Participants:
Scene Title | Two Evolved Walk Into A Bar |
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Synopsis | The Bartender Combusts. Well no, not really, but a convergence of abilities does happen on early evening in Oh So Sweet. |
Date | October 11, 2010 |
"Strawberry shortcake!" Someone's calling to someone behind the dessert counter, looking to see if there's any this evening. Oh So Sweets is still so new, in a not so overly desirable neighbourhood but at least it's an occupied neighbourhood. The back room this early evening occupied with folks tapping away on their keyboards, the heavy scent of coffee in the air and maybe eight of the twenty tables in the front of the place occupied.
Abby is behind the bar, working the large copper contraption that makes the coffee's, espresso's and cappochino's that are dished out. brenda's working the tables, between the two of them and one person in the back, they're working their little groove that is the shop. They break even, so far, every day, and as such, she's content. Abby will take breaking even. The raspberry pink shrit with the shop logo on it, wedding ring on finger, jeans and belt, gps bracelet is hidden beneath her jeans and the blonde is humming along to something uheard as she works,
The bell….there is a bell, right? The bell on the door chimes as Jaiden enters, letting a bit of the cool evening air inside before closing the door behind him. He just stands there for a moment, out of the way, with his eyes closed, smelling the good smells of baking and brewing coffee. He's normally not a coffee drinker, but damn if the smell of this place isn't convincing him to give it a shot at least once or twice more.
Shrugging out of his jacket, Jaiden flops it over a chair near one of the walls, keeping his laptop bag slung over his shoulder as he waits in line, scanning the menu boards for something to reach out and embrace him with it's high-calorie goodness. As he draws closer he catches sight of Abby and gives her a wave, since a whistle or a splash of water would A) be annoying and B) be painful for Abby.
Shrugging out of his jacket, Jaiden flops it over a chair near one of the walls and takes a seat, the menu opening in front of him, promising delightful tastes and textures that a marathon might be able to burn off his belly. It takes a moment for him to decide on something, and he puts the menu aside, pulling out his laptop and searching around for the wireless network information.
It's a cool, rainy fall day outside today, with the rains misting across the streets of New York. Neither of these two on their own are a happy affair for Griffin, with his scarred knee. When combined, Griffin is not a very happy camper. He wears his favored suit today, a pair of grey dress slacks, a crisp white dress shirt, and a black vest, complete with a peacock blue tie. Over this, a jacket that matches the suit. Also accompanying him is his black cane, with its polished silver handle; he leans on it as he walks, a frown on his features.
He steps in to the shop, immediately savoring the warmer air and the smell of sweets. A faint smile and a wave is cast toward Abby as Griffin makes his way over to a table (near Jaiden), pulling off his suit-jacket and draping it over the back of his chair, before settling down. He doesn't immediately open the menu, his green eyes instead scanning the specials for a moment.
Pear hazlenut torte, tiramisu, souffle and mile high apple pie are proudly proclaimed across the mirror in special marker. Abigail gives Jaiden a wave, recognizing the man when he comes in. "Be there in a second Jaiden" Which earns her a glare from Brenda given that Abby's supposed to not be working tonight. Sans negation drugs today, she's taking it easy.
SO when griffin comes meandering through the doors with a cane, that raises all sorts of eyebrows from her. When he takes a seat adjacent from Jaiden, all the more easier for her as she moves around the bar, carrying a wide mouthed cup so she can pull up a seat between the two and sit down. The cup put on griffins table since Jaidens is occupied by laptop.
"How are my two favorite men?" Since her favourite is at work, busy being Caliban.
Jaiden had only met Griffin once before - Delia and Jaiden had been in a garden and Griffin was there playing violin, so when Griffin takes a seat nearby, Jaiden automatically turned toward the man to open lines of conversation. He returns Abby's wave, too, clicking a few keys on his laptop to start it looking for something interesting to read if conversation doesn't pan out. It usually does, but there's something to be said about having a back-up plan.
"No rush, Abby. I'm doing great. Just thought I'd poke my nose in once the place is a little less crowded from the grand opening. Everything went well, I take it? Business not drowning you?" Jaiden sits back in his chair, right ankle resting on left knee, elbow on the table in a relaxed pose. He's dressed simply - broken in jeans, scuffed but clean boots, and a button-down shirt with pockets on the chest. "Coffee, definitely, and whatever you suggest. I'm an equal-opportunity eater."
