Summer was slowly winding down and transitioning into Fall which meant that cold and miserable winter weather was soon to follow. Raven would always be a woman of summer, with its warm sunlight filled days and no need to remained cooped up inside a dreary house. Even if the Mansion was huge and filled with all sorts of interesting people, it was always so much better to be outside. She could deal with having 4 walls and a roof around her in small amounts and it certainly was nice on those rainy days not to get soaked through and through, but over the long cold winter it got to be downright depression. The longer she stayed indoors the more she felt like she was a bird trapped in a cage for someone's amusement. It was, to say the least, a highly unpleasant experience.

This particular day was warm and bright just as all the best summer days were and Raven decided that she simply must spend it outside, far away from the Mansion. If summer was almost finished for another year than she intended to take full advantage of every sun-filled day left to her. The reason raven's were so successful in the world was because they were willing to take full advantage of any situation presented them, good or bad and if Raven wasn't completely in the world of her familiar, she was close enough to share their mindset.

Raven's plans for the day didn't involve anything more than going out into the city and taking advantage of whatever happened to come her way. She simply got on her bike (acquired about a week ago after a little girl had blown up her old one) and began riding in whatever direction suited her fancy. Of course her backpack full of food and trinkets was with her, including her fortune teller gear just in case, and of course Blackwing was nearby as always. But beyond that it was up to the tides of fate where she ended up.

Where Raven did eventually end up was a residential area, mainly filled with apartments and complexes. It wasn't what one would consider a high end type of place, but there also wasn't too much poverty around. In fact, judging by the number of young people in the area, it was her best bet that she must be near a college or university and most of the tenants appeared to be students. Deciding that this would be the perfect place to sit and have some lunch, Raven parked her bike and chained it to a nearby tree.

Lunch, however, had to wait as something much more interesting happened to catch Raven's eye. It was a camera and a rather good one at that (judging by the fancy zoom lens and the size of it anyway, she wasn't exactly a camera expert). The odd thing was that no one seemed to be keeping much of an eye on it. Perhaps the camera didn't actually belong to anyone in which case there was no reason not to take it, right? There were two men talking nearby, one younger and one middle aged but neither of them were paying the least bit of attention to the expensive piece of electronics. Which meant it was free for the taking, naturally.

Raven didn't think twice about the fact that she was probably stealing someone's camera and they probably wouldn't be happy about it. If her body was human than her mind was more raven than not and the code of the raven compelled her to take advantage of any and every situation. Situations like expensive cameras just being left in the open for anyone to acquire. So, without a second thought, she casually walked up to where the camera was located, picked it up and began walking away. She didn't pause to glance at the pair talking nor did she take any pains to try and sneak in and out. The camera was left out in the open just inviting someone to take it and she had been that someone. It was a simple concept and one that humans often didn't get.

(OOC: Feel free to catch Raven stealing the camera.)

Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me! Well, in all truth is wasn’t Van’s actual birthday (he’d had to work that particular day) but it was close enough for government work. Close enough to warrant the mutant man (now that he was 18 and feeling all spiffy) buying himself something he’d wanted for a very long time--a new camera. And what a beautiful camera it was. It had the fancy changeable lenses and all the nice features that modern cameras have that Polaroids well...don’t and it was so fat and nice to carry around with him (he HATED the thin, undernourished run of the mill digital cameras). His mother’s Polaroid had been retired to a safe spot in a box beneath his bed for use only on special occasions and the new camera...well, the new camera was his baby--he had started taking it everywhere with him and he’d only had it two days.

Obviously he took it with him on that day--he was practicing his shots on the unsuspecting college students that were living up what was left of their college vacations in their crappy houses over flowing with people. He’d been meandering about, taking fun action shots of random happy people and generally playing around with the camera’s special features. In doing so he’d apparently caught the notice of a professor at the local college who taught some art classes or something. He’d asked to see Van’s pictures from the day and soon the men were discussing camera angles and the philosophy behind capturing real life in photographs.

It almost made the young man want to start college--almost.

Somewhere amidst their riveting conversation the baby had been placed gingerly in the grass, next to the neon green sweatshirt and dingy, brown back pack that the mutant had discarded due to the late summer heat and because he just didn’t feel like holding onto it anymore. It was just lying there, like a nice baby. Very quiet and not fussing at all. In fact, it was so quiet for so long that Van almost didn’t notice when it began to move...

I say almost because like any good parent he kept at least one eye on his child at all times, no matter who was talking to him or what about. And like any other good parent he turned and (basically) screamed when he saw that his baby was being carried off. It was more of a cross between a scream and a surprised squawk--it was not a very manly noise, to say the least. He whipped around and practically ran at the figure walking away with his pride and joy (thankfully he had the frame of mind to grab his other things before he moved at all, lest he lose them too).

