Welcome to Gaia! ::

Myron was excited. Sure, his last trip to New York City had brought him some something less than a pleasant time, but he wasn't one to blame the place for that. It had really been the company, he was sure; sometimes his sister and her family could be less than fun to be around.

But this time, it would be in much better company. Myron looked down at his side and grinned at the small monster wrapped in a rain poncho.

"How exciting, huh, Mack?" Myron whispered to the imp safely snug in the poncho. It was brightly colored and opaque, making it difficult to see Mack's more distinctive oddities. To many on the streets, and even the taxi driver, the monster would seem like a child bundled up for the rain with only a small tuft of hair blue sticking out.

The imp, though, was too distracted by what was in his hands to even pay attention. Myron had provided him with a collection of colored stones to play with during the train ride in from Boston and he was busily occupied in counting them and sorting them quietly to himself. Mack seemed to prefer his own company rather than others and enjoyed putting things in order, so it seemed a good choice.

The taxi driver turned back, thinking that he had been the subject of the man's address. "Yeah, yeah, real exciting. Traffic congestion's my favorite, too, pal. Still going to the same place?"

"Oh yes!" Myron hastened to amend. They would be going to see a puppet show, and he was excited to see what Mack thought of it. Myron paid the driver and then escorted Mack out onto the street, the monster still counting his colored stones as they walked on.

Myron whistled cheerfully along, humming as he and Mack walked through the rainy streets to the theatre. He'd had the cabbie drop them off a few streets before their destination, partly because he realized that the fare was getting a little high for his liking and also partly because he wanted to explore the city. He had to walk a little slower than he was used to because Mack seemed preoccupied with something, or he just hadn't estimated the monster's small steps. In reality, Mack was trying to only walk on certain tiles that conformed to a pattern. This was made difficult by Myron's large steps, but he liked the challenge.

The two came upon the theatre after a few minutes walk and Myron was busily explaining to Mack how skyscrapers often had a ballast in their middle to keep them from toppling over when a man walking a few yards head of him had his trunks burst open on the ground.

Mack cocked his head to one side and looked at them thoughtfully. "Did he not have a ballast?" He asked softly.

Myron shook his head, more at the scene that was unfolding before him rather than the monster's question. All these people, rushing about, and no one stopped to help! Well, it wouldn't have been all that different in Boston, he had to admit, not really at all.

But Myron was not willing to let that stand.

"Come on, there's heroism to be done, Mack." He puffed out his chest dramatically and gently tugged the observant monster along. Mack stuck close to Myron's side, no friend of the huge crowds that were starting to gather to the theatre.

"Need a hand, friend?" Myron smiled at the man and bent to help him retrieve some of the doll parts. "We saw your trunks, ah, not make it and figured you'd 'ppreciate some extra eyes and hands." The bearded man nodded approvingly at Mack, who was already picking up some of the smallest parts, while taking care to hide his face from passerby under the poncho.