Participants:
| Scene Title | I'm Normal, Missy! |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Rachel and Melissa meet, talk about jerks, normal vs special, and going AWOL. |
| Date | March 3, 2010 |
There's people in Old Lucy's, given that it is nighttime, and people like relaxing and drinking after work. Melissa, it seems, is no different. She's perched on a stool at the bar, her coat sort of bundled up half on, half off the bar, along with her hat, gloves and scarf. She's got a half gone cigarette settled between two fingers, and the other hand wrapped around a drink, while she looks around, people watching.
Rachel slips into Old Lucy's having heard from folks that it was a pretty good place if you wanted to get some drinks. She's in a fairly conservative dress, not really dressing up to go to a bar. Moving towards the bar, she smiles at the tender before saying, "Can I get a Sam Adams?"
Melissa glances over when someone new shows up at the bar, and since she's people watching, she looks the woman over briefly. Then, since she's such a friendly person, she offers Rachael a nod and drawled, "Hey."
Rachel looks over at Melissa as she is addressed, and she manages a smile, "Hi there." She nods gratefully to the tender when the beer is brought to her, and she takes a drink from it. Not entirely sure where to go with the conversation next.
Melissa grins at the uncertainty, and her head tilts. "Not used to random conversation starters in bars? At least from people not tryin' to get into your pants?" she guesses.
Rachel shrugs her shoulders a little, before replying, "I don't know. Just not terribly good at bar talk." She offers a smile, before looking around and saying, "Not really my forte, I'm afraid."
Melissa laughs and shrugs. "It takes practice, I guess," she says, putting her cigarette out. "Can leave you alone if you want. Just dyin' for some conversation from someone but Neanderthals, yanno?"
Rachel shakes her head before she says, "I'm not saying I don't want the conversation." She smiles, before adding, "I'm Rachel, by the way."
Melissa grins and offers her now free hand for shaking. "I'm Melissa."
Rachel takes the free hand and shakes it before she says, "Well, its nice to meet you." She smiles, taking another sip from her drink.
Melissa grins and nods. "And you. Always good to meet someone new. I like people. Most of the time. Even the assholes have their own kinda charm."
Rachel smirks a little before saying, "That's a rare gift, to like everyone."
Melissa busts out laughing. "Oh no, I didn't say I liked everyone. I said I like people. I don't like the assholes, they can just be…entertaining…sometimes."
Rachel grins and replies, "Well, you sounded like you meant everyone." She rolls her shoulders a bit and replies, "Well, they can usually be entertaining, I suppose."
Melissa grins and nods. "Yeah, guess I can see how you could get that. but really…Who actually does like everyone? I don't think even Gandhi could like everyone. He just had to keep from smacking them."
Rachel takes a drink, before she shrugs her shoulders and replies, "I think its a good skill to at least give everyone a chance."
"Oh, I can't argue that. But giving someone a chance doesn't mean that you like them," Melissa says with a shrug.
"Well, it could be construed that you like them somewhat," Rachel replies with a smile, another drink taken.
Melissa considers that for a moment, before she grins. "Or just that you don't not like them. I mean, take you for example. I’ve been talking to you for what? Five minutes? Not long enough to like you, but I don't dislike you either."
Rachel smiles faintly before she replies, "Well, I hope you don't dislike me. I like to think that I make some kind of favorable impression on people."
Melissa laughs and nods. "You do. Like I said, I don't dislike you. I just don't know you. But I'm sure if I did, I'd like you."
Rachel grins lightly before she says, "Well, that's always a good thing." Her eyes go around the bar once more before she asks, "So, what do you do around the city?
Melissa grins. "Of course it is. And I'm a manager at a club that'll be opening soon. I hope. you?"
Rachel shrugs her shoulders for a moment before replying, "I'm a protector of the peace, I suppose."
Melissa tilts her head, brows lifting. "Protector of the peace? You mean a cop or something?" she asks curiously.
"Sorry, was playing my little game of trying to find different ways to say my job. I'm a member of Frontline," Rachel replies with a small smile.
Melissa looks a little surprised. "Military evolved, huh? Can't say I've met anyone from Frontline before. Mind if I ask what your ability is? You don't have to tell me of course, I'm just curious."
Rachel smiles a little and replies, "Everyone wants to know." She rolls her eyes a little, taking another drink before adding, "Teleporter."
Melissa no longer looks surprised, she looks impressed. "Really? So you can just disappear and reappear anywhere you want? That's…wow. Wish I could do that."
Rachel shrugs her shoulders a little before she replies, "Its a little disorienting, more than anything, in my opinion at least."
Melissa considers, then she nods. "Yeah, I can see that. Sorta like when you wake up suddenly and your mind is still wherever you were in the dream?"
Rachel nods her head a bit and replies, "Yeah, but you kinda get used to it." She offers a smile, before shrugging her shoulders and repeating, "I'm nothing special, really."
Melissa laughs. "Oh bullshit. All evolved are special. And in the good way, not the short bus special sorta way."
Rachel snerks in to her glass as she empties it, before replying, "No, I am not special, or evolved. I'm just a genetic abnormality, I assure. Bad roll of the die."
Melissa frowns a little. "Now there I don't agree. Do you think that, say, Einstein was special? Or Beethoven?"
Rachel smiles lightly before she replies, "There is no evidence that either of them was evolved. Though, perhaps Beethoven, given his ear for music… despite becoming deaf."
Melissa shakes her head. "I'm not talking about evolved or not here. Would you say they were special?"
Rachel smiles before she says, "I would say that they were special minds. But they were both also free of any abnormalities, as I just stated."
Melissa laughs and shakes her head. "You're getting ahead of me, Rachel. They were special, in a way that hadn't nothing to do with genetics, right? So why can't you be special because you can do something extraordinary? People have been wanting to do what you do for decades. Why else would there be so many superhero comics?"
Rachel smirks faintly before she replies, "That's the difference, they want it. I'd be just as happy without this abnormality."
"Why?" Melissa asks. "Do you not like your power? Or do you not like how it makes others view you?"
Rachel looks at her, before she says, "I don't want to be special, that's the long and short of it."
Melissa nods. "Wanna be normal. I can get that. Normal people tend to want to be special, while a lot of special people want to be normal."
Rachel shrugs her shoulders before saying, "Want to be completely normal, just another soldier. Don't like being… in the limelight, as it were."
"Ever thought of disappearing? Name change and all that, so no one around you knows that you're not normal?" Melissa asks.
Rachel smiles faintly and replies, "Missy, they'd find me before I could take two turns. Not to mention I'd be going AWOL."
"Melissa, not Missy," Mel corrects. "Didn't think of the AWOL thing. Don't really talk to many people who are in the military."
Rachel shrugs her shoulders a little and replies, "Well, it is a wee bit important, since they could conceivably brand me a traitor, not to mention the heart ache it would cause my grandparents."
"Oh, didn't say it wasn't. Just not what my mind jumps to at first since I'm not in the military and have never had any military friends or family," Melissa says, shrugging.
Rachel nods her head a little, before she puts her glass down. "Well, was nice talking with you, but, I think I'm going to go ahead and head back to my barracks." She pays for her drink, before she turns to leave the place.
Melissa nods. "Good luck, with everything," she says, smiling reassuringly.