[Dialto]

{OOC: For those of you who don't know what the Met is, it stands for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's this huge museum in the NYC, and has art from every time period and style, pratically. It's basically New York's Louvre. People always sit on the steps leading up to the entrance, reading, talking, or just plain sitting. A picture!}

Dialto strode up to the museum. He hadn't been there in a long time, but he used to pass every Sunday on the steps. He went to one of the vendors near the bottom of the stairs to order what he always had- a salty soft pretzal with mustard on top. Taking a bite out of the pretzal handed to him, he sighed. Nothing beats one of these pretzals.

He walked up the steps, and found a comfortable place about half way up, on the left. He sat for a while, just watching the people go by and eating his pretzal. This was his favorite part. There were so many interesting people in NYC. He'd always look for the person who just stuck out, and see if anyone ever noticed them. They never did, even if the person was wearing a clown suit. People just walked on by like it was normal. And it actually was kinda normal.

Having finished his pretzal, Dialto bent down, looking through his backpack. He pulled out a book someone had recommended to him over a year ago- The Plot Against America, by Philip Roth. He had thought it would be about recent events, but was pleasently surprised to see it was set much earlier in the United States' history. He opened up to the place he had marked with the receit, and quickly got lost in the book.

[Alieh]

Alieh exited the Met, she'd had a great time, unlike most people she knew, she loved mueseums. Of any kind. And there was nothing she loved more than to examine art. That was one of the things she missed about her parent's house, they'd had all these famous pieces of art hung all round the walls, as a child Alieh had tried drawing her own pieces of art, but to her dismay she had found she had no talent with art whatsoever, music was always her thing.

It didn't stop her loving art. however, she had wanted to buy some pieces for her flat, but she hadn't nearly enough money, she'd had to start from scratch money-wise since leaving home.

In a day dream as she walked down the steps she suddenly noticed someone sitting in front of her, before she had time to move out the way she found herself tripping over him. She hit the ground, hard, and rolled down a few stairs. Caught offgaurd she forgot to hold her form for a spit second and feline ears started to grow out the top of her head. Scared quickly she reverted back to normal, and looked round, the man she'd tripped over was the only one close enough to have seen them.

Standing up she nervously laughed, "Sorry about that," she pretending to brush herself off casualy, hoping he hadn't seen the ears.

[Devi]

Devi pulled her coat closer, a safeguard from the typical winter weather. Despite the cold, she had a particularly roseate experience to look forward to, as she fumbled past the crowds towards the Met. A long stream of people came in and out, a few without even a glance at the blue-haired lass before them--as if it was a totally normal thing. Probably was, too. You never really knew how many weirder freaks resided in New York City.

Maybe Devi had never been a completely avid fan of art, but there was always the appreciation she held for them. It was that same appreciation that had led her here today. There was nothing else to do anyway, she had decided. Why not enjoy herself?

She paused next to a nervous-looking stranger, and some man beside her. Devi didn't even notice them, as she looked up in barely suppressed awe at the massive building before her. There had better be maps inside. She quietly pondered how many tourists would enter the museum for the first time only to maunder about until some good samaritan found it in his heart to rescue them. Thanking her natural sense of direction, the demon took a step forward and only wished she had a cohort.

[Kaeldra]

Kaeldra walked into the Met, enjoying the peace and ablilty of a creative mind that always wandered around here. She could ushally find a good conversationalist or listen to a violinist and throw a quarter in his case.

She was walking through a hallway, trying and failing to get her mind off Rain. Since then, her wings drooped slightly as she walked, her mind was on other things and she had a serious case of hormones. She sighed and sat down on a nearby bench, giving a wistful sigh as she held the dark feather that was around her neck.

[Dialto]

Dialto was highly absorbed in his book. Suddenly, he felt a foot in his back, and a girl went pratically flying over his head. Not only that, but on the way down, she bent a page of his book. He slammed the book down on the step next to him, and stood up, screaming. Watch where you're going, you little- He stopped as he realized that the girl was sprouting feline ears as she rolled. He smiled to himself, but quickly hid it as she stood up, apologizing. He thought it'd be fun to play a little game with her.

What was that?! he said, trying to look dumfounded and a little frightened. Were... were those cat ears?! What are you? G-get away from me! He backed up a step, pretending to lose his balence. As he did, however, a hat flew into his face, and he really did fall back on his butt. Now look what you've done! he called to the girl.

He stood up, looking around for the owner of the hat. He guessed it belonged to a dark skinned girl with blue hair and -Dialto smiled again- horns. He threw the hat at her, smirking. You might want to cover up those horns. He looked down at the girl who had tripped on him. And yeah, I know what you are. Heading back to the marketplace, are you? Dialto wasn't worried about anyone hearing him- it was a rather empty day for the steps.

{gmod permish of the hat}

[Devi]

You might want to cover up those horns.

