Summary:Lingering at the pizza joint and getting to know one another, the New Warriors are shaping up. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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The after gathering was strange, but still kind of fun. It was weird to be together with these people who had only met each other fairly recently. Except for perhaps Robbie and Raven, they had seemed to know each other somewhat. But talking with Dwayne was interesting in and of itself, so strange to see the dichotomy of the seemingly frivolous individual melded with the severity of the man that he was.
But over pizza it had been a fine thing, and as the evening wound its way down, the midnight closing time beckons for the restaurant staff, yet some of their customers were still there. Some were enjoying the pizza crust leftovers, others were nursing their drinks. Alex, for his part, was not exactly racing to break any records since he was only on his second beer. But he had devoured more than a small mess of pizza, the bones of the crust on his plate evidence to his hunger.
"I don't really sleep that much," He confesses. Their corner booth was nice and out of the way, the only table that was still active for their waitress. It had the ubiquitous red and white plastic tablecloth, those red glass candle holders, and a napkin holder right there on the table along with all their debris from the meal.
"Depends. Sometimes, I stay all wired and stare at the ceiling and then it feels like I blink and the alarm goes off."
Rachel has done an inordinate amount of listening, this day. Though she's been conversational, taking part in the various discussions, those who stop to think about the amount she's shared about herself…well, it's been really minimal. Surface stuff. Sure, she's talked about stuff that she cares about — art, food, fighting the good fight, chasing one's joy — but, the deeper stuff…somehow, she manages to slip around it and move on. Very little is made public about her personal life prior to this day. While Alex is a bit freer with information about his family, Rachel seems to dodge talking about her own.
She probably ordered the strangest pizza of the group: a greasy pan pizza with double pineapple and mushrooms, which she dusts liberally with parmesan powder. She leaves no crusts behind, but dips hers in marinara, then cheese sauce, and devours the whole thing. Since the place doesn't offer her preferred A&W root beer, she chose to drink Sprite and she drinks a LOT of it as she eats. She's not shy about eating, either, which was hinted at earlier when she scarfed down that huge pretzel. She eats at least as much as everyone else…maybe more. Somehow, miraculously, her lipstick (still wearing: Rosemary's Placenta) remains in tact, unsmudged, and doesn't mark everything she's put her lips on. It's probably evil, whatever it is she's done to accomplish this.
"Wow," she says, chewing on an extra straw. "That sounds just fucking terrible. Like… Creature comforts are everything to me. I take two-hour baths while watching some k-dramas, smoking a big fat blunt, and drinking rose wine. Then, I walk around naked, dancing to my current obsession-music until I've air dried, and pass out for ten hours, dreaming about wild, psychedelic things, like chasing leprechauns on the back of a rainbow-farting, Lisa Frank-colored winged leopard named Tulip. It's about the most enjoyable thing I can imagine… and, you can't sleep. That's sadface, my guy," she says in her patented dreamy, disconnected way, shaking her head. "Maybe you ought to try that. I mean, customize it to yourself, 'course, whatever brings you joy. Y'know? What would that look like?" she asks, eyeing the menu surreptitiously for dessert options.
Gesturing with the bottle towards her, Alexander says with a smile, "Oh I've had dreams sometimes. But usually they're weird, and sometimes they mean something. So in a way, it's kind of nice to not have dreams? Like no nightmares, but no leprechauns or farting rainbows." So he at least caught that.
But she can see his pale blue eyes distancing as he tries to drum forth the equivalent of her experience, his eyebrows lifting a little as he looks askance, then his lips curl down as if accepting of whatever he comes up with. "When I get home after school, usually I catch up with my roomies, and we figure out dinner. But if they're not there?"
His lips twist and his smile is a little embarrassed, perhaps a hint of self-deprecation in the words. "I study?" Which might have multiple meanings to it. "Do my school work? Read some?" He scritches a fingertip along the stubble upon his cheek and adds, "I used to play video games." In the Before Time, during the Long Long Ago.
"Chemicals don't really do much for me."
Then he leans forwards, "Though hey, I do like to take a long shower after I work out. Like a big long steamy one where time just slips away?" His lip curves, as if having stumbled upon this small point that they might be able to share.
Rachel listens with a pleasant, neutral face. She can taste every emotion that filters through him, but it's an automatic thing — it just happens, she's not specifically looking for anything. But, it does help her read his mood and she knows he's hiding things from her. However, it doesn't bother her in the slightest. Everyone hides things. She's not one to throw stones, in any case. She also casts no judgment on how he spends his free time. Usually, people do what they like, even if it's to be productive and responsible. He must get something positive from it, or he wouldn't do it. Just because their ideas of relaxation and selfcare don't match up doesn't mean either of them are right or wrong. It's a personal thing, customized to the Nth degree.
"Long showers are very, very nice," she agrees, nodding her head, sending her glossy black locks swinging back and forth. "I've just found that my hot water doesn't last nearly long enough for the length of shower I want to take, so I do my baths. And, for all the people out there who say bathing is just stewing in your own filth, they don't know what they're talking about. 'Cause, like, Asian cultures have worked that out. You shower, first, scrub yourself clean, right? Then, you take as long of a soak as you want. Or, you can wash in the bath, soak, and rinse yourself with a quick shower afterwards. It's not that hard to work out, amirite?" she pontificates, clearly having an opinion, though there's no heat to her words. It's that same, pleasant-but-detached way she says, well, everything. It's hard to know what she's actually /feeling/.