Griffin chuckles softly as Abby settles down between him and Jaiden, raising a brow toward Abby. "I'm a favorite now? Wonderful." He laughs softly, leaning his cane against the table. A small nod is cast toward Jaiden in greeting, as well. "Aside from the weather being a pain in my knee, I'm doing…fairly well." If you could count 'terrified that the government will come down on your head at any second' as 'fairly well'. These two don't need to know that, however.
"I think I would personally like to try some of your Cafe Americano, and perhaps a bit of that pear hazelnut torte— it sounds like it is to die for." He pats his stomach once, chuckling. "With all of these wonderful women who make wonderful desserts in my life, I may very well get fat for the first time in my life." He smirks.
"It's about as busy now as it was opening day. I'm praying that it will at least stay like this and no worse" Times are hard in the city, people leaving it, people afraid to go anywhere once their work is done, hell even to work, for fear that things will explode. Brenda's near, taking down the orders scribbled in short hand so that she can start in on filling the orders and letting the person in the back know what to cut and put out on a plate. "I'd say baloney cake, but for some reason, no one believes me when I say it's really good, so I think brenda…" The red head smiles. "Is gonna get you something chocolate"
Griffin, Abigail shrugs her shoulders just a fraction, lifting them. "Your a friend of an employee and you're welcome here and I think… I might have my EMT bag here, and there's some instant heat packs if you want one for your knee' She cranes her neck, peering at Jaiden's screen. "How many tires you fix today?"
Jaiden's screen, thankfully, does not have porn or anything icky on it. It's a nice new-ish Mac with the homepage of the Australia Times up in a browser window. News from around the world in the palm of your hand. Yay Internet. "I'm a daring soul, Abby, so if Baloney Cake is something you say is good, I'll give it a shot. The worst that can happen is that I don't like it. The best is that I do and I've found a new cake to try at home. As for how many tires I fixed today? About fifteen, give or take."
Jaiden, too, is fearful that the government will come down on his head, but worrying does about as much good as chewing gum to solve a geometry problem - it's doing something with no effect on the outcome. If he's pinched, he's pinched. If not, he'll stay quiet and off the radar. No sense in being a visible target. "So, Abby. You doing okay otherwise? Getting enough sleep?" He sounds concerned, but the real concern is that little bracelet around her ankle.
Almost automatically, Griffin corrects, "Marjorie is my sister." He leans back in his seat, tilting his head toward Abby. "I may very well take you up on that offer for a heat pack. Though I do hope you realize that I am going to owe you quite a bit after all the help you've offered to me, Miss Abby." He smiles brightly to the woman, leaning back in his seat and loosening his tie.
For a self-professed homeless man, he can certainly look fairly sharp when he wants to. The man leans forward, smiling to Jaiden. "As for you, are things still going well between you and that lovely young lady?"
He's family. She can't remember if Marjorie ever said that or not. But wait, Jaiden and Griff know each other, interesting. "Jaiden's in the same line of… helping folks, that I am. And baloney cake is a southern thing. It's cream cheese and baloney layered real thin, and then you cut thin slices and you eat it with ritz crackers. I don't have any here, but I'll invite you over some time to try it. Robert won't touch it and Teodoro, he just mutters about calories and says Mi dispace" Her cappuchio is abandoned for now so she can get up and head away from the pair of tables that both men occupy.
nerds in the back on laptops, hidden from sight, a few other people scattered around the place and consuming alcohol and coffee, dessert this early evening. It's quiet. Steady but quiet and Abigail's heading into the back, towards a door marked staff only that will lead to a staff room and the kitchen.
From just outside the door comes a rather interesting argument.
"You out of my car— Now!"
"I swear to god I'm not radioact— I'm not! Just— "
"OUT OF MY CAR"
A few moments later, a girl, glowing faintly green, pushes through the door of Oh So Sweet, as a yellow taxi cab speeds off behind her. "Thanks for nothin'!" the girl calls, before turning into the restaurant and muttering a quiet "ay, ya" to herself. As soon as the light hits her, the green glow is gone, replaced by a fairly normal-looking girl wearing an absurdly long rainbow-coloured scarf that's trailing over the ground wherever she walks. Sitting at the counter— Actually, huffing down into the nearest stool, she says to anyone listening, "You'd think that people would be used to seeing stuff like that by now. I am so not
As Abby stands and makes her way past him, Griffin peers after her thoughtfully. Helping folks. Perhaps she's a member of the group that Peter mentioned. He watches her thoughtfully for a moment, before smiling. He'll have to speak with her in private at some point, he's sure. It would be good to have other options, in a time like this, when he is unsure when men in suits will show up for him.
