Summary:While at a coffee shop, Carol bumps into the newest Avenger Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Normally, having your room remodeled is a Good Thing. But when it's because the God of Thunder that lives in the room next to yours decided to get a Little Excited (don't ask)… well, two problems immediately raise their ugly heads.
1. Finding an apartment in New York City that is affordable, unless your name is Tony Stark.
2. Missing out on Jarvis' coffee. (CRITICAL NEED.)
So having taken care of the first order of business, thanks to the fact that her savings had been accumulating for the past decade while she was in space, Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel is taking care of the second before starting the day. Since the last time she showed up to the coffee shop everyone recognized her anyway, she's not even pretending to go incognito this time. Sure, it slows her down, but meeting people and getting them fired up is pretty cool too. The downside is, well, if some villain type is holding a grudge because she's in public, it could get problematic…
Hiroto Shimizu, aka Kintsugi, is not nearly as well known as Carol, and he probably likes it that way. For starters, he just looks like an ordinary Japanese man in his 30s, even if he is rather good-looking and has exceptional posture. Whether or not he would have recognized an incognito Carol is hard to say, and a moot point anyway. He is sitting in the corner with a book and a cup of tea, all perfectly ordinary activities, and he raises his head to watch her as soon as she comes in. He himself is clad in a white button-down shirt tucked into black trousers, with a black trenchcoat over that. A perfectly ordinary outfit.
Captain Marvel finishes signing the last of the autographs, gets her venti chai latte (extra espresso shots) from the barista, who even put a nice Kree 8-pointed star on her cup. She's in a bit of a social mood, as she does a few more selfies with some of the other customers that ask. Eventually, she passes by Hiroto's table, then pauses, glancing over at him, "Hey, do I know you? You look familiar."
Hiroto was already watching her, but he puts his book down and rises respectfully to meet her. "Yes, we will work together in the near future, I hope." Out of habit, perhaps, he bends his body just a little into a half bow. "My name is Hiroto Shimizu, also known as Kintsugi. It is an honor to speak with you, Ms. Danvers." He speaks softly, his words lightly accented, but clear and well-enunciated. "I admire your work."
Carol ohs, "Oh right! You're the new guy." She grins, "Mind if I sit down? I thought your face was familiar, just haven't run into you yet." She pauses, "Hopefully your room isn't going to be on the other side of Thor's… because you don't want to know how much finding a small loft was here in the city." She wrinkles her nose a bit, then grins cheerfully, cradling her latte as if it were Life Itself.
Hiroto nods to her, gesturing towards the empty chair across from him. "Please do. I would be honored if you join me." He will definitely wait for her to sit before he does so himself, though he does give her a curious, somewhat confused look at the mention of Thor and rooms. Too polite to ask her what she means, he instead asks, "Are you living in your own apartment, then? I am currently doing the same, but was considering moving to headquarters. Is this not a wise idea?"
Carol hmms, "Well, rooms are provided at the mansion, and it's probably the best that way, but… well, sometimes accidents happen. And also, it's nice to have a little privacy once in a while too." She grins, "At least for me, but you can make up your own mind. Would probably be best if you stayed, at least to get a feel for the rest of the team."
"Accidents?" Hiroto repeats. But then he nods slowly, and gravely, like — yes, of course, this must be a common occurence. "I see." He reaches for his tea, but doesn't drink from the cup. Then he offers her a small smile. "I would very much like to get to know the rest of the team better. Their reputations precede them all." He nods towards her again. "You seem very comfortable with your celebrity. I think you give the people of this city much joy." If the faces of people who received her autograph are any indication — he was watching, after all. "But it must be difficult for you, as well."
Carol chuckles a little, "Normally I try to be incognito about things, but the one thing about having a public identity these days… it doesn't take much to be recognized." She shrugs, "So I thought I'd try something different and just go with it. It's definitely… different, anyway. Still not sure if I like this compared to doing things a little more covertly."
She then smiles back at Hiroto, "So what about you? What sort of skills do you have?" She sounds curious more than anything else, as she sips her latte while regarding the man across from her at the table.