She holds up a finger, stands up and goes to the counter for a minute. When she comes back, she's got four big, warm, fresh chocolate chip cookies and a thing of cold milk. She offers the three other cookies up, while she begins nomming on her own, twisting the plastic cap off of the mini milk jug. "What're you studying? I'm not a student at the campus, but I'm kinda thinking about it. I like art a lot and I've been really interested in photography. That's actually why I was on campus, today. I was gonna see some of the photography majors about this inspiration I had about a photo-series. Weirdly enough, it was on the day I met Robbie, when I got that inspiration, I mean," she muses thoughtfully.
"History," Is his answer springing forth in response to her question so quickly and easily enough that there's no hint of subterfuge there, even in his emotions. She can tell there's a lovely vibe to him, upbeat, enthused, enjoying the evening and the conversation. But there's a subtle duality to him, an edge of tension that seems to be there like a steady hum in the background of his emotional makeup.
"Sort of… a thing, with my dad and all. I already learned a lot of it, so when I took the classes in school it was pretty easy. And you go towards things you have positive experiences with." Some introspection slips into his thoughts, as if he wonders if it's a wise choice or if he's just taking the easy path. He gestures with one hand to the side as if that was all the explanation really needed with his words.
But then she elaborates as to her own wishes of study and he smiles along, giving a small nod of his head as she speaks. Then she brings Robbie to the fore and he offers his insight. "Robbie seems nice. I mean, for a guy that can summon forth flaming chains and a skull head. But really seems like a nice guy. Dwayne too." There's a brief moment of reflection as he perhaps reviews what had passed earlier.
Then his lips twist into a hint of a mischievous half-smile when he adds, "Though I think Robbie likes you. On the edge of it you can kinda see."
She runs her fingers through her hair a few times, leaning back a bit in her seat, as she listens to Alex talk about his major and his family. "What's a thing with your dad? And, like… Do you have to do what he wants? 'Cause I can tell you that parents often don't know what's best for their kids. Lots of parents were never meant to be parents. Some of them do their best, but some are beyond redemption," she says, her voice sounding a little…flatter, much less dreamy. But only for a moment, before she changes the topic deftly by asking, in that whimsical way of hers, "…Who is your dad, again? I mean, uncle is Hades, but doesn't he have lots of brothers? All that mythological genealogy is so tangly, from what I recall."
She returns partial attention to her cookie, which is already half eaten, and her milk as she listens. "We all have our surprises, don't we?" she gives a cryptic half-smile that doesn't reach those lavender eyes. "I was certainly surprised when Robbie's skull-flesh melted away and revealed that flaming metal skull that roared with hellish noises. I've seen scarier things, but it was still pretty 'whoa' for a guy I've watched eat fries and talk about cars." She pauses, drinking from her milk, looking thoughtful. "But, today was the first time I've ever seen you or Dwayne, so everything's a surprise coming from you two. It's a shame Dwayne is basically nuded every time he puts his armor on. On hot days like this, oof. Rip, y'know?" she says, using slang of the youths of today. Gamer culture is strong, nowadays, and she's not immune to it.
At that comment, about Robbie liking her, Rachel lifts both brows. "Whaaaaaaaat? He hardly knows me. Maybe he likes how I look, or maybe I make him feel more comfortable by also being abnormal, having powers and all. But, he doesn't like /me/," she shakes her head with a breathy exhalation of laughter. "Naw." Then, after finishing her cookie, she notes, "Not like I'd know what to do with that, even if he did. I kinda suck at that stuff."
"His name is John Aaron." Alex meets her gaze and he smiles a little, "Ares," He offers, then as if it might clarify in case she might not know who he is he adds, "God of War." But it's curious, while Raven might not get along well with her parents, Alex is… proud? Proud of his father. There is true warmth and affection there, and perhaps a thing close to love though there are layers of something entangling all those emotions, diluting them.
It's then that he leans over and smiles as he meets her gaze, an eyebrow cocking as if making sure it's alright for him to snag one of those cookies, and even if it isn't he might very well snatch one. Whatever the case he breaks off a piece and starts to nibble it as he speaks to her, "Yeah, it was crazy how we all came together. I do believe in Fate," Capital F. "And I think this probably means something." But he doesn't offer conjecture beyond that.
Her reply about Robbie though has him smiling. For her speaking with him, it might be a curious thing compared to so many others. Oh he does have the small subtle twists at times, hesitance as he doesn't speak perhaps fully to the issue at hand. But most of the time, he is this beacon of sincerity that is unlike how most people his age conduct themselves. "I hear that. Before I started school I had a girlfriend for a bit, but…" There's a small inner twist as a pang of sadness alights upon the youth's thoughts, "It didn't end well."