He blinks up at the commotion outside, his brows raising as he peers at the glowing girl. When the light hits her and she stops glowing, he tilts his head toward her with a thoughtful expression still lingering over his face. "That must be a nuisance." This is uttered in Katalina's direction with a faint smile.
Abigails coming out on the tail end of whatever it was that brought Katalina into her place, getting a strange look from the flame haired Brenda as she drops off griffin and Jaiden's drinks and dessert orders before peeling away to check on the nerds in the back. "If you're not radioactive, what are you? I'm a flaming baptist" Cross her heart, hope to die, Abby looks like she's telling the truth. People who talk with southern accents sweet as honey don't lie.
"Hah, yeah, sometimes," she says to Griffin. Katalina leans forward on the counter, crossing her arms and giving a lop-sided smile. "See, most people have an ability they can shut off. I mean, of those of the do-stuff variety, y'know? Like, people who can shoot fire out their ass, they don't always have to shoot fire out their ass, but me… I get in a cab at night, and the guy b'hind the wheel thinks I'm irradiating his ability to make babies or somethin'."
Aah, so many good desserts. While she's here, Kati best partake. She might not get another chance to do so until tomorrow or something! Abigail's perfect timing earns a smile. "What am I? Here. Look." The black-haired young woman takes off her jacket and sets it up on the counter, putting one hand underneath. It's hidden from the overhead lights, and in complete shadow. A few seconds later, as if some switch has been flipped, her whole hand illuminates. It's pale at first, then gets brighter. "I glow. In the dark."
As his food and drink arrives, Griffin's face brightens. He promptly prepares the coffee to his liking, then settles in to enjoy the dessert. After enjoying the first bite, Griffin smiles faintly over to Katalina. He's one of those lucky ones who can turn off his ability, otherwise he would be walking around with glowing eyes. Thank goodness.
"Glowing in the dark…that's a pretty interesting ability!" Griffin chuckles softly. His mind goes places that he would never voice aloud for a moment, before he grins over to the woman. "Well, you'll never need a flash light, I suppose. You probably hear that all the time, my apologies." He chuckles faintly.
Like hell he's going to tell these two, in a public place, that he's a telekinetic.
"Ooh" Abby's actually quite fascinated by the glowing thing. "More is their pity, they're probably jealous" Abigail smiles, sliding her palm over the other womans. She closes her eyes breathing in deep and concentrates. The goal of course, being not to incinerate, but get warm. Normal temperature, it takes a few seconds, then a few more and then it happens, the blonde cycling warmer and warmer till there's a good fever almost into the woman.
She pulls her hand away before she can accidentally go higher and burn the other woman, shoving her palm down into the ice to help cool herself. "I turn into fire. Like, all of me, boom I combust and there's a person made of fire in front of you and I'm like, hot. Like lava. But I like the firefly butt thing. My momma'd be thrilled by you" She smiles to Griffin. "I got the heat pack, give me a second, I gotta make sure I'm not gonna… just.. you know, boom"
"Naaah. Well, interesting now, I guess. Or it would be if I could get a cab home." She can drive, but sometimes Kati just wants to not have to worry about New York traffic. Rolling her eyes at Griffin, she shakes her head. "Nope, mostly I just hear 'oh god, she's melting down, run, save your children, it's happening again, this is why they should be imprisoned…" Every time she lists something off, she touches one of her fingers. "I think I had bad casserole— that was a good one — The flashlight one's actually new, believe it or— Hey, whaddaryoudoing?" she asks Abby, though she doesn't pull away at the touch.
Katalina is pretty trusting. Her eyebrows arch, but she doesn't flinch when that contact gets warmer. "What — I'd totally give anything to see that. That'd be awesome, like a human torch. Like that guy from the Fantastic Four. Flame on! FWOOSH." Her arms spread wide. "CLEARLY, though, if you don't mind me saying, you'd do more harm to taxi than I would!"
Griffin thoughtfully watches the pair interact, his brows raised. He didn't get to feel the effect, but he did hear Abby's explanation, and see Katalina's reaction. He glances back toward the nerds in the back, and the other inhabitants; their attention is all thankfully elsewhere, so he feels he can get away with a brief display of his ability.
"Don't worry, Miss Abby. I can get it." Griff lifts a hand, placing it against his brow, his eyes hooding as he does his best to conceal the changing of his eyes from green to bluish-white. Otherwise, he doesn't raise to his feet.
