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Westchester - Salem Center Food Court
Entering the mall brings its visitors right to the Food Court. A wide open area with tables and chairs sprinkled around it, its edges lined with a wide variety of fast food choices. Pizza, burgers, ice cream, chicken, Chinese, smoothies, you name it, you got it.
The Salem center is alive with the bustle of the afterschool shopping rush. Groups of teenagers and parents crowded together and arguing about where to go next as the sky is just starting to show signs of the orange and reds of sunset just a few hours away. Cloud Rosen is leaning against a wall of the food court questioning weither or not he should have made the trip into New York instead, most of the clothing stores here are a little too teen.
After having done some shopping for the next school year along with picking up a few other necessities and wants, Nicholas is sitting at one of the tables in the food court by his lonesome eating some mall Chinese food. A few target bags sit on the chair as he looks through the guide book to a video game he's picked up. He doesn't seem to be paying much attention to what's going on around him.
"One…two…" Counting in English probably means Soleil is too distracted to really be…too distracted to slip back into French but he just mostly looks troubled as he walks along, head down, holding a Rainbow Dash notebook as he scribbles things down with a Hilton Hotel pen he's probably found on the street. He's dressed in an oversized black trenchcoat and an olive colored jumpsuit that he's belted with slick leather belt, his orange converse sneakers on his feet and his hair pulled up into a side hanging ponytail…straight out of the 80s and somehow…he makes it work, worrying his bottom lip and not watching where he's going. On his back is his golden backpack and hanging from his shoulder his messenger bag.
Looking around Cloud spots one of the kids from the squad session the other day, crossing the food court he heads to Nick's table, "Hey, Nick right?". He's yet to notice the french boy he keeps running into in New York.
Swallowing a mouthful of fried rice he looks over at Cloud and waves. "Hey, yeah, I'm Nick. Cloud right?" It's not a hard name to forget and it's even harder to not crack a Final Fantasy joke but for the moment, Nick's good about it. "What's up?"
Soleil turns slightly to start looking at the fast food options before he shakes his head and makes his way to a table pretty close to where Nick is settled down and he sets his notebook down before tugging a few chewy bars out of his backpack along with a bag of skittles.
Cloud nods, "Yup Cloud", he slips into a seat, "Just here 'cause I was thinking of maybe changing my look a little but the clothes stores here are very teen. What bring you here? just grabbing some video games to get you though the summer?" Turning his head he spots Soleil, "Wow Soleil, you ran far".
"What makes them so 'teen'?" Nicholas asks Cloud but then Nick isn't the most fashionable dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain green t-shirt. "I just pretty much get my clothes at Target or Wal-Mart, whatever's easiest." He really doesn't care about his look. "I've been doing school shopping, you know, notebooks, binders, pencils and stuff, a few new clothes and yeah, I picked up this." He says holding up his own copy of Skyrim. "I know there's one floating around the school, but, it's nice to own stuff." He's been rebuilding his life from pretty much nothing since he's arrived at Xaiver's. He looks over at Soleil as Cloud speaks to him and offers, what he believes is a girl, a wave. "Hey again, we met a few weeks ago at the Ice Cream place."
Soleil is quiet before he processes/translates what it being said to him, half shoving a chewy bar into his mouth and tugging a pack of jelly beans out of his backpack. "Mmph?" He bites off the piece before chewing and coughing softly and nodding a bit. "Ahh! Monsieur…I am glad to see you are okay." Then he looks to Nicholas and smiles a bit. "Oui…I remember you Captain."
"Well I'm twenty, it would look a little odd if I was shopping in somewhere called the 'Rebelious Teen Store' you know? Targets not bad, forgot they had one here", Cloud looks over at the game Nick's holding, "Oh I had a play of the mansion one, ended up with a Breton?". He looks between Nick and Soleil, "You to have met?"