Since Rachel got extra and specifically offered up the three she wasn't currently eating, she doesn't seem to mind when Alex goes for one. She encourages him with a nod and an ushering hand, and grabs another for herself. "God of War, eh? Well, there are worse things," she offers up mildly, smiling blandly. Rachel gets on well with her mother, but her father's another story altogether. She doesn't talk about this, though. She never talks about it, if she can help it. And, she can usually help it. "What, you mean how we were all in the same place when some woojy stuff happened?" she asks. "I believe we make our own fate. No matter what your circumstances are, the choices you make are what defines you," she says with a hint more conviction than she normally allows into her outwardly expressed emotions. Her cheeks feel a little warm, but she doubts the momentary flushing is all that noticeable. She takes another deep drink of milk and shakes it off, mentally, finding her center, again.
"Condolences," she cheerses her mini milk jug with his beer bottle. "Romance is a rough thing to deal with when you've got other things to deal with that create things like "extenuating circumstances," and "life-threatening situations. It takes a lot of understanding on the part of the partner, whether or not they're a super," she says, exhaling a long breath. "I mean, I want romance, but I dunno if I can have it. If that makes sense," she lifts and drops her shoulders a few times, in quick succession. "Sorry for your loss, though, bro," she bumps his foot lightly with her own, kind of like affection, but weird. Like her.
"See," Alex bites another bit of cookie, picking out a chocolate chip from the edge of it and popping it into his mouth. "I sorta know that the Fates are a thing. You know? I've met them, they're not very nice." Considering that they often enjoy rubbing one person's thread of life against another's until one or the other snaps.
He does, however, concede the point by adding, "Thing is, it might just be that way for like…" He waves to himself instead of voicing the word 'Olympians' since he's still not used to talking about it so nonchalantly.
The beer bottle then clunks a bit against her milk jug as he settles back into his seat, slouching a little once again. He listens to her words and smiles down as he looks at the bottom of his beer, then sets it aside. Since beer doesn't really go well with cookies.
Then she offers that apology and he says, "Hey, it's ok. Things happen. We still sorta talk now and again, but. You know. Email." When she bumps his foot his smile broadens a little and he shakes his head, a subtle shift of embarrassment slipping into his thoughts there for a moment.
"Well, I sure hope so," Rachel says with fervent truthiness. "I mean, I'd hate to think there are some powerful beings I'd need to beat the shit out of for the lot in life they've given some people. Y'know?" she smiles without humor, it's not a nice smile like her other ones, weird as they might be. "Like… Maybe these Fates only have control over the fates of certain people. Since you say they're mean and they have control over your fate, that really sucks a ding dong," she shakes her head. "I'd kinda like to know if they have any control over mine. If they don't, I'll beat them up for you," she winks, clicks her tongue, and shoots a finger-gun at you. "You don't even gotta worry, fam," she says dreamily.
Rachel nods, listening. "Well, hey. It's better than no talking, depending on the situation. Right? She's not dead. If things were amicable between youse, then, well, that's good. You can keep in touch. When you're older, you can both reminisce about your beautiful young love, and it'll hopefully be warm feels you get from it. But, hey. I'm no expert. I just sorta…live vicariously through people who might not know better than I do, but seem to suck at it less than me, so," she grins crookedly, lifting open palms to the ceiling in another shrug of sorts. "So, uh, what's your advice about Robbie? If he does put the moves on me, what do I do? I dunno how to navigate this kinda stuff. I don't really know him and I don't wanna give the wrong impression, or shut him down too harshly. Maybe I would wanna date him. I dunno, really. I'm just kinda…well, you know," she wrinkles her nose.
The blond youth's smile is a warm thing, offered freely as he shakes his head and looks away. She can feel with that touch of empathy the amusement, and the way he's dealing with it by acting like she's embarrassing him. Even so far as to having a small flush to his cheeks. And when she calls him 'fam' he looks back to her, meeting her gaze and says with such kindness and sincerity, "You are such a dork."
But he laughs, and it's rare for him to do so. Though when she expounds further he turns back to listen to her, giving a nod about his ex not being dead, and true they do keep in touch. And then she actually /asks/ for his advice and his eyebrows rise. "Oh man, I am so not much of an authority on things."
But it's clear he takes this somewhat seriously as he rounds back and settles his legs under the booth, ankles crossing with the toes of his sneakers just in front of hers. "I mean…" He uncurls a hand towards her as if offering for her to take the words from him. "In the past, when things have been crazy in my life, I've talked to someone who was sort of into me. And I had to tell her that I wasn't really datable since…" He pauses, but then just says it, "Since I was back from this big trip and I was feeling really down…" He looks to the side and stops sharing that part.
Instead he shifts gears, "I told her the truth? As far as I could recognize it? I mean none of us know how we're really going to feel one minute to the next, right? We can make an estimate, and try to operate on that. But love can come out of nowhere?"
It's clear he's given some measure of thought to it and his rhythm of speaking is quick, truthful in a way she can touch with her empathy. "But I told her that in the place I was, I didn't think I was able to date anyone. That there are a lot of hurdles between me and what could be considered happiness?" He looks at her and scrunches one eye up, trying to find the right words. "So for her not to wait for me, but to open herself to the world and the options out there. And who knows what the future might bring but that I didn't think with how things were now that we'd be able to come together." There, that might explain it.