Devi hastily placed her hat back onto her head, where it belonged. She glared at him in disgust as she made sure her ivory horns were well hidden, as they should be. "What," she began with a hiss, "do you think you're doing?" She breathed a sigh of frustration, and calmed herself down. It was not proper to snap at strangers, no matter how reprehensible they appeared.

"I hope you don't do that often. You never know who might be eavesdropping." Devi frowned in disapproval--that he would have the audacity to say that aloud! He'd deserve any punishment he got if Xanth heard of it.

She tilted her head, really noticing for the first time the girl nearby. She was unusually pale--in fact, her whole body had this sort of hue-less washed out sort of look. It created a ghostly effect that made her curious.

[Alieh]

Alieh smirked, immature little brat, after the initial shock of relising he'd seen the ears, she'd caught wiff of the stench. "I wouldn't play games like that," she pointed to the place where her ears had been, and lowered her voice, "Cat, remember? And I can smell you a mile away, you're a low-levelled demon, and any Other would be able to tell that. I suppose a human would just think you don't shower a lot. Now if I happened to be, say, a chimera, for instance, I might not find that very funny. And little demon-boy might just go 'poof'"

She laughed, her voice normal level again, "luckily for you, I'm not. But in future, be more careful." She looked at the girl close beside him, she was a demon too - of course. Alieh stared curiously at her blue air. Combined with the girl's dark skin it created an unsual, but pretty effect.

She smiled, "Hey, I'm Alieh," and looking back at the demon, "where I'm going is no business of yours," she re-wrapped her scarf round her neck, it was the only thing protecting, her arms from the cold. She'd learned from an early age to stay out of bright sunlight and heat, as she burned extremely easily, and since then she'd grown used to staying cool.

She didn't really know what it was about this male demon she didn't like, there was just- something about him, he didn't seem to have any caution when it came to reveiling Elysia's secrets. Thankfully they were in New York, where there were of cults and wicca practisers, strange misguided people actualy seemed to be encouraged here. You could stand in the street and proclaim you were a deity with super natural powers and probably no one would notice.

But she didn't like to think what would happen if they were in a place which wasn't so accepting of people.

[Devi]

Figures, Devi thought, after examining his face more closely. He looked like a lot of guys, always pining for the limelight and anxious to showcase their coolness factor. Pointing out her horns in broad daylight, in blatant sight of humans was probably his way of showing how laidback he was. Must be the man-thing that makes him want to show off to the world at the risk of his pretty head. She'd really like to see Xanth get at him--an ill-wish that vanished when she realized how immature and rash she herself was being. The demon glanced at them both, not willing to keep herself in the presence of a sickly looking girl and a macho brat much longer. Her original purpose, to browse the Met, had quickly lost its appeal after being seen.

"Hey, I'm Alieh."

Her attention was caught again as she realized the shifter was talking to her. The cat's ability to switch between threatening, then joking, then friendly, then cold gave almost a comedic effect. Against her desire to be at home, she instead decided to be nice--why not, after all?

"Hi," she said politely, while putting out a hand for a handshake. "I'm Devi." A forced smile was plastered on her face.

[Alieh]

Alieh looked back at the girl. Devi she said her name was. She was smiling, although it did look slightly artificial. She nodded and reached out to return the handshake.

Thinking about it, she found it a lttle odd that here were three Others in the same place, even though she'd always considered them to be quite rare. Growing up there had only been a handful of Others she new of in the whole city of Seattle, which was home to millions. Of course, it was likely that any non-humans wouldn't go down the street yelling about it. But still, the fact that she had just stumbled apon two of them seemed a little odd.

She stood there, wondering if anyone would say anything, although she was much better at staying in human form than she had been, she couldn't stay forever. She had gone into the bathroom a while ago to shift, just to be safe, so she probably would last just fine for now.

She felt like walking away, so she could be getting back, but she didn't. She didn't know why, she just didn't. She looked between the two. "Well, aren't we a happy bunch?" She commented sarcasticly.

[Devi]

Devi raised a brow, and crossed her arms in irritation. Awkward conversation was not supposed to be part of her day, and the minutes were ticking away. She stood beside a sharp-tongued jerk, and a hauntingly pale woman. To her left, a yellow taxi cab rolled by, picking up the tourists that had just exited the building before her. Cars honked. Birds sang. Wind rustled. Somehow, silence seemed to reign only in their Elysian threesome.

In that moment, the demon wished she had grown up less the steadfast hardworker, and more like the charismatic girls who could charm and melt away walls of division between people. At the very least, she might be able to pull off a smooth getaway. What were the chances she'd see any of them again?

"Actually, I have a friend waiting in the Cosy Cafe," she said. A second later, Devi realized her mistake. She had been heading into the Met less than twenty minutes ago. Mentally, she hoped neither of them would notice her blatant lie. "She's probably still waiting. I'm sorry we didn't get to know each other better. Uh, goodbye." Nodding at the shifter, she began to turn around and walk away, disregarding the other demon beside her. He deserved the cold shoulder.