Participants:
| Scene Title | Magnes Makes Pizza |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Impromptu Messiah pizza party, with a Company agent's daughter at the table. |
| Date | April 28 2010 |
It's later in the afternoon, and as awkward as showing up at Panucci's can be with the girl he rejected living upstairs and all, Magnes showed up with some free time and the desire to curve his appetite for wanting to punch Teo in the face.
He's wearing a long sleeved black shirt with Nightwing's dark-blue design going across the chest and back and down the outside of his arms, and on his legs are his black jeans with thin dark-blue spirals going down them, and black snow boots.
He's behind the counter, helping Mister Panucci out after a bit of catching up, cooking pizza and serving the few locals still visiting the shop in this terrible winter. But right now there's only four people, a young couple sitting in a booth, and two older men in another booth, discussing something about Coney Island and various old timey things.
Also they're wearing newsboy hats.
Ash used to come to this particular pizza shop when he was a kid and had some spare money. Before powers, before the bomb, before everything, when he was just a kid, at school, and had nothing but homework to worry about. Huruma was given a call, as were a few others to see if they wanted to go get a pizza. A bit of an odd invite from the normally stoic Ash, but hey. As it is, it seems only Huruma answers his call. He walks over to a table near the window and settles down into a chair. His coat is shrugged off and tossed over the back of the chair before he leans back and relaxes a little bit, eyes sliding around the pizza shop. When they settle on Magnes the man snorts in amusement and his head is given a little shake, but, for the moment, he leaves the kid in peace and just waits for others of the red sash to show up if any are going to do so.
Lulu was cooking tonight, this generally means that Delia disappears to do her homework or something. Tonight, she felt like pizza and since most places in the five boroughs have been closed since the never-ending winter hit, she walked and walked and walked until finding the one pizza place within miles that's actually open. Panucci's.
The gust of wind that enters just ahead of her is fairly chilly, so the bundled up miss receives a few glares in her direction when she doesn't catch the door to close it right away. But soon, everything is right in the pizza parlor again because with the door closed, the patrons warm up.
Finding a table, she begins to unwind the long scarf from around her neck and pulls the toque off her head. As per usual, her hair is frizzy on the top and she just can't care enough to fix it. Her eyes travel over to Ash and then flit away before he has a chance to see her looking. Then she spies Magnes behind the counter and lets off a small groan as she tries to hide behind her pizza menu.
Storylines> Bow ties are cool> Magnes says, "It's funny that Delia almost instinctively dislikes Magnes. Disliking him has transcended personality and moved into smell."
To be quite honest with herself, Huruma only edged into the agreement to meet Ash mostly because she was already milling around the area for whatever reason. It only seemed reasonable that she take up his offer. Not to mention that her stomach has been growling all afternoon. It's a short while after Delia sits down that the door opens again, metal clicking open to admit Huruma in a thick jacket. The door shuts quite quickly, and the woman makes a point to not look over towards where Delia has sat herself. She can feel the girl there- and made a note of remembering her presence earlier- so if Delia feels the desire to be proactive, she can do so on her own terms. Huruma does, however, let her eyes skirt over Magnes and then towards Ash, who she promptly joins at the table.
"Th'only waterhole for blocks, hm?" Sort of accurate. Panucci took a daring thing on, by staying open.
"Huruma!" Magnes has noticed Ash, but Huruma's… well… Huruma. He moves from behind the counter, giving Ash a nod as well. "Just let me know what you guys want, it'll be on me." Though the other presence gets his attention too, and he glances over at Delia, marching toward her and tilting his head. "I can see you there, y'know. Why don't you join them? Free pizza." He motions over at Huruma and Ash's table.
Ash does catch sight of the young woman looking his way, but just chuckles lightly to himself when she darts her gaze away like that. He shrugs his shoulders in a slight fashion, and goes to scan the menu. It's picked up, looked over for a little while, the man's head tilting back and forth as he peers at it, like the words might change at any moment or something. When the door is opened again his gaze flits up towards Huruma, and there is some surprise on his features, perhaps not having thought she'd actually come. He doesn't know her as the most… sociable of people, though then again, neither is he.