Sure. She can sense the emotions that ping through Alex, but she just naturally assumes they're not related to her or anything she's doing or saying, because Rachel's kind of a dope like that. She assumes they're from memories of others, or something like that. But, the fact that he's smiling and kindly calling her names, Rachel considers this a success! He was feeling down and, somehow, she's made him feel less so. "I'm too pretty to be a dork," she says in a faux-snobbish, lofty manner, doing a hairtoss and pretending to preen. Her makeup IS pretty boss, though, and all perfect, despite the heat of the day, and her eating a whole pizza and two cookies.
"Look, you've had a girlfriend, before. I've never dated anyone, 'cause I've mostly been very antisocial and studying stuff. Now, though, I'm around people more frequently. I need to figure out how to handle it if they start flirting with me, one way or another. If I like it, I think I could flirt back, but if I'm not feelin' it…I don't want to be nasty about it, unless they're scumbags, or whatever. Y'know? So, like.. Just share your thoughts," she nudges his feet with hers, again, as she cajoles in her weird little way.
Then, she goes quiet and her lavender eyes are intense as she pays close attention, thinking about her experiences with emotions and personal interactions, and how these things might go, if she were to take his advice. After a prolonged moment of contemplation after he's finished speaking, Rachel nods her head. "That sounds really reasonable and like good advice. Like, there'll be disappointment, but that's how life is, right? Ups and downs. And, the fact that you didn't close the door all the way…just kinda pointed to a much wider array of options… Well, that was nice, and probably made it easier for her to swallow that rejection," she replies, playing with the top of her milk jug. She's making it spin on its edge. "Rejection gets a really bad rap, as a word. Sure, it's rarely a pleasant thing, but it's not automatically negative in nature. Like, I'm not sayin', "Fuck you!" if I say, "no, thanks." Right?"
"I dunno about that, Dorkiness is a thing that works across all demographics," Alex says with that same half-smile, looking at her with that somewhat sardonic tilt to his features. He does finish up that cookie, however, dusting his fingers on a nearby napkin and then tossing it on his plate.
When she asks him, however, about the give and take of flirtation, and nudges him with her feet… he lifts a hand and rubs at the back of his neck thoughtfully. "That's… I'm so not the best guy for you to ask this of. I mean," He looks up and meets her eyes, mouth closed but his lips turned with that wryness she's seen. "If you like them, flirt back. If you think you'd like to know them, know them, find excuses to be around them and to touch them. Ask them about themselves." His lip twists, "Or ask them about yourself. Enough talking about me, what do /you/ think about me?" Those last few words he shifts his voice a little silly.
Then he seems to recognize something and uncurls his hand to gesture at her, "If you're not interested, and this person is your friend, there are some ways you can dissuade them. Like, talk about another person you like, or your boyfriend or girlfriend?"
His smile is still warm as he settles his slouch deeper in his chair, then listens to her thoughts on his approach to rejection, "Well also it's very honest. And that's important. To me I mean. I mean I can't know how things are going to be. And I don't know myself entirely. But I have a good idea."
Rachel wrinkles her nose and furrows her brows in a little "hmph!" face as he insists that she could, in fact, be a dork. "No way. If anything, I'm a snacc, maybe an e-girl, but definitely not a dork!" she asserts in that lilting way, crossing her arms and using her TK to send the plastic milk cap zooming toward him, aiming at his chest. She has good aim, but he's got enhanced reflexes, so he can easily bat it away. The fact that this back-and-forth teasing is almost certainly flirting is really escaping her notice. Perhaps it's because he's still grieving his lost girlfriend. It's definitely thrown her off the scent, if there is one to pick up.
She listens with interest, because becoming better at personal interactions is something she takes very seriously, as he continues to talk. "Or, you could mention being sad about the one that got away, letting them know you're still pining for another?" she asks — not pointedly, at all, but honestly mentioning it as a potential option. "Being truthful is necessary. For me, anyway. Being open and communicative… But, there are just some things that are too hard to talk about, especially at first. Some secrets need to be kept, for a while, anyway. Maybe forever. What do you think about that?" she wonders, leaning forward and resting her chin in her hands. "Also… What if you like someone, but the idea of being with them scares you a lot? What if you, like, spazz out and run away when they want to kiss you or something?" she chews on her lower lip, her canines a /bit/ too sharp to be normal. She's also got a little diamond in the middle of both of them? Weird.
"I'm not… pining." She can feel the faintest rustle of umbrage in his emotions, as if not caring for that characterization as it conjures a negative image of himslf in his mind's eye. "More just aware?" Then, of course, he's bopped with a little milk lid that smacks him square in the center of his chest. "Heeey."
Leaning over to scoop it up off the floor, he sets it on the tabletop with a faint metal clink, then gives her a glower that's all show. He tells her in response to the thoughts about secrets and he says, "I mean, I know some secrets you need to keep. But if you're meaning from like, a significant other? I think if you're going to bind yourself to someone for the rest of your life…"
But then he stops in mid thought as if only then. /Just/ then realizing something and she can feel an abrupt just huge pang of sadness that blossom for a moment, reaching high in his feelings and in his thoughts, and then quickly it's crushed under what might well seem a herculean force of his own will power. Perhaps it's surprising for that first touch of sadness, or perhaps it's more surprising to realize that his strength of conviction is so strong. And as quick as that, it's gone. Back to normal as he puts on a happy face over it.