"Well I guess with your name, it's no surprise you play videogames." Nicholas can't hold back on a teasing of the name any longer, but he doesn't mean it to be rude. "Yeah we met randomly while I was out with Shane for my birthday. And Captain?" He's quite confused to be called that. "So, how have you been?"
Soleil peers at the game discussed before looking between the two as he gives a small nod. "Oui, I ate ice cream and met several kind individuals." He gestures vaguely towards Nicholas as he shoves his skittles back into his bag, saving them for later. "And oui…Captain, you were given the coat non? I remember you were liking it quite a bit! You looked very fetching in it by any account." He shrugs his shoulders. "I am not starving so good." He nods and turns back to his notebook with a frown.
Cloud rolls his eyes, "Just so we're clear I know I have a stupid name and everyone gets one good joke about it so choose wisely", he runs a hand though his hair, "I'm not really a big video game player, more a team sports guy". He raises an eyebrow at Soleil, "You're not starving so good?"
Nicholas gives Cloud a bit of a smile and nods. "Does that last one count or do I get another since I know the rules now?" He jokes as he stabs at his Orange Chicken with his fork. "Oh! Captain, okay. Thanks, I like that coat a lot just waiting for more appropriate weather to wear it. And I'm with Cloud, what do you mean by, you're not starving so good? I mean that almost sounds like a good thing, to not be good at starving?"
Soleil blinks and then blinks again before he tilts his head to the side and nibbles on his Chewy bar. "Pardon?" Give him a few. "Oh! Non! I am /not/ starving so I am doing good. You see, but then you could also say I guess that I am not starving so good because I am not starving….it just would be more confusing."
Cloud shrugs, "I guess it's only fair as long as it's a good one, see if you can come up with something I havn't heard before", he frowns at Soleil again, "Still have no idea man, might be quicker for me to learn french, though last time it didn't go so well".
"Oh! Okay." Nicholas says to Soleil now that he understands. "But why would you be starving in the first place?" He really doesn't know much about the other teen other than he isn't the best on his feet. "I'll try Cloud, and if I can think of something, I'll let you know."
The French boy kicks his feet idly in his seat before scribbling something else in his notebook and pursing his lips. "If you are wanting a good French tutor, I am knowing a person who is quite proficient in all things French." Soleil waggles his eyebrows before laughing and winking and looking back to Nicholas. "Hm? Oh..because I am not having any food? But do not worry, that does not happen often…" He taps his head. "I am having experience with this sort of thing, stock up…save…scavenge..never are going hungry."
"I'm pretty sure Soleil is homeless but he really skirts the issue so it's hard to help", Cloud shrugs, "How often does Connor hold 'games', he's a really good ref, weird to think i used to be in the same class as him".
"Oh." Nicholas says in regards to Soleil being homeless, he's not really sure what to say. "Uh, that's awful, sorry to hear that." He chews on his bottom lip and stabs at his food for a bit, having lost his appetite after hearing that. "Uh, oh, Connor has been teaching me and Shane about once a week to help with stuff. It's been great."
And then, someone is coming; and a few people skirt around her carefully, in the same manner that you might avoid a generous pile of horse droppings in the middle of the road, though thankfully not everyone is quite so impolite. Tabitha pays this no mind as the goth-clad rat girl makes her way about the food court, carrying in her hand a stack of burgers; one from Burger King, one from Arbies, and two from McDonalds, by the look of things, all piled one atop the other. There is a little package of fries on top, no less.
Soleil gasps at Cloud with faux embarrassment. "Monsieur Cloud! Really? You must air my dirty laundry and it has to be the dirty socks and not the lingerie? Tsk tsk, what of discresion?" He fakes a pout which is easy with his lips before ht glances over to Nicholas. "It is okay, not as bad as they make it seem, hm? I am making many friends…there are the rats? Castor and Pollux and then I am having the pigeons who are getting on my nerves…Aphrodite and Ares, always bitching about the bread crumbs." He sighs and then glances towards the young woman with the pile of food. "…now that…is what in the South, they call a snack…"
Cloud stumbles off his chair, he doesn't like rats and he really doesn't like giant rat girls when have stabbed him though the abdomen with a metal pole, while Tabitha may have been under the control of Mindbender at the time, he's still shocked by the girl.