One vector is summoned, an invisible arm that reaches easily across the distance between him and the pair on the bar. Then, the heat pack lifts itself off of the bar, and quickly pulls itself back, landing easily on the table that he sits at. The vector is withdrawn, and as his eyes fade back to green, Griffin reaches out and takes the heating pad with a smile. "Thank you."
She's slagged a frontline horizon unit. She's slag a taxi no problem. "You are the first to be all flame on fantastic four, even though I've used it beforeeee hello" Hello Griffin, you are a telekine? Abigail watches the moving heat pack with a smile. "Well, aren't we a strange bunch huh?" Looking between the two of them. "What can I get for you, I"m Abby by the way, or the Nun, whatever you want to call me"
"Two Evolved walk into a bar, and the bartender combusts."
It's a joke, see? An awesome one. At least Kati is chuckling at her own lame wit, because it sounds funny in her head. "Ah, here's to…" She reaches off to the side and picks up some other patron's glass. "…having the most uselessly awesome ability on the planet."
She gives the confounded patron back his glass. "May I always make fireflies look boring. And you," she gestures to Griffin. "I need you to come clean my studio. Dust everywhere. Could you be like, 'okay dust, out the window,' and it would, or do you need some mass to be able to lift stuff? 'cuz I'll hire you, right here. I'll pay you in beer."
That hand that just gestured to Griffin reaches out to shake Abby's hand, before she thinks better of it and pulls back. Just 'cuz she accepts someone's ability doesn't mean she wants her hand melted off. "Ah, I'm Katalina. Or … the… Wait, the Nun? Hey, is that a super hero name? I want one."
"No, and old name that stuck from the days when I had a real bar with girls who danced on the counter every hour and I was the only one who didn't" She pulls out her necklace from beneath her shirt and the engagement ring that hangs around it with the cross that dangles there too. "It's stuck, flaming baptist, but, super hero name" Abby drums her fingertips on the bar, a gesture for griff to see to getting her drink back over to her here at the counter. The front of the store empty except for Jaiden - who's headed to the little kangeroo's room - now, the nerds too engrossed in their own stuff. "what should she be Griff?"
Griffin laughs softly toward the two women, pressing the heat pack to his knee. "I can't tell the dust to go out the window, no." He smiles faintly, leaving it at that. He then lifts his cup, taking a sip of the strong coffee. "I have phenomenal reach with a feather duster, though." He chuckles, leaning back in his seat.
As Abby gestures for her drink, Griffin offers a smirk. Making sure his back is turned to the nerds, his eyes flush white once more, visible this time. As this happens, a vector is once again brought forth, and promptly lifts the cup. It steadily floats over to Abby, hovering there and waiting for her to take it. All the while, the man is sipping at his own beverage.
"I can think of a few adorable names. Like Glow Worm. Does anyone remember those?" He laughs softly. "Um…she could be The Nightlight?" He offers a faintly apologetic smile to Katalina. "I'm Griffin. I confessedly do not have a super hero name."
"The Nun. I dunno if that fits with a combustible woman-type. It'd be hard to fight crime with that, unless you were on, like, Saturday Night Live or something, 'cuz that show's crazy." Kati is pondering this very intently as she says, "Oh, and y'know, I could really go for a double chocolate milkshake while I'm here, stranded. Maybe the next cabbie I hail won't run off."
Her eyes lazily watch the cup float through the air. One has to appreciate the abilities God gave them, and yet Kati finds herself with the short end of the stick sometimes. She sighs, dramatically, resting her chin in her hands. "If I had a super villain name, it would be Chernobyl. I'd just scare people into thinking I was radioactive and then take all their stuff and laugh maniacally as I rode off into the sunset in my stolen taxi cab. Buuuut, sigh, I am not a villain."
At the suggestions, she smirks. "Glow Worm, lawl." Yes, she pronounces 'LoL.' "You don't need a super hero name, man. Griffin is awesome. HEY! I could paint wings on your FACE." She reaches into her bag and comes out with a small pot of blackish paint. "It'll be awesome. You could be the terror that flaps in the night, like Darkwing Duck, only not as cool!"
"I didn't always ignite. A long time ago, I used to heal. That was when I got the nickname. Don't rightly know if they would still give me that name now" Her coffee cup is plucked up from Griffins ability with a gracious dip of her head. Abigail turns, laughing at the image that Katalina provokes with the name Chernobyl. She doesn't quite know what that's in reference to, but something to do with radiation. One milkshake order placed and somewhere in the back, someone's whipping it up. "I don't know what I'd be called now other than chauffeur. I can give you a ride to wherever you need to go, I'm not supposed to be working, I'm just sticking around" Because Roberts working and she doesn't want to be home alone.