"I mean, if it's you and your partner, a team against the world? You shouldn't have secrets from each other, right? A relationship built on false pretenses is kinda in danger before it even begins."
A nod is given when he offers that insight, "And hey, if you spazz out and run away, and they're into you, they'll probably forgive you."
Robbie has left to go check on his little brother, something that seemed understood by the rest of the group. But as Phobos and Raven chat about significant others and the noble art of spazzing out, the VROOM of his 1969 Dodge Charger a clear sigh of his presence before he enters the pizza place proper.
He wore the same clothes and otherwise the same expression, before he smirks at Phobos and Raven. "Hey you two. Mind if I butt back into the conversation or is it private?" He waves a gloved hand as he stops a few feet from the booth.
Judging from his general calm, his little bro must be perfectly fine.
Rachel can't help herself. She grins pretty genuinely when he complains about the bottle cap assault, and the accompanying glower. If he's good at noticing things, he'll see that this expression isn't quite so…spacey and awkward. But, it's gone pretty quickly as she regains her composure. "Yes, absolutely. There shouldn't be any secrets between you and the person you're gonna be with /forever,/ but who can know when you've found that person when it's early in the relationship? Like, you don't want to reveal some secrets until you *know* it's the right person… 'Cause some secrets change things. Like, if your girlfriend didn't know you're related to Hades and then the crow people come calling. Y'know? You didn't choose to reveal it to her, and then it's kinda out there and…it gets awkward. So, you have to be smart about it. Choose the right person and the right time…"
Rachel is rambling, but this is because she has her own secrets. Dangerous secrets. Secrets she wishes she could erase from her life, so she didn't have to know about them, so they weren't true… She doesn't want to tell anyone her secrets, doesn't want anyone to find them out. But, she also wants a good relationship, one day. So, best to try to sort this sticky wicket out before that happens. It's distracting, however, when Alex gets that massive surge of sadness, and she blinks a bit as he chokes it back down, repressing it like a champ. Oof. "Well, I hope so. 'Cause I might do that or worse. Who knows," she says, trailing off as she hears Robbie's voice coming from behind her.
Turning half-way in her seat, she waves, "C'mon over, Robbie. There's still a cookie if you want one," she offers with one hand. "Actually, I want s'more. So, I'm gonna go get more. I'll get more milk, too," she says, lightly smacking her empty milk bottle down on the table. Then, she gets up from the table and heads over to the counter, casting a cryptic glance back at the boys as she goes.
Going along with Rachel's words, Alexander givs a nod as he listens, even somehow managing to follow along despite the somewhat randomness of it. But then he shrugs and he smiles, "Yeah, but see, if you write it all off as just the work of three bitter blind old women in the sky, much easier to surrender yourself to whatever happens." His lip twists upwards.
Then Robbie wanders back and Alex gives a nod and a smile, edging further into the booth to make room if he wanted to take a seat next to him or next to Raven. "Hey, just shooting the breeze. Figuring stuff out about all the crazy that's been going on." Simple as that, really.
Robbie catches at least a little bit of Raven's rambling before she invites him proper. Letting Raven exit the booth, he sits down and ends up somewhat next to Alex as Rachel shoots them both a cryptic glance.
"Oh good, then I didn't miss much. Its been a bit of a day. So…you really think this fate…destiny business brought us all together?" He asks Alex, wanting to know his thought process.
"Yup," And for a time Alex sort of just looks at Robbie as if that's going to be all he says at all about that hugely complex and crazy topic. But then he breaks into a grin and says with a smile, "I mean… I've met them. They're… really strange and unhappy. They're these three women that are above Olympus, and they have their scissors and all of these… strands around them."
He waves a hand to the side, as if arguing against himself, "But I mean, it could be just for those of us who… have connections to them, right?" He gives a small shrug, "Still. You gotta give some weight to the sheer coincidence of what happened out there."
Rachel's expression makes it clear that she feels that Alex's comment about the Fates is a cop-out and doesn't really answer her question, but she's not gonna force him to answer it, either. Especially since Robbie's back and probably a very, very welcomed distraction from the grilling Rachel'd been doing to poor Alex.
Up at the counter, she orders six more cookies and three mini-jugs of milk. She leans her back against the counter as she waits for the order to be completed, and she watches the boys at the booth in the corner, canting her head to one side as she considers them from afar. She wonders what they're talking about. She narrows her eyes thoughtfully, but is drawn from her introspection as the server catches her attention with the tray clattering on the counter behind her.
Bringing the six large, warm cookies back to the table, she has a variety, two of each: chocolate chip, peanut butter, and snicker doodles. She puts the tray on the table and grabs a milk jug for herself. "So! Take your pick," she says robustly as she sits back down on her chair, which puts her on the other side of the table, where they all make a kind of triangle. "I definitely want a snickerdoodle and a peanut butter. You two can fight over the rest," she grins and slides her cookies over to her plate.
Robbie just….goes quiet for a hot minute before Alex decides to elaborate. "Three women with scissors and thread huh? They sound pretty intense." Like their idea of a girl's night out is using those scissors as a weapon on tapestry.
But even Robbie has to admit that all four of them in the same place at the same time with good teamwork? can't bat an eye at that.
