ArchivedLogs:Sweating

Sweating
Dramatis Personae Dusk, Rae	2014-06-08 '
Location <WES> Croton Gorge Park - Westchester
Situated on the east bank of the Hudson, this large park offers events year-round and a plethora of activities for nature lovers. With playgrounds, facilities for camping and swimming, boating and fishing, plentiful trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, cliffs for rock climbing, grounds for winter sports, and ample ground to just sit and enjoy the weather, these park grounds are a great place to relax year-round. The grounds are well-tended, and with a host of avian and herpitological life, early mornings often find animal lovers scoping out the grounds in search of a glimpse of some rare bird or lizard hiding in the trees or rocks as well. As the sun slowly starts to set, the day is cooling off from the sweltering heat it held earlier. The park is still quite full with those enjoying the summer weather, people out walking their dogs and tossing frisbees and picnicking and hiking on the trails. Dusk has chosen a somewhat out-of-the-way spot, at the moment, not /too/ many people wandering down the path near the section of rocks that he's currently perched on. At the moment he's pulling himself up a large boulder, lanky-lean arms spidered out over the rock face as he twists himself up to find a particularly tricky foothold. Dressed in cargo shorts, climbing shoes, no shirt, the reason /why/ he might want a less-traveled corner of the park is glaringly evident in the /enormous/ black batlike wings that sprout from his back, currently stretched out as well to curl talon-like claws in against the rock for grip. Moving along the path that leads towards the climbing rocks. She is obviously not dressed for climbing, but rather watching a video on her iPod, ear buds tucked into her ears. She doesn't seem to be paying attention to her surrounding as evident when she bumps into someone passing the opposite way. "Oh. Excuse me." She says to the pedestrian before she looks around her surroundings to get her bearings. She spots the rocks and eyes them over. She tilts her head, not seeing those who do not wish to be seen. She seems to consider something for a moment before she navigates her iPod, watches a video for a minute or two before she starts towards the rocks. There's quiet scraping against the rocks, long hard claws scritching down against them as Dusk pulls himself higher and into easy sight. One wing stretches for a handhold his arm isn't long enough to reach -- with a wingspan of seventeen feet at full extension /they/ can reach a good deal of trickier spaces. For a moment the boulders seem to have /sprouted/ an enourmous batman-signal, Dusk himself nearly hidden behind the large spread of wings until his fingers close in on a secure hold and he folds his wings back against his back. His head turns sharply, though, at the sound of another voice; for a moment his large dark eyes open huge-wide as he presses against the rock, lips pulling back in a reflexive-spooked snarl that bares long fangs. He closes his mouth sheepishly a moment later, though, hoisting himself up to perch atop the rock in a rather gargoyle-esque crouch and look down at Rae curiously. "... Hey." Rae eyes the rock face for a handhold and only gets one step up the rock before the giant bat wings catches her attention. Startled, she lets go of the rock and stumbles back onto the ground, eyes widened slightly. "Oh shit." She says as she watches the massive wingspan retract, then to the man behind the wings. She seems to be caught off guard by the simple greeting offered, not really expecting it. "Umm... hey." Dusk hunkers down a little more, shoulders hunching and his head dipping apologetically as his hands grip the rock between where his feet have perched. One hand lifts to circle against his heart -- a signed 'sorry' that he soon echoes aloud. "-- apologies. I didn't mean to -- well. I guess I'm kind of startling just by /existing/." There's a faint blush that darkens his cheeks as his wings fold in tighter, flexible membrane compressing oddly small given how /wide/ they were spread just a minute ago. "Did you want these -- I can climb somewhere else." Rae composes herself for a moment, her eyes still locked on the man above her. "It's alright. I just... I didn't see you there." She offers back after a moment, stepping back up to the wall. "You're alright. You were there first." She offers, reaching up to begin her climb again. She moves with an experienced and expert skill, carefully placing her hands and feet before moving up. Dusk's fangs bare again, though this time it's in a lopsided grin. "S'funny, I'm kind of hard to miss." His hand tips upward, fingers closing very gently around something barely-visible in the fading evening light until a greenish-yellow glow flashes from between his curled fingers, firefly winking in the careful cage of his hand. "Yeah. Been here a while, though. Just kind of one of those days, you know? Sort of need to sweat a bit." Rae nods as she continues to climb up the rock face. "Yeah. Wasn't expecting a workout today, but when one presents itself..." She says between breaths and transferring to the next hand and foot hold. "...might as well just take it for a spin." She offers as she glances back around her, looking over the area for a moment before she looks back up to the man she's speaking to. Dusk's head tips slightly down, thick black hair falling down half over his eyes as his gaze tilts to watch Rae ascend. "Every day's a workout if you're living right. What /were/ you expecting out here, then?" Rae pauses in her travels for a moment to consider the question offered. "I haven't thought about it much, but was just planning on enjoying the day and the break from the heat that we've been having lately." She offers before she begins her climb once again. "Mmm. Vague. What happens when you do think about it?" Dusk's fingers unfurl, releasing the firefly out into the evening; for a brief second its flickering glow illuminates his fanged smile before he straightens up, shoulders rolling as he stands. "Day's pretty much over. S'kinda time to enjoy the night." Rae smirks as she finds a nice, comfortable place to rest for a moment. "When I think about it, then I suppose I could get more in depth, but then that just requires a bit too much effort when I'm focused on other stuff." She says, motioning towards the wall. "What about with you? What brought you out today?" Dusk's wing twitches down, wingtip gesturing towards the boulders. The flare of wing away from its cloaklike drape around him reveals a boxy black device strapped around his ankle, for a moment before he folds his wing back in. "Like I said. I've been out here a while. Kind of needed to sweat." He jumps down off the top of the boulder, off the side away from where Rae is climbing, wings flaring out for a moment to break his fall before he lands. "I'll stop breaking your focus, then. Enjoy your night." Rae watches the wings as they slow the man's descent. "Impressive." She offers before she glances at how much further she has to go then down to the ground. Once he speaks again, she offers a slight smile and nods. "Alright. Nice to meet you." She offers, a quick wave of her hand as she watches him descend. Dusk's quick smile up towards Rae is warm, if still decidedly /fangy/. "Have a good workout." Over beneath a different rock there's a small crumpled pile of his things -- balled-up shirt, thermos, sandals -- and he nabs all of these before the uppermost claw on his wing flicks in a small wave. He digs a thin pair of earbud headphones out of his pocket, presumably attached to some device still tucked inside it, and sticks them in his ears before heading off into the twilit evening.