“Hey! What the hell, man!? That’s mine!” And without any instruction from him Van’s arm began to elongate, stretching almost to the point of pain so that it could firmly grasp the woman by the back of her shirt. This had happened before on several occasions--whenever Van got uncontrollably upset for a moment his limbs acted the way his subconscious wanted them to, usually in violent ways.

Raven looked down at the camera sitting nestled in her hands and really as impressed. Why would someone just leave something like that carelessly lying about? Even she, with her rather spotty knowledge of money and the value of things, could tell that the camera was rather expensive. Perhaps with her new found acquisition she should take of photography? The idea had some merit, the next step after watching people was taking pictures of them, wasn't it? Of course, first she'd have to find a computer so that she could actually see her digital pictures, but that shouldn't be too hard to find.

Raven was still contemplating what she was going to do with her new prize when she heard a sort of strangled croak from behind her. Paying it no attention at all, she simply continued walking. The man really did sound unhappy though, didn't he? She even felt a little bad for him, whatever had happened to cause that sort of sound to erupt from his mouth definitely couldn't have been a good thing. Poor guy.

Raven would have and in fact completely intended to walk back to her bike and ride back to the Mansion with her prize except that she was unexpectedly stopped by a hand on the back of her neck. Which was odd because she had impeccable hearing and it was almost impossible for anyone to sneak up on her because of that.

“Hey! What the hell, man!? That’s mine!”

Raven squirmed in the grip, turning herself around to face whoever the rude man grabbing her was. His voice was not coming from where it should have, farther from herself than the hand grabbing her would indicate it should. Finally turning around she was mildly shocked to find that the hand that was grabbing her was attached to an arm that was several feet longer than any natural arm should be. She blinked at the man, sending a mental beacon to Blackwing, just in case things got ugly. Mutants were so unpredictable at times.

"What's yours?" Raven asked innocently. The camera was still gripped in her hands and she didn't even bother to hide it. Even if the camera had been his a moment before, it was his stupidity that had left it on the ground in plain view for anyone to come and take and she had done just that. Now that it was in her possession it was officially hers.

Van’s face was red, partly from the hot anger that had suddenly bubbled up inside of him and partly because all of the happy people and the professor he’d been talking to were all now looking his way and he could hear some of their whisperers, mutterings, and unconcealed words of anger and shock. These were almost worse than some random woman having his camera (this seemed to be turning into an alarming trend, he suppressed a shudder at thoughts of a dark haired woman in an alley). He could tell his sudden display of mutation had freaked out the people in his direct vicinity and he decidedly didn’t like the feeling of all eyes on him--the freaky mutant boy attacking the randomly dressed woman with his gross and inhuman powers. This feeling made him want to throw up, and caused his face to redden. His breath was also coming in heavy bursts--but that was due to the anger.

Seriously? He’d had his camera for two effing days and it gets almost jacked? What the hell!? He’d worked many a long shift for that hunk of technology and there was no way he was gonna let some punk-a** girl come up and take it from him.

He had the urge to hit her when she asked what was his as if she hadn’t just walked over to his stuff and taken it. Instead, he blinked and tired his best to control his breathing. Despite himself, a low chuckle made an escape out of his lips. This situation was ridiculous--the people, the camera, the girl, everything, was crazy. Naturally. “That camera you’re holding, it’s mine. I’d like it back.” The laugh and the breathing helped douse his temper back to a manageable flame. The people were still looking--he didn’t like this and he didn’t much like them anymore. Good picture or not.

“Yeah, you keep staring, like this is your business. She’s got my camera--what would you do?” He looked at the crowd and when none of the faces changed at all he tried again. “Oh, it’s my arm that’s interesting? Yeah, I’m a mutie--so what? You never seen one before?That’s totally cool, you keep starin’.” His accent was intense at this point, which he assumed made him sound like some overplayed character in a mobster movie. But it worked, some people looked away, others walked away. Van attempted to adjust his hand placement so it wasn’t at her neck without loosing the girl in the process and as he did so he focused on bringing his arm back in--he walked toward her as his limb ‘retracted’ “Seriously?” when he got closer to normal talking range.

The funny stretchy mutant really did look unhappy and Raven sent a tendril of amusement back towards Blackwing. That was humans for you though, always overreacting about the most minor of things. Maybe if they learned to take things in stride and just roll with what the world threw at them then they'd live longer. Or at the very least they'd live with a lot less stress.

The crowd around the two of them stared, one might even say glowered at the pair of them. No, Raven reassessed her observation quickly, they weren't glowering at them, they were glowering at stretchy man. In fact, all of a sudden she felt a tendril of anxiety that, perhaps, things might get violent based on the expressions of the by standards and as confused as she was by stretchy man, she didn't wish any harm on him.

"You mean the camera was yours," Raven clarified helpfully. She waved at the crowd and smiled to show them that everything was all right. A moment later Blackwing appeared, landing gracefully on top of her head. He was rather heavy, but she was used to his perch there. It worked wonders for intimidation, she had discovered, and the great bird glared at the former owner of the camera in a way much more intimidating than a mere human could ever be.