Then Raven returns. With cookies! Robbie snags a cookie (chocolate chip) and he looks between the two of them. "So….what do we think of this Dwayne guy?" He seems to be the most normal out of all of them.
Alex is still working on the original chocolate chip that he had been given by Raven, so he leans to the side, shoulder against the wall of the booth, bringing one foot up to rest beside him so he can look at them both equally easily.
"Dwayne seems good. Complex, but good." The youthful deity does, however, snare one of the jugs of milk and twists the top off it, then tears open the foil cap. "But we were all just getting down to stories. Like your thing, Robbie. What's the deal with that?" Alex asks as he tilts his head to the side, gazing curiously at the other fellow.
Then he tilts a look over at Raven, "And you? Did you study to do magic or is it just instinct stuff?"
"Well, as far as I'm concerned, I was born with my abilities. I have telekinesis and empathy powers… I was actually kept away from magic, though I have a raw talent for it. I'd need to do a whooooooole lot of studying before I could do anything with it, without causing a lot of trouble for myself and others, so. I mostly just do my thing with emotions and telekinetic wooj. It's worked well enough for me, so far," she says casually enough. 'Course, she's practically never free of that detached, dreamy way of speaking, but it's pretty well established with you guys, right?
"I dunno anything about Dwayne, really. He's very wealthy, and doesn't mind letting people know it. He smells good. He dresses very well, and doesn't care if his armor rips up that expensive stuff, so… He's got a nice car. And, he seems to be very…focused. Like, he takes opportunities and doesn't let them slip by him. He's very disciplined, emotionally. Super controlled. He's got a bunch of anger beneath the surface. But, again, really got a handle on it. I think he's really business-like, and when he's being chummy, it's to serve a purpose. Not to be actually friendly. That's my impression so far." She quiets down, then, focused on enjoying her snickerdoodle. Mmmmm.
Robbie looks at Alex as he speaks about Dwayne. "I can tell he's got a past, that?s about it. I usually don't dig deep until I go carrot top." A subtle joke about his Ghost Rider identity. Speaking of that…"Well, the deal….was a deal. Got shot a few times, spirit of a killer brought me back to life and fused with my soul. His name is Eli and he says hi." He crosses his arms for a second before he sighs.
"Its a bit more complicated than that, but that?s the gist." He then looks at Rachel as she explains what she can do. "Fair enough. I don't know anyone who could teach you, but if we dig, we could find someone or thing." He shrugs.
"So, a demigod, a hellhunter, a telekinetic empath, and a rich dude walked into a pizza place today.." the thought makes Robbie laugh.
Looking at each in turn as they offer what insight they have about their past and their connections, Alexander follows along and seems rather attentive as they speak. Though Robbie's tale earns a bit of curiosity, the youth leaning forwards a touch as if to catch all of the other fellow's shifts of tone and emphasis.
At the last he nods and lets his lip curve upwards, "Yeah. I can sorta imagine. I mean my turn?" He looks towards either of them as if they might be inclined to cut him off. When he likely doesn't receive the negatory he draws his leg up against his chest, back still against the wall beside the booth, foot flat on the partial seat beside him.
"Short and to the point, grew up, knew my dad was weird. Ten years old, got kidnapped to lead an army for a god of evil, fought my dad, thought I'd killed him. Got all mad, killed the bad guy. And…." He gestures slightly to the side, "And became the god of fear?" As if it were simple as that.
"So yeah."
Rachel listens to the stories with interest. It's fascinating, learning about the two of them, being able to put a background to the people she's recently met…because they're definitely engaging stories. She hasn't really told her background, but they seem satisfied enough with what she's shared. So, she'll leave it there, for now.
"God of fear? How does that work, exactly? Can you control emotions, too?" she asks, sounding more involved, once more. She hushes up and reinvests her attention to her cookies and milk, mentally reprimanding herself for letting slips happen more and more. She's not usually this…social with people for such a prolonged period of time. It's good practice, anyway. Just keep it together, Roth. She clears her throat and smiles strangely, again, back on her a-game.
Dwayne Taylor seems to have dealt with his wardrobe issue, now in Yeezys and jeans and a t-shirt that probably cost more than some people's rent, even though it's just a plain white tee. What might be most striking is that he's standing across the street and just watching. His hands in his pockets, idly passing the time. He might even look a little sinister to some - young black men lurking in the shadows in neighborhoods like this, unfortunately, tend to attract the wrong kind of attention.
But he's watching them nonetheless. Watching them get to know each other, grow at ease. He can read lips here and there, but mostly doesn't bother. He doesn't care about their secrets. He can find them out in time, without much effort. He wants to see if they work. He wants to see the alleles line up and the electrons bond. If they can't hold, they won't be much use for him as a nucleus.
But so far, he likes what he sees. So he steps across the street and starts heading for the shop.
Robbie doesn't know that Dwayne is nearby, since Eli (the spirit that allows Robbie to turn into the Ghost Rider) can only detect - evil - presences like most demons and some people. Nevertheless, he looks at Alex as he finishes telling his own tale, and seems somewhat flattered that Alex was even somewhat interested in Robbie's tale. It was nice to have people actually be intrigued instead of afraid or shocked for once. "Your turn indeed." Robbie teases him.
