Players:
Summary: Rashmi and Robyn meet up for some tea in the city.
Date: March 11, 2011
Log Title: Happiness and Tea
Rating: PG
NYC - Ten Ren Tea
This little Asian teashop sells loose tea by the pound and boxes of tea in many varieties. Various scents of tea flow through the store giving it a serene feel. Besides just selling tea, there are two tables and a bar where people can sit and enjoy hot tea, cold tea, and even bubble tea. Tea cakes are also sold here individually or in packages to go.
Classes are over for the day and Robyn called up Rashmi to meet up with him in the city. He figured while he was planning on doing some art shopping in New York City why not call Rashmi to meet up and catch up. He's dressed in his usual style as he waits outside of the tea shop holding a bag in one hand with Pearl Paint on the side. He adjusts the hat on his head before taking out his cellphone and realizing he's about fifteen minutes early.
Fifteen minutes later, a head of bright red hair sticks out from the milling Chinatown crowds. No ginger curtain, however, instead the Hindi girl now wears her hair cropped close in a messy pixie-cut, accented by a pair of black hoop earrings. Her pace slows, as she searches for the tea shop in question, her face lighting up as she spots Robyn and his paint-shop bag. Hurrying quickly to his side, she drops any sort of greeting in exchange for throwing her arms around his shoulders, hugging tightly. "*Hi,* you…"
Robyn drops his shopping bag returns the hug just as tightly and grins. "Hi you yourself." He says cheerfully letting the hug last a bit before breaking it off. "I found this little tea shop here a few years ago and almost forgot about it and I figured since I wanted to go clay shopping it was the perfect time to