"Its not my fault that you were so careless about leaving the camera just lying around. Its mine now and if you want it back you have to make it worthwhile to give it back." Which Raven wasn't certain that she wanted to give it back anyway. Now that she had the idea in her head, learning to take pictures was stuck there and she just had to do it. Still, he was so very unhappy looking that she at least had to give him a chance.

Van blinked and then swallowed some more fire from his temper--it was cooling off now and he was trying to think in a long enough string to get his camera back. “No, I mean it’s mine and you just happen to be holding onto it at the moment. And then there was a bird and the boy almost dropped ahold of his captive (for lack of a better word) from sheer surprise. It was a raven or a crow or some-other-kind-of-angry-black-bird and it looked p*ssed. The young man blinked at it for a moment and wondered if it was planning on going after him with its beak.

Well...This sucks. Van decided a moment later.

There were holes in her logic, he knew this for a fact, but it would be so much less traumatic for Daddy Van if he could get his baby back after dealing with whatever ransom this random girl was going to set. Somewhere in the back of his mind the mutant noted that she’d be one of those interesting people he’d like to document if only she wasn’t for all intents and purposes jacking his stuff. With a sigh and a switching of his hands the boy asked: “And how do I make it worthwhile for you?” He said it with as little inflection as possible so it didn’t sound like a cheesy line from a movie or like he was being sarcastic (both tonal options had popped into his head when the question was born).

“Look,” He couldn’t resist the urge to attempt to argue. “If everyone took something just because someone else had it sitting somewhere then the entire world would be in a constant state of...er...this.” Van shook his head to signify he was talking about their conversation before glancing dubiously at the unspecified bird on the woman’s shoulder and deciding that he should keep his face a safe(r) distance away from its beak and talons. Just in case it was a rapid attack bird that was trained to kill on command.

Yes, that is where Van Sanders-Adamson’s mind went. No, he wasn’t being silly. Yes, that’s a bit extreme but do we ever really know what black birds that land on strange women’s shoulders are capable of?

"Clearly if I'm holding it than it must be mine," Raven countered the man's argument. Her logic was impeccable and she knew it. If humans had odd feelings about such things, well, that was their problem now wasn't it? Of course she understood the concept of borrowing things and if someone gave her something with the express reason of using it temporarily and then giving it back, she was happy to oblige. Because that was the point, to borrow and use and then to give back. But this was completely different because she had found the unattended camera, picked it up and made it her own. Thus, it was her camera now and she felt no need to give it back.

“And how do I make it worthwhile for you?”

Raven crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side, considering. Blackwing adjusted himself on his perch to account for the moment and immediately sent an image of fish into her mind. But no, she knew for a fact the camera was worth more than a bunch of fish, that would only be part of the cost she'd ask for. So, what else did she and Blackwing want? "If you can get Blackwing a plateful of fish and myself one of those fancy belly dancer skirts complete with the dangling coins, then you can have your camera back," Raven finally decided. See, no one could say that she wasn't eminently fair when it came to negotiating the exchange of goods. She could have just decided to keep the camera and not even offered the poor man a way to get it back.

"Its not my fault that humans are stupid and have confusing beliefs," Raven answered the stretchy man patiently. She really was getting annoyed at the fact that his hand was still on her shoulder though and sent it a glare. In response, Blackwing sent the man an even deadlier glare. Hopefully he'd get the hint. If he didn't, she might just have to rescind her offer. "You really should learn to protect your stuff better, that's all."

Everyone has a price. Van learned this young from the mobster movies his father liked to watch and the old man himself. People will barter away anything for the right exchange--hopefully this camera thief was the same as everyone else. The young mutant tried not to hold his breath as he waited for her to answer his question. She reminded him of her bird, the way she seemed to mull things over. In fact, she was a very bird-like woman, truth be told. The urge to take her picture surfaced and his fingers clenched, longing to point-aim-shoot and capture the way she coked her head to the side. He was never putting his camera down again, ever. Never. No sirree.

Finally, the woman named her price. Fish and a belly dancer skirt? It was Van’s turn to cock his head to the side and he blinked at her for a moment, but decided that she was serious. She looked pretty serious and if she was pulling his leg...well, his leg could be pulled pretty far--no need to be concerned. He dropped his arm from her shirt. “Shall we shake on it, then? If I can get you a plate of fish and a skirt you like--you’ll give me back my camera?” A hand held out for a shake, a bit wary of the bird still. A dubious glance. He’d seriously dislike losing a finger.

“True, it isn’t either of our faults--but those silly ideas might be what I tend to live my life by.” A small chuckle, he’d started to feel better at the prospect of the deal. If she accepted her own terms he’d...hmm, what was more important? the skirt or the fish first? That was a good question--to the wharf or one of the nifty shops that sold random clinky things? He supposed he’d have to ask--although the farther and longer he could stay away from fish of any kind the better, in Van’s book.