He leans forward then at the 'almost killed my dad and lead an army for the god of evil then killed said god of evil'. "….who's your dad again?" Is Robbie's first question, he probably wasn't around if Alex had mentioned it before. "God of Fear, huh? You make people afraid?" Simple questions to go along with Raven's own.
In terms of a group? This is the first that Robbie's actually liked. Not that he's clicked easily with people before, but this one? Works well.
"Oh he's, um, John Aaron. But, yeah. Ares. God of War." His smile is there a little apologetically as if he were apologizing for his dad once again, 'sorry for all that war, guys.' But then they inquire about his powers and he's taken aback.
"Ahhh," Alexander seems to almost visibly wilt as he draws back a little further in the corner. "It's hard to explain." He says as he looks between Rachel and Robbie, meeting their gaze with his own blue eyes and chewing the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. After a few moments of reflection he murmurs, "And complicated."
His hand flattens upon the tabletop and then he turns it over, curling fingers back into a fist and then open again. "Last time I used them, I was at this… get together. Not so much a party. Just, people. From my old school hanging out."
He nudges the last bits of his cookie with that hand and crinkles his nose, "Some of them knew about what went down, since well, parts of it were hard to deny since my dad got busted in the middle of the school, and there was this big showdown with cops and the FBI."
He takes a deep breath, "And I was young, and stupid." As if he were so much older now. "And they asked me to show them what I could do, well. I didn't really entirely know. But I tried…"
One hand lifts to rub at the back of Alexander's neck, his expression shifting a little displeased, perhaps a touch of anger at the situation past, and a touch of sadness at what was lost. "I didn't know how bad it could be, and how bad it was for them. When someone confronts their greatest fear it's like… it goes past what image they have of themselves, and it's just… severe. I saw them see just… the worst things imaginable. And it was horrible."
He spreads his hands a little as if having cut himself free of any blame, as if it was none of his concern. "Sooo, they never spoke to me again. And since then… yeah. I sorta just get by without doing the whole God of Fear thing."
Rachel knows Dwayne's nearby. He's close enough that she can sense his unique signature outside, across the street. He's thoughtful, focused, and feeling generally good about whatever he's thinking about. But, Rachel doesn't reveal his presence, yet. Instead, she's sampling the displeasure and guilt cocktail that Alex is serving up, at the moment. She wants to ease that discomfort, but such things aren't easily soothed with a few words. She could….exert her powers to help, but that's not very trustworthy and pretty presumptive.
Instead, she just offers a wave of sympathy and commiseration, so he doesn't feel so alone…as she explains, "Hey. We've all made mistakes and done things we wish we hadn't. Sometimes, it happens when we're first starting out and don't know how to control what we have… Sometimes, it happens because we exercise poor decision making… Whatever the case, it was a mistake and we all make 'em. We just work harder to do better, in the future. Mistakes are just lessons from which we can learn and grow. Right?" she says dreamily. Then, after a brief pause, she says, "Dwayne's coming." As the door opens, she points behind her, in the direction of the entrance.
The jingle of the bell at the door would've given him away anyway, but he seems to have expected to be noticed, giving a nod in Rachel's direction as he approaches the table.
"I ended up finding some other business nearby. And then, on the way back, I find you all still here. I think it would've been rude to just keep going," he says.
He pulls a chair up from nearby, straddling it and laying his arms along the arch at the top of the back support. "I presume everyone's sharing themselves. Their stories, their histories. Their reasons," he says. "Mine aren't very complicated. I lost my family. I lost my childhood. And now I dedicate myself to trying to keep that from happening to others. I'm lucky that I have the money and the resources and the training to do it right," he says.
"But I admit, I have begun to think…that I can't do it alone."
God of War. THE God of War. As in war incarnate?
Fun.
Robbie kinda whistles a little bit. "I bet your childhood was fun." its not meant to be demeaning, but rather an observation of how hard life may have been. The myths do not depict Ares as a particularly nice guy. But when he hears about Phobos's powers and the effect that he's had on people? Well, it reminds him of the effects of the Penance Stare as the Ghost Rider. Just sheer horror.
"Like Rachel said. We've all made mistakes. Lost control. Did what we didn't mean to do." he says in agreement with Raven…then she detects Dwayne.
"You can de-" then Dwayne walks through the door and Robbie is looking really impressed right now. When he hears Dwayne's story, Robbie gives a bit of a nod. He knows Dwayne doesn't need the apology…but its there in Robbie's eyes. "Good to see you Dwayne." But when he mentions not being able to do it alone, Robbie takes a breath. He knows what was about to be propositioned most likely.
"It was… complicated." There's that word again used to describe the past. As Rachel and Robbie respond, Alexnder smiles to them both and gives a small nod, accepting the attempts at perhaps making things seem less negative, perhaps just trying to put things behind. So he leaves it there at that.
But then he follows Rachel's gesture and looks to the door, perhaps catching Dwayne as he's stepping through. A hand lifts to offer greeting and wave him on over even as he calls out, "Hey."
Yet as it takes a little bit of time for Dwayne to wander over, Alex looks to the others, "Thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it, guys." Though Rachel might sense that he doesn't exactly take them all to heart.
