modified on 20:04:48 08/11/2007.