Griffin laughs faintly. "That would indeed be a marvelous villain name. Pretty good plan there, here's hoping you'll never become a super villain." He grins to the woman, laughing faintly. If he were a villain…well, technically, he is, according to the Media…he would be terrifying. Perhaps he is terrifying. He glances up thoughtfully toward the ceiling, his eyes fading back to their normal green once Abby has her beverage.
Kati's final remark prompts raised brows and a confused look on his face. "Wings? On my face?" He frowns, and waves a hand. "No thanks on that. I believe my son would be jealous if I came home with wings painted on my face." His son?
"That would be very awesome of you," Kati says, apparently willing to accept rides in cars from perfect strangers. Well, they are introduced, and life just isn't worth living without a few risks, right? "So, your ability changed? That's weird. I wish mine would! No, I don't. I can do light shows! It's a hit at kids' parties. All sorts of colors."
Kati can just picture it now. On a dimly lit street, she sticks her hand into the nearest convenient shadow. It flares to life - bright green! And suddenly, everyone runs from her in terror. Ah, that would make a great book. How someone with a harmless power became true evil, and the world trembled beneath her feet.
"I'm gonna write a book!" she exclaims, related to nothing.
With the pot of paint still in her hand, she makes puppy eyes at Griffin. "Aw, c'mon. please?! I'm an artist. I swear. Why else would I have PAINT in my bag? Just one? It'll look so so cool. You have a son? Is his name Hippogriff? Can I meet him?"
Son. Owain? Possibly. Brenda's bringing the milkshake in from the back, sliding it to the counter where Abby maneuvers it to in front of Katalina. "How to glow in the dark, my time as an evolved" Offering up a title she claims she's writing a book. "Long story to the change of abilities.
Griffin laughs softly, shaking his head. "No thanks. Besides, I don't even want to know what my sister would say to me coming home with wings on my face." He laughs. She would probably chew him out and think him drunk, or something, with his luck. Her second question prompts an arched brow. "No, his name is not Hippogriff." He chuckles, shaking his head and eating more of that pear hazelnut torte, while silently hoping that Kati won't press the issue.
Well, Kati knows when she's defeated, and yet, she can't help being disappointed. One day, she thinks to herself, she will draw wings on someone's face, and that day will be glorious. Alas. "Don't mean to rush you, Abby-the-Nun, but do you have an ETA on your departure time?" She pauses, thinks that over, and realizes that ETA and Departure are pretty much mutually exclusive. Nevermind, though! "'cuz I have to get up early tomorrow to vandalize some closed-down shops in New York's C-1-R district in the Bronx." She positively beams, as if this is amazing for all of mankind. "That's the commercial-residential district. They overlap sometimes. It's fun, 'cuz you have to dodge angry drunks throwing bottles at you at seven o'clock in the mornin'."
"Let me put your milkshake in a take out cup and grab my keys. I'd offer to let you put wings on me, but I already got some" Abigail smiles, grabbing the milkshake so she can go and tend to making it more portable instead of stuck inside a classic milkshake cup with it's cherry on top. "Grif, you need a ride or you making your way back?" So begins the process of transference involving a spoon and styrofoam plus a lid and straw.
The man tilts his head to one side, smiling to Abby. "If you don't mind grabbing me a to go cup for my coffee, I certainly wouldn't mind a ride." He chuckles softly, placing the money for his meal on the table, as well as a large tip.
"Awesome, thanks!" she fishes around in her purse until she finds some money - mostly wadded up bills from those who donated to her while she was practicing her craft in the city proper. One wouldn't expect there to be so many run-down buildings in a city! Okay, so they would, but that's beside the point. "Ready when you guys are."
"all aboard the express end destination, financial district by way of…" This way too, with Griffin, she'll feel more safer giving a ride to someone she's just met. A second and third cup picked up, so she can transfer Griffin's drink into his cup, returning money back to him that isn't tip. "On the house" To him. Sorry katalina, you're still paying. Everyone's drink all packaged up and a notepad opened on Jaiden's computer, typing in that she's driving folks home, for him to see when he gets back out, she's gesturing to the door. "Come on"
Scarfing down the last of his dessert, Griffin raises to his feet and takes the cup, smiling. "You sure? I'm happy to pay and help support your business, Abby." He leaves a big tip, in any case. Then, he's following her out the door, coffee and heat pad in one hand, his cane in the other, supporting his bad knee.