When Dwayne makes it to them he'll give a nod and a smile. Then shifts back into his seat as Thrasher relates his own tale. Nodding slowly he takes a deep breath, sighs a little. "The more I hear of everything surrounding us, I really do sorta feel like maybe this wasn't all coincidental." And that does concern him.
Rachel scooches her chair over to make room for Dwayne, and settles into being quiet, listening as he shares his story. When he's done, she remains silent and waits to hear what the others have to say. She's feeling rather…overexposed, since she's done so much talking, today. She looks contemplative and spacey as she munches on her peanut butter cookie and takes long, deep gulps of her milk. "I still hope those Fates don't have any designs on messing with me, 'cause I'm not cool with that," she mutters under her breath.
She inhales and closes her mini-jug of milk and purses her still perfectly made-up lips. "I'm bad with commitment. I suck at relationships. I've got secrets I don't want to tell. I'm not trained to be in a group, though I suppose it wasn't too bad when that happened earlier. I'm not sure I'm good material for a group, if that's what you're thinking, Dwayne. I'm not sure I'm good material for friendship or anything other than a passing acquaintance. You know? Trouble can follow me. It can be unpredictable. I don't want that kind of responsibility," she says, sounding kinda flat, deflated, a little hollow and numb. "I think your goals are noble, but I'm not that great. Not fishing for compliments, here, just being as honest as I can be," she says with a more serious tone than usual, and her lavender eyes meet Alex's briefly, as she talks about honesty.
Dwayne Taylor shakes his head, "I'm not asking for any commitments. I'm definitely not suiting anyone up for uniforms. But I do think…it's good to have people you can rely on. People to watch your back. There's an old saying, that to a man with a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail. I definitely have a hammer. But I'm starting to think I need to diversify the tools at hand," he says, then pauses.
"Er, not that you guys are tools. Just a metaphor."
"What I mean to say is, there's no reason we can't continue to pursue our own interests and still work together on occasion. I could easily get us a space to meet, equipment. Network us in some way so that we can remain in contact. And if we find anyone else who might fit the bill, who might work well with us…well, we can see about that. But I do feel like there's an opportunity here with pursuing."
Well…it looks like Phobos is already in on it, considering his belief and affirmation of the Fates. Robbie's not entirely sure he believes it but if his dad is the God of War…kinda deal breaks it, doesn't it?
Though Raven seems to be fairly against it at the moment, Robbie looks at her. "Everyone needs help. Even me." and he's doing pretty damned fine by himself. "But what if we run into a threat that we can't handle on our own? What if something happens, and we lose? Its why we have friends. A group. A team. Even if each of us are our own messes, it'd be nice to have others to count on."
Even though Robbie is effectively a loner, he rubs the back of his neck. He looks at Dwayne then. "Alright…" Robbie says with a sigh. "I'm in."
Well, Robbie was easy. But thats probably because Eli was whispering in Robbie's ear that this could turn out to be in favor of them.
Looking around the table, Alexander sort of takes in each person in turn, listening to their thoughts about this possible team thing, or sharing common goals. He meets Rachel's gaze and smiles a little then shrugs a bit bonelessly, before he follows along with Dwayne's train of thought.
When Robbie accepts and says he's in, Alex looks over at him with eyebrows raised, then gives a small shrug and a nod as if accepting it. He makes a small hm sound before offering his own point of view.
"I mean, I do think we came together for a reason. And if you need my help down the line I can try." His smile curls up a little. "Just, like you said, we all have our own stuff going on. I kinda need to graduate. I haven't really done the hero thing." And all it entails.
Rachel nods her head as she listens to Dwayne explain himself, expand on his thoughts in more detail. It doesn't sound as cloying as she was thinking it might be. It doesn't hurt to have friends you can call on, if you need them, no. But, she's not trying to invite her problems into their lives, either. Not only would it reveal too much about her, it would change how they think of her, for sure. If she gets too attached to the group, well…that'd suck. But…
She snaps out of her reverie to listen to the others and also get a read on their emotional balances. Who's feeling hesitant? Who's feeling confident? Who's excited? The general read seems positive. "It's not that I think I don't need help, Robbie Reyes. It's more that I don't want any of my problems crashing into you guys. I like helping. I just don't want to cause more trouble," she clarifies. "But, here," she grabs a notepad and pen out of her messenger bag and scribbles something on three sheets of paper. She slips one to each of them. On it, her name and phone number.
"Call me any time. If I don't answer, I'll get back to you when I can," she says and stands up, slinging her bag over her head and positioning it comfortably on her shoulder. "I really gotta head out, now, guys. I need to talk to a photography major, if I can find her. See ya~" she says and heads out of the place without a backwards glance. She's got some pep in her step, which could be read as enthusiasm, but…really, she just needs to get away before she opens her mouth and says other dumb things she didn't mean to say. The door swings shut behind her.
Dwayne Taylor collects the requisite information from those assembled (and those quickly disassembling, in Raven's case).
"I'll be in touch. Discreetly," he says. He's not sure if anyone has identities to protect.
One thing he doesn't have in common: he said they all had other things going on, other interests. Not true in his case. This is all he is and all he does. Anything else is just window dressing or keeping the lights on.
But he feels something in his chest after all this. He thinks it might be hope. He wouldn't know. Can't remember the last time he felt it.