"I'm sure you will find your balance," Hiroto says, offering her a small, encouraging smile. He has a sad, reserved sort of energy about him. The question about his skills draws a few lines onto his face as he frowns a little, glancing briefly down at the tea cup, then back up to her. "I am able to manipulate the essence of life, and I have…an innate understanding of death," he says quietly, like he is uncomfortable 'tooting his own horn,' such as it is. "I am also skilled in varying…warrior arts. I can use these things together to help accomplish our goals." This he says with zeal, like he is very committed to the Avengers' mission.
Carol nods slightly, "Well, good. Sounds like you have a pretty good mix of abilities there. Glad to have you on the team, Hiroto." She grins a bit, "Sorry, my Japanese is pretty rusty, I think the best I can manage is a 'domo arigato' and that's about it." A bit of a shrug at that, as she takes another drink from her latte.
"Thank you," he says, and then Hiroto actually laughs at the next thing she says. It briefly lights up his solemn face. "I can teach you, if you want, but I don't mind talking in English. It seems like all of the Avengers do, even though we come from all over, don't we?"
Carol grins, "Well, I do have a universal translator in the suit, so that isn't necessary… but yeah, even Thor talks in English. Makes it easier I guess, just never really had an opportunity to visit Japan with work. Either before or after I got my powers."
"A universal translator? Fascinating." Hiroto's eyes grow a little wider. "I imagine Earth technology must look so primitive to you now." Then he smiles a little more. "If you would ever like to visit, I would be happy to show you around. I am from Kyoto, and it is a very beautiful city, rich in Japanese tradition." He pauses for a sip of tea. "You plan to stay in New York for some time?"
Carol nods, "Yeah, I'm from Boston originally, I only work in outer space." She chuckles a little, then hmms, "And yeah, Kree tech is interesting, and definitely more advanced, but they also don't have Pokemon Go, so there's that too."
"Pokemon Go? What is this?" Hiroto looks apologetic, even blushing a little. "I am not very up on technology, even here on Earth, I'm afraid. It is a game?" He adds, "I have been to Boston before. The architecture is beautiful, and the river…"
Carol ahs, "It's a game on a cellphone. It's pretty fun, and somewhat addictive like those things are." She grins, "I'm still getting used to the fact that the tech isn't quite as advanced as I'm used to, at least for the past decade or so."
Hiroto smiles, glancing down for a moment. "I see. It is the opposite for me, I suppose. Though maybe I have no excuse." He doesn't really explain that, looking up at her instead, studying her. "It is strange, isn't it? These lives we lead, so often shaped, at least at first, by circumstances beyond our control…"
Carol grins wryly, "Yeah, that's true enough. I just happened to find a Kree gizmo that just managed to sync with my DNA and…" She makes a small *poof* gesture with her fingers, finishing her latte. "But I can't really complain about it, I'm just trying to make the world a better place."
"Yes." Hiroto gives her another of those solemn, small smiles. "I am as well. Together, we have a better chance of actually succeeding." He adds, "Are you happy to have some down time, such as it is? Or do you feel restless?"
Carol hrms, "Well, considering that most of the time there's a pretty big thing to deal with as an Avenger… downtime is underrated. Frankly, I like being able to take a deep breath before the plunge." She pauses, as her cellphone goes off, and she hmms, "Okay, speaking of which, sounds like there's a possible issue with a Kree spy satellite. Which is my queue to go." She grins, "But I'm sure I'll see you at the mansion."
"Yes, it's very important…" Hiroto looks concerned as her issue comes in, but he stands again to respectfully see her off. It wouldn't do to remain seated while someone else is leaving. "Thank you, Ms. Danvers. It was such a pleasure to speak with you today. I look forward to seeing you there."
Carol rises to her feet, putting the phone away, "You bet. Take care, Hiroto." She pauses, then grins, "And you can call me Carol." With that, she waves, making her way out of the cafe. Once outside, she takes three running steps, then launches into the air in a blaze of light, doing a loop-de-loop on her way to investigate said satellite.