"What's up with you?" Nicholas asks cloud as he stumbles off his chair. "You alright dude?" He gives him a confused look. "Well I guess it's good to have a positive outlook on the situation just, it still must….what is that?" He asks spotting Tabitha the rat-girl. "People actually go out like that?" He says quietly.
"Yeah, people actually go out like this." Tabitha's generous-sized ears flick in Nicholas' direction just before she speaks, and she grinds to a halt near the table. Her eyes watch Cloud as he prances about near his chair, and she perks an eyebrow upwards. "You alright, there? Uhh… you want I should call a doctor?" Her tail flicks as she flashes a brief grin at Soleil, before turning her attention back to Nicholas. "Were you referring to my clothes, or my body? No offense taken, I'm just curious."
Soleil looks concerned when Cloud goes stumbling and he's on his feet rather quickly, moving towards the fallen man and offering a hand up if he'll take it. "Are you okay Monsieur?" Then he looks back between Nicholas and Tabitha, eyebrows raising as the homeless youth just purses his lips and lets his eyebrows raise. "You have a beautiful body, Mademoiselle…Feival may go west, but I'd only wish to go where I could be in your presence." He nods towards the food. "Especially if you have such healthy appetites non?"
"I know her, she stabbed me before, also not crazy about rats", Cloud also remembers the girl due to her showing him what it's like to be on the other side of his absorbing abilities, "No doctor, just keep your distance, ok?", he doesn't notice Soleil's offered hand.
Nicholas has the reaction of someone who is caught out on something they didn't want someone to hear. "Huh…uh….both I guess, mainly that latter." He just knows people who look different like Tabitha does and are almost scared to go out of their room. "Just, surprised is all, not a bad thing, just caught me off guard is all." He just shakes his head and looks at the group and thinks to himself, and I thought I had problems.
Tabitha turns her head and just… oggles Soleil, for a brief moment. "…Did you really just say all that? 'cause that was super romantic. …Kind of futile, because I… kinda prefer girls, but you get an A for effort nonetheless." She casually slips into a seat at tehsame table but not near Cloud, and casually pushes one of her Big Macs across the table to Soleil, before unwrapping her Whopper. "I could wear a holo-emitter, but I had to make do for a long time without one, and now I just don't flippin' well want to. I don't see any reason to be ashamed of who I am, and I can dodge bullets, so whatever." She pauses, and looks at Cloud, having not taken a bite of her burger yet. "You must have been one of the kids at that school," she murmurs. "I hope you aren't the one I hurt. If you are, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about a lot of things that happened that summer… especially meeting Mindbender."
Soleil chuckles softly and winks to Tabitha. "I am sometimes looking like a girl but I am understanding your preferences…it does not, however, detract from your beauty." He blows a kiss before gathering up his belongings and shoving the rest of his chewy bar into his mouth, cheek bulging out as he shoulders his messenger bag. He chews quickly, choking a bit before coughing and happily picking up the Big Mac with a smile. "Ah! Merci…y-you are not knowing how much this is meaning to me." Then he waves a hand to the other young men. "We shall meet again, but for now…I must take my leave." He bows and then turns quickly to make his way off, hugging his big mac to his chest. He got a BURGER man!
Cloud decideds he's had more than enough socialising for the day and he has no intention on chatting with the giant (possibly homicidal) rat girl, getting to his feet he says his goodbye before heading across the food court towards the exit of the mall.
Nicholas is a bit overwhelmed by Tabitha's prescience and really doesn't know what to say. "Unfortunately I have to get going, the bus heading back is coming soon, I think, and I gotta be back before it's too late. Nice to see you again Cloud, take care and best of luck." He says to both Tabitha and Soleil before grabbing his shopping bags, throwing away his left over dinner, and going to head out of the mall.
