A day off (open)

[Mariska Rumancek]

Mariska was sprawled on the grass in the middle of Central Park. The sun blazed high in the sky. Summer had finally arrived. The park had been jam packed with people, and it wasn't until Mariska found an area glamoured from the Mundanes that she actually found somewhere to lie down. There was Shadowhunter marks on some of the trees, it was clearly their territory. Though, she was certain not to be too long, and she wasn't doing anything wrong in lying on some grass.
She just needed a few minutes of quiet. Her life had been turned upside down recently. So much family drama, she thought having her brother show up would ease the burden on her, but he had made some startling revelations that made her wish he had never come to New York in the first place.
The peace among the grass and trees was a welcome change to the constant stress she had been under of late. Even the sun was a welcome site. She wasn't generally a sun person, but she had had enough of the rain and snow and wind that had refused to leave even though the winter months were long over.
Mariska felt like she could finally breathe for the first time in months, and she realised how tired she actually was. It was hard to remember a time she hadn't been on the move.
She dozed off for a little while, and when she woke the sun was beginning to set, streaming the clear blue sky with streaks of orange and pink.
Mariska sat up and rubbed her eyes. The wind had picked up somewhat, but she didn't feel the cold much. She began to gather her things back into her bag when she got the unnerving feeling that someone was watching her.

[Nicholaus I. Diabolus]

Nature had a way with altering a certain psyche in the mind of many. Whether it was spring, summer, winter or fall. Everyone had a preference as to which was their favorite season. Which one made them feel great and energized. Such feelings towards the seasons usually reflected what humans were thinking. But when you were a fay, seasons held a whole other meaning. Change. Energy. Understandings within the mind as done thanks to the turning of the world and whatever was happening.

A person like Nicholaus was fascinated with what people were thinking. Humans, most of all, had the fay at arm's length much of the time, but he was completely enthralled with the basics within the human mind. He over analyzed and observed things that not many would find to their benefit. He was a strange creature that saw a number of things others ignored or took for granted. Being such a creature of the nature surrounding him in this park, he merely kept his eyes moving, looking around as if energized by the sun beaming down on him.

Though by this time, the sun was setting. He hadn't been in the park for too long in fact. Work had been rather busy lately, which often cut into his time and chances to interact with the people of everyday life. But one must earn a living somehow to keep up appearances. People were still sticking around, ready to play into the night with each other for a baseball game or a friendly match of two-on-two at the basketball hoops.

Nicholaus however, found more solace in just wandering along the concrete walk way instead to watch the activities. He wasn't hiding from them either. Dressed in a simple black button up, short sleeve shirt, dark grey slacks and polished dress shoes, he looked a bit out of place. But no one paid him any mind. He adjusted the dark sunglasses on the bridge of his nose as he continued walking without much of a thought going on in his mind. Not until he found himself walking past a glamoured area.

He paused in his step and took a better look. As a fay and for how old he was, he tended to recognize glamour on the spot. Shadowhunter marks were seen, but barely visible. Still, he could see through the magic of the Hunters and walked closer. Why would there be a glamoured spot here? He thought to himself as he walked closer and peeked through the trees, catching sight of a young woman gathering her things.

At this point, he figured he was dealing with a Shadowhunter. But he didn't know what she really was. Spending his centuries around humans more than those involving any sort of magics or such had dampened his abilities to sense much of anything. He never usually never knew that he was brushing shoulders with anyone who might be a Downworlder or Shadowhunter. Such things just weren't important even though they could get him killed.

He paused as he watched her, but when she seemed to notice someone was there, he wasn't about to hide or run. That would make him seem guilty, now wouldn't it? Instead, he moved forward until he was visible. He had his hands at his sides, which would mean he wasn't going to act offensive or defensive at all. He was just making himself known.

"Evening... You alright?" It was all he could think to say.

[Mariska Rumancek]

Mariska turned when here ears picked up movement. There was a man standing behind her. Not a Shadowhunter. Fey, by the smell of him. She hadnt come across too many in her life, but enough to know she didn't like or trust them.
He was no doubt curious as to why there was a glamour in the middle of Central Park, as Mariska was herself.
This man was the first person she had seen there all day, so it clearly didn't get much foot traffic. She figured it would be a Shadowhunter that would disturb her peace.
Mariska had spent much of her young life travelling through Downworlder hotspots with her father. Though a werewolf herself, she found many of them to be callous and fickle. She didn't trust anyone as far as she could throw them.
This mindset may not have necessarily arisen due to bad experiences with Downworlder's, but more the way she was raised.
Mariska's family was extremely close knit, and rarely mixed with others. It was her father who found it necessary to keep in contact with the Shadow World, as far as Mariska was concerned, she would happily forget about the whole lot of them.
It was due to her fathers immense curiosity with all things Downworlder that he had now disappeared in to thin air. God knows where doing god knows what. She sensed trouble.
The more her thoughts raced, the more the few hours of relaxation she had experienced today began to fade.
Mariska sighed inwardly and stood up. 'Great thanks, I suppose?', she replied to the man. This was just an awkward silence waiting to happen.
The people in the park were rapidly dissipating as an evening chill filled the air. All but a few joggers, and a couple walking a great fat pug remained in the far corner outside the glamor.

[Nicholaus I. Diabolus]

Nicholaus didn't feel too awkward at having stumbled across a young woman in the midst of the glamoured place. Actually, not a lot of things surprised him given his age and what he had seen in his life on this Earth. No matter what her business was being in this little slice of heaven, it wasn't Nicholaus's place to question her for any reason. He had only been curious about it in the first place of course. Like a cat, he was prone to find out what caught his curiosity.

Aside from what had just come out of his mouth a moment ago, there really was no other thing that could cross his mind of course. But there were sure to be better sentences or questions to follow. He just had to be stimulated to say the right things. He was, however, brought up in the right respects to be kind to women. Even if it was such an awkward moment like this.

He glanced at her as she was getting up and seemed a little put off that he had come around and ruined her bit of relaxation. A hand came to the back of his head as he expressed his apologies and proceeded to take careful steps to back out of the glamoured sliver of paradise. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you, Miss. Pardon my intrustion. If you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way." he cleared his throat and turned on his heels to calmly walk away.

He was still within earshot. As he wasn't in any hurry to get out of there at all. He wanted to appear is if he hadn't just stumbled upon a woman resting in this little spot. Some joggers passed by and he leisured on without a care. That had been slightly awkward at first, but he tried to play it off as if there was nothing to worry about. As there wasn't. Just a bit of bad timing on his part.