Summary:A chance encounter while jogging in Central Park Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Its a wonderful day in Central Park. People are playing, talking, sipping coffee, enjoying the time. Its early afternoon, so most people are off to work or are currently suffering in the horribly-arranged offices of New York. However, some people, like teachers of certain schools, only have the one class and are now here taking the break.
Thats why Scott Summers, Math teacher at the Xavier's Institute, is sitting on a park bench. He wears a standard dark leather jacket with a gray shirt, some dark blue jeans, and some regular shoes. His Harley-davis motorcycle is parked on the side of the street (within legal parameters) and he adjusts his ruby quartz sunglasses just a little bit. He's currently sipping coffee.
He looks like he's in thought, but otherwise he sits alone.
When you can fly at Mach 5 without an airplane, you don't necessarily need to go running, but then again… sometimes it's nice to slip out where people don't expect you to be. Currently Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, is running through the park at perfectly human speeds, taking a leisurely jog this afternoon. Her hair is tied back by a blue scrunchie, and she's got on a USAF T-shirt and grey sweats. She runs along, almost moving past Scott's bench without saying a word… when she notices her shoelace came untied. Happens to everyone!
So, she stops running and walks over to the bench, waving at Scott, "Hey, mind if I borrow the bench a second?" Then, well, regardless of his answer she puts her foot on the bench and ties her shoe up again.
Scott sips his coffee when he notices perhaps the most famous air force operative ever…since she also become a cosmic superhero in the process. Giving her a smirk. "Sure, I don't mind. Free country and all that." Scott gestures to the bench spot beside him.
"So, whats Captain Marvel doing going on a jog when you can reach escape velocity?" Scott was apparently very amused at this. But given, he can't fly (he can technically push himself off the ground with his optic blasts, but… "If you don't mind me asking, anyway."
Carol snickers, "Habit, I guess. Plus, it's nice to get out once in a while where you aren't recognized…" She pauses, and gives Scott a wry expression, "Easily recognized, anyway. I should probably avoid wearing my Air Force gear when I do this, huh?" She grins and takes the offered seat, grabbing the water bottle clipped to her waistband and having a swig. Then she says, "Nice motorcycle, by the way."
"Sorry for ruining your stealth-swagger." Yes, despite popular opinion, Scott - does - have a sense of humor. But as she seems to humor him a little bit, he shrugs. "Might help just a little bit. Thanks, Harley-Davis. I'm not much of an engineer though, so its not special in any way, but just something to help me get from Point A to Point B…because you know, not everyone flies." he teases her casually.
"I'm Scott, by the way. Scott Summers." He offers Carol his hand.
Carol chuckles and takes the hand, "Carol Danvers, but you figured that out huh, Scott?" She gives the hand a shake, then lets go, "You'd think I'd be better at it having worked in the spy game for a while, but well…" She shrugs, then chuckles a bit, "Well, looks like you keep the bike in decent shape at least, so that's good. Always been a little partial to my Mustang, honestly. I like keeping her ready to go."
She pauses, "Even if you can fly, it's just… well, the principle of the thing." Especially for a fighter pilot!
Scott chuckles. "Nice to meet you officially, Carol." Clearly Scott doesn't fanboy, but rather he keeps a cool expression and demeanor about him. Calm and collected. "I don't see you being a spy at the moment, so I - guess - I'll give you a pass. As for the bike, well…having a mustang would be pretty cool. But I like the open road. I wanted to be a biker when I was a kid, but got smart, so thats the closest I'm getting to that."
Clearly he's joking…right?
"Principles define us, I guess. So then, are you even working up a sweat?" he asks of her jog.
Carol grins, "Nah, not really. For that I use the weight machines in the Avengers basement. Deadlifting fifty tons will typically do it." She winks, feeling somewhat at ease as she sips her water bottle, "You do seem pretty at ease though. Most people tend to be either super nervous or super flirty, and you're neither of those things. Not that I'm complaining either way, mind you."
Scott tilts his head. "I always found it funny. Ladies often assume I'm either uninterested in them romantically or I don't bat for that side. I just like to get to know people - before - I decide to date them or what have you. Unless your trying to tell me you'd like me to be either flirty or nervous?" He teases her, but clearly he's not intending to do either. "Maybe after I know you a bit better."
Should put Carol at ease, at least.
Carol chuckles, "Nah, just you have the attitude of someone that's in the same line of work as me, more or less. No big deal." She grins back at Scott, "And I prefer it if you're neither flirty nor nervous, but you do you." She does seem pretty relaxed though, but then… there's not really any reason for her not to be, honestly.
"Good. I don't like being put in categories." Scott says with a smirk to her as he leans back and continues to sip on his coffee. "So…whats it like?" He probably means what its like being Captain Marvel. "Lot of expectations on your shoulders, you know. I know the feeling, but you probably dwarf me like that." Scott says with a small grin on his face.
Carol hrms, "It's… well, yeah, there's a lot of pressure. Thing I found that helps is just to get yourself some people that understand it." She grins, "Honestly, if it weren't for the Avengers, I don't know if I could have made it solo. There's something about having a group of folks that have your back, you know?" Actually, he probably does, not that she knows it.
"Heh, yeah…I know what you mean." He does?! Scott keeps his attention on Carol, looking her in the eyes even if she's just staring back into…red-lensed shades. Sorry. Its either that, or she gets blasted in the face.
"I like being part of a group. You fall, they pick you up. Where you're weak, they're strong. All around, solid cure for loneliness too."
Carol nods, "Exactly. Not too many people get that. So many folks thing superheroing is all about one person, and it's just not. It's really where you have to work with other folks for maximum potential. Otherwise, well, that's how things go sideways." She shrugs, "But yeah, after traveling around in deep space for a while, loneliness is definitely a thing."
Scott looks to his coffee as he sips it, apparently finishing it off, then he tosses it at a trash can. Well, not really a trash can. It bounces off of a car harmlessly, THEN into the trashcan. Ricochet! Good thing it was empty. Or would ith ave mattered?
Scott is a master of trajection and proper angle geometry to make such a shot.
"Hope you solved the loneliness problem when you came back to earth. Though I imagine you have at least some badass stories to tell."
Carol arches a brow at the bank shot, then grins, "Ever think of playing for the Knicks with an eye like that? But yeah, I think I'm doing pretty good at the whole loneliness thing." She absently taps a golden torc around her throat, the front being a stylized wolf's head, then she chuckles, "Though, I think I do need to get going. Gotta finish the run and all that. Even if it doesn't matter too much… habits."
Scott looks at Carol as she suggests he play basketball. "Eh, not my thing. I'm more into Football and soccer. I don't think I'd be good at either." Are you kidding, he'd be a GOAT (greatest of all time). But he's humble. He notices the Torc on her neck. Uh…don't see those everyday.
Thats…one way to do a relationship, but Scott doesn't look like he's judging.
"Go have fun then. It was nice meeting you Carol. Try to stay out of trouble, yeah?"