When she settles at the table Ash flashes her a smile and shrugs his shoulders again. "I used to come here when I was a kid. Back before this city became a living nightmare and all hell broke loose. My mom and I would come up here when she had a few extra bucks and she'd get pizza for the both of us. Dad never found out thankfully, he'd have gone off in one of his drunken rages but… it was fun. Haven't been here in a long time." He looks over the menu a bit more, then looks up as Magnes approaches. "Superman." He comments to Magnes, it's a soft comment though, one that wont' carry much beyond their table, and it's accompanied by a sly look on the big man's features. Eyes flicker to Delia, then to Magnes, then finally back to Huruma, his head giving a slow shake.
When Magnes calls out to Huruma, Delia turns her head and smiles at the woman. "Hi Huruma~!" she sing songs and actually lifts her hand in a wave. It's still quite cold, her fingertips are still thawing with an angry pink color to them. Her eyes follow the tall woman as she sits down at the table with Ash and she purses her lips into a small 'o'.
he's still wearing that expression when Magnes steps to her table, her eyes still locked on both Huruma and Ash. When she finally breaks her rude stare, she gives Magnes a tentative smile and shrugs. "I don't know… they might not want me to go over there. It's rude to just invite yourself." Schooling people in manners is really not Delia's forte, it's more her father's… or even Lulu's. Her baby blues dart back toward the pair and she quirks her eyebrows up a little and then glances at Magnes. "Maybe… I'll let them get settled first."
"Huruma!" Magnes has noticed Ash, but Huruma's… well… Huruma. He moves from behind the counter, giving Ash a nod as well. "Just let me know what you guys want, it'll be on me." Though the other presence gets his attention too, and he glances over at Delia, marching toward her and tilting his head. "I can see you there, y'know. Why don't you join them? Free pizza." He motions over at Huruma and Ash's table.
Ash does catch sight of the young woman looking his way, but just chuckles lightly to himself when she darts her gaze away like that. He shrugs his shoulders in a slight fashion, and goes to scan the menu. It's picked up, looked over for a little while, the man's head tilting back and forth as he peers at it, like the words might change at any moment or something. When the door is opened again his gaze flits up towards Huruma, and there is some surprise on his features, perhaps not having thought she'd actually come. He doesn't know her as the most… sociable of people, though then again, neither is he.
When she settles at the table Ash flashes her a smile and shrugs his shoulders again. "I used to come here when I was a kid. Back before this city became a living nightmare and all hell broke loose. My mom and I would come up here when she had a few extra bucks and she'd get pizza for the both of us. Dad never found out thankfully, he'd have gone off in one of his drunken rages but… it was fun. Haven't been here in a long time." He looks over the menu a bit more, then looks up as Magnes approaches. "Superman." He comments to Magnes, it's a soft comment though, one that wont' carry much beyond their table, and it's accompanied by a sly look on the big man's features. Eyes flicker to Delia, then to Magnes, then finally back to Huruma, his head giving a slow shake.
When Magnes calls out to Huruma, Delia turns her head and smiles at the woman. "Hi Huruma~!" she sing songs and actually lifts her hand in a wave. It's still quite cold, her fingertips are still thawing with an angry pink color to them. Her eyes follow the tall woman as she sits down at the table with Ash and she purses her lips into a small 'o
She's still wearing that expression when Magnes steps to her table, her eyes still locked on both Huruma and Ash. When she finally breaks her rude stare, she gives Magnes a tentative smile and shrugs. "I don't know… they might not want me to go over there. It's rude to just invite yourself." Schooling people in manners is really not Delia's forte, it's more her father's… or even Lulu's. Her baby blues dart back toward the pair and she quirks her eyebrows up a little and then glances at Magnes. "Maybe… I'll let them get settled first."
When it comes to literally having nothing better to do, Huruma will do some strange things. Meeting someone she is not especially close to seems to count for this. After she has been sitting a few moments listening to Ash, the woman does tilt her head to look at Magnes and then Delia, who gets a slightly squinted look. "It's no'like you are very separated from us, Delia." Haha. Huruma was listening crystal clear. "D'you mind, Williams?" The tall woman inquires for Delia to Ash, chin tilting and brows lifting at him in vague hopefulness.
"Yeah, don't worry. Huruma's a good friend of mine, and Ash is just plain outvoted." Magnes laughs and motions a hand to their table again, before he's heading for the counter. "So what do you guys want? Me and Mister Panucci will whip something up. I still know my way around the kitchen."
Ash doesn't know Delia, but it's obvious the girl knows Huruma, and Magnes, and since well… they're all compatriots, he looks to Huruma with a questioning brow lifted, eyes flickering to Delia, then back, a clear question of whether she's okay with the other girl joining them or not. He doesn't voice it, just asks it with that look. He then leans back into his chair. "I’m looking at a sausage, ham, black olives… aaaaand…" he peers at the menu for a few moments. "That'll be good." He glances to Magnes, then fishes his wallet out despite the fact that the young man said it was on him.
Attention pulls back to Huruma and his head is given a slow shake. "not at all." He might not know Huruma very well, but they've fought together on several occasions, first working for Adam, and now working for… whoever runs Messiah. The man's fingers play with the red scarf looped around his wrist a bit, then he just leans back in his chair and watches Magnes head off.
Taking it as an invitation, Delia grabs up her scarf, mittens, and hat and scoots over to the other table. "Thanks! I'll totally share your free pizza." Then she looks up at Magnes with a tight smile and says, "I'll have a slice of cheese pizza and a coke." Not Pepsi, Coke. She gives a wary smile to Ash and then looks over to Huruma, "So.. uhm… How have you been?" She's a little nervous, visibly so, Huruma can probably feel the magnitude of it nearly overwhelming.
Running her fingers through her wild tangle of hair, Delia actually tries to make herself less of a mess. "My sister's cooking tonight, so I had to get out before she burned the entire building down. Or me."
Six Degrees of Separation, when it comes to people knowing Huruma; Delia's probably sharp enough to pick up that she is just well known 'round these parts, paper customer or not. The dark woman studies Delia intently as she comes to seat herself closer. The nervousness is one thing, though perhaps she is looking for something just underneath. A little deeper than the superficial emotions she happens to feel encountering the moment.
"I'll'ave what Ash is having." To save the trouble. "I've been fine, considering." Huruma keeps on her mostly silent study of the redhead, voice vibrating with a slight laugh. Lulu and cooking. "I expect your father felt he had t'stay there, did he? Wit'a bottle of pepto bismol?"
Magnes and Mister Panucci are in the kitchen area, and they can be seen cutting, flipping, and all sorts of other expert pizza maker things. They seem as if they do this every single day, having maximum synergy behind the counter. "Sausages!" he calls out, and Panucci's working away at a grinder.
Ash looks confused at the talk of Delia's father and sister, but the man doesn't interrupt their conversation, instead he just sits there, eyes casting out the window to the world outside, the winter wasteland of New York city. His gaze just rests out there, watching people trudge through the snow as they try to carry on with their daily lives through the freakish weather. His eyes pull back, glancing back into the kitchen area with a slight smile tugging at his lips, his eyes though are distant, not exactly here in this time. Huruma would sense the deep sadness running through him at whatever memories his mind has brought to the surface.
Delia laughs so hard she actually snorts when Huruma makes her guess. "YES!" she cries as she tears up, "I said I had to go to the library… Man it smelled like… bat guano casserole or something. Seriously." She giggles until her ribs hurt and then shakes her head as the soft sighs of subsiding laughter take over. Flitting her gaze over to Ash, she gives him a small smile and extends her hand across the table. "Sorry, I'm being rude. I'm Delia, Delia Ryans."
With the quick introduction made, she smiles back at Huruma and then glances outside. "I'll have to find an all night drug store, or something, Daddy will definitely need something to keep his stomach down before he goes to sleep tonight. I swear Lu's cooking could eat a hole in a cement floor."
Ash may feel a bit of it trickling away as soon as it comes around, at the very least. Huruma cannot help it sometimes, and so in lieu of doing a thing to Delia, a pinch of the sadness to bother Ash melts away. Perhaps some of Delia's glee is being funneled to him? It's in the air. Huruma's lips curl up at the ends smoothly. The image of Benjamin trying to tame Lulu's food is entertaining. What's better? He'd eat all of it if she looked at him right.
"She brought somet'ing t'Lucy's b'fore we closed, left it in the back. Brenda unplugged th'mini fridge an'claimed it broke. Spoilt it so we didn'ave t'touch it. So I know very well. I made th'mistake once. Only once."
The pizzas are quickly put into the oven, and Magnes walks back around to slip into the booth, sitting next to Ash. "Hey! Pizza's cooking. We're making a fresh cheese one. Since you just want a slice, we'll just use the rest for a display pizza, the ones kids buy slices from all day." He leans back, seeming rather at home in the shop. "So how do you two know each other? I never would have imagined." This is asked of Delia and Huruma. Ash and Huruma is slightly more plausible.
Storylines> Bow ties are cool> Magnes says, "She's joined an unethical cause!"
Storylines> Bow ties are cool> Magnes shakes fist.
Ash has never been much of an actor, and is not good at hiding his reactions. When Delia introduces herself his eyes widen, and those eyes immediately dart around the restaurant before they settle down. Huruma would feel anyone coming with ill intent after all. He pulls in a slow breath, then lets it out before a more pleasant expression lifts his features upwards. "You wouldn't happen to have a sister named Lucille would you?" The pleasantness is not fake or an act, he's honestly curious about her possible relation to someone he knows. He holds his hand out, his own large paw of a hand taking hers and giving it a gentle shake before pulling his back and resting it on the table top. And then she confirms his question by naming her sister, a light smirk playing across his lips. As the sadness filters away he turns his eyes on Huruma, offering her a thankful nod for it. Eyes go to Magnes as the young man joins them at the table, a light smile offered to him, but the man is silent now, just listening to the others talk and tell stories.
"Yeah, Lu's my sister, if she offers to cook for you… Don't do it!" Delia's still smiling and laughing every second word. Then she's turning toward Huruma and then Magnes and speaking to him as she looks to Huruma. "She's one of Daddy's old customers," the young redhead says amicably, "I guess they go way back. She came over for dinner over the weekend." She pauses there for a moment and then brightens up again, "Hey! You should come over again, when Lu's not cooking! We can do potluck or something, so everyone's safe. I'll make Lu do a pickle tray or something, you totally can't screw up a pickle tray."
Maybe this is the type of time that Ash needs. Something that isn't especially filled with adrenaline. Huruma gives him a short glance when she feels the spark of momentary panic, blinking back at him calmly. She knows who the girl is related to, if he's worried- but if Daddy was here, he'd be there by now.
"Mmm." Huruma's first answer is rather noncommittal. "I know her father, yes." She tests the waters here, gauging to see if either man actually reacts to the phantom of Agent Ryans in the conversation. "Are you sure that he would not mind me?" Inside, she is laughing her ass off. Potluck? With the Ryans clan? Ye gads. On the outside, Huruma remains the picture of poise, except for the cat-like smirk.
Magnes doesn't react much to the mention of Ryan's, he's honestly never heard of the man. And right now, despite appearances, he's still feeling quite a bit of pain from the bruises all over his body, though most people would notice them littered all over his face, minus any swelling. If Ash needed any confirmation that he's the person from the cage, this would probably do it. He squirms a little while he's trying to get comfortable, and looks back very briefly at the kitchen before dismissing it. "A potluck sounds fun, I've never been to one. Maybe I should have one some time."
An eyebrow crawls slowly up Ash's forehead at Lucille's sister's statement. "I actually… have an open invitation to call her up for dinner sometime. I kind of saved her from a mugger outside Old Lucy's one night and well… she offered to cook for me some time. Just told me to let her know a night in advance if possible." He chuckles lightly as more talk of not letting Lulu cook is thrown about. "I'm beginning to think that I should bring take out if I do take her up on that offer…" he smiles lightly, eyes pulling down to the table top where his fingers tap a little bit, rapping on the table top. "I know a little about your father. Your sister kind of babbles when she's excited…" he smiles lightly, his eyes on the table top though. He didn't need bruises to confirm his suspicions of who Magnes is, but they do help to completely cement them.
"I'm sure, totally sure." Turning to Magnes, Delia's eyes widen slightly and she gives him a very tentative smile. "Yeah… You should come too, I want to introduce you to Lulu, I think you guys would really get along."
The smile on her face drops, her already pale face blanches, and her eyes widen with just a little panic as she listens to Ash's story. "A — a mugger? Really?" Her breathing quickens just a bit and she tries to paste a grin on her face, just for him. "Thanks, for coming to the rescue." Pause. "But yeah, Lulu and cooking? Just say no, it's like drugs… Except it'll fry your stomach and not your brain. Maybe your brain if you try to think about how she made it."
"Lucy's gets all types over there- we recently put up a small chain-link fence in th'alley, so tha'th'girls can take breaks." You know, without being accosted. Huruma draws her fingertips over the table where one hand lies, the other arm slinging back over the seat. "We take care of our own, regardless." Don't worry, Lia. As long as Lulu is there, she has various people that will probably do fine looking out for her. Patrons and employees.
"Somehow I am having a hard time picturing your father enjoying my extended company." Huruma decides to be very honest, lips pursing as she studies Delia.
"I'd love to come! I could make lasagna, and a cake! Or maybe cupcakes… brownies?" Magnes gets a bit enthusiastic about the baking, which is why he quickly stands when he starts to smell the pizza. Most people probably won't notice the fresh pizza smell over the strong pizza smell that already dominates the store, but considering he's lived in this place… "Pizza's ready."
He goes back to the kitchen, then slides the pizza on to a brown tray, carrying it and a large slice of cheese back over. He sits the large pizza in the middle of the table, and Delia's slice in front of her. "I made the cheese pizza myself, wanted to show you that I'm a good cook, and cheese pizza doesn't have to be bland." as she'll notice by the various herbs littered on top of it.
After that, he starts heading for the fridge behind the counter, then quickly returns and sits her bottle of coke in front of her too.
Ash is rather quiet now, simply nodding his head a bit Delia's statements about her sister, and to her question about the mugging. He looks back out the window again, thoughtful, though his eyes remain in the here and now, preventing him from needing Huruma's assistance. When the pizza is delivered he glances to it, but leaves it be for the moment, knowing it needs to cool a bit before it can actually be bitten into. "Think it's ever going to stop snowing?" He asks his table mates as he watches the world through the glass.
Magnes is actually treated to a grateful smile, not the wary or tentative one. "Thanks Magnes J. Varlane," she says, "Looks really good." Though trying to prove to her he's a good cook? That has her smile turning back to the uncertain one, the one where she's really not sure about him. "Remember that talk we had? With the thing about your brain not editing what you say? Yeah…" But she takes a big bite anyway, because it really does look good.
Her hand flies to her mouth as she gives him a very astonished stare. "Hory shi — ish good!" Yes, her mouth is full… and she's talking. Quickly she chews and swallows, "Wow, you really can cook!
"It'ad better. Or I am leaving t'live wit'm'son. I could no'take this weather for long. This is driving me mad." Madder, anyway. Huruma waits too, lifting her fingers to pick at a cut on the table's cover. Her voice gets increasingly irritated for a few seconds before stopping and moving on to neutral. "I am no'made to live so long wit'ou'sun, or so long wit'snow. An'this cold is survivable, but barely."
"I'll bring pizza and we'll call it even on the lack of brain editing again." Magnes smiles and sits next to Ash again, reaching for a slice of the pizza that actually has toppings, unlike Delia's. "And yeah, I'm about sick of the snow too. It keeps changing the landscape and it's really hard to navigate when I fly. Super cold too. And I can't tell you how many times I've slipped and fallen into a dumpster."
Ash can't help the snort that emerges from him when Dalia makes her exclamation about the food she just bit into. Ash's cheeks tense up as he tries to keep a grin off of his features, only half succeeding, his lips pulling up into a tight smile. Eyes flicker up towards Magnes though, curiosity in his eyes. He knows Magnes' name now, yes he does. Huruma's getting irritated pulls the man's head around, eyes focusing on the dark skinned woman. "It is depressing, and it's hard. Winter can be dismal enough by the end of it, but this is… hard. Even for someone who's lived here all his life. Only been outside of the city once in my entire life." He glances to Magnes, bafflement on his face when the kid speaks of slipping and falling into dumpsters.
Delia lowers the pizza from her mouth and she holds it about an inch from her plate, bouncing it slightly as though she's uncertain whether she should continue eating or not. Her discomfort is quite apparent as she lowers her head so far that her chin nearly touches her chest. Her eyes flits between each person at the table before she clears her throat and drops the slice. "I'm uhm… full. Yeah, the .. uhm.." She's not full, her now grumbling stomach is testament to that fact. "The winter's tough, ambulances can't get around, fire trucks… I'm tired of everything being closed. I want it to be normal again." That word, it's holding a double meaning for her, she's not just talking about the weather.
When Huruma does take a piece of the pie, she is the one that uses a napkin for it. She is taking a bite when she can feel Delia's mood spiral oddly. The woman's pale eyes flit over when the girl glances up, and for now she remains innocuous enough, providing enough face to show she's supposedly not sure what's going on. "I am sure it could be, one day." Huruma finally responds, testing that bit of water.
Magnes notices Delia's mood dropping, and his drops as well, considering he instantly thinks he's done something terribly wrong. He tries to keep eating, though mostly nibbles, and goes a bit quiet. It's all getting awkwaaaard!
Ash looks confused as to what has just happened to the mood at the table. His eyes go first to Huruma, then over to Delia, then to the pizza. He shrugs his shoulders a bit. He's hungry, and he's going to eat. He reaches out, pulling up a slice of the pizza. He pulls it over to his mouth and takes a big bite of it, chewing slowly on the rather delicious pizza. He nods to Magnes in thanks for the pie, then goes back to munching, slowly, bite by bite the slice disappears. He reaches for another one and lifts it up. "Normal is not something I've had for a long time. I'm not sure I could go back to it now." he says softly, honestly.
Plucking up a napkin, Delia scrunches it up against her mouth and then forces a smile to everyone at the table. "I've got a pretty long walk home. I'll take this with me, just in case Daddy's not dead when I get back. Thanks Magnes, it's good pizza." After wrapping the slice up in a few extra napkins, she puts her coat and scarf back on and slips it into her pocket.
"Miss Huruma, it was great to see you again. I'm serious about the potluck, I bet Daddy would be surprised. As long as it's not a date…" Turning to Ash, she gives him a genuine smile. "It was really nice meeting you, if you come over for dinner I'll make sure she doesn't poison you or anything." Then Delia's smile widens a little and she pivots on one foot, stalking toward the door. As a farewell, she raises one hand, waving as she exits the building.
Ash watches as Delia rises to her feet, but it's a smile she gets from him. "Will do. Tell your sister Ash said hi for me will yah?" He calls out to her, then turns his eyes on Magnes with a light smile. He sits, and he eats pizza for a little while before he rises from his seat, tosses down money to pay for the pizza after all, and looks to Magnes. "let me know when you want to start lessons kid." He murmurs to him, pulling his thick wool coat on.
"Ah, uh, I'll bring pizza!" Magnes blurts out, sliding from his booth so Ash can get out. If she's never experienced it before, then Delia now know what it's like to be a cheerleader who makes boys stupid. "And uh, I'll do those lessons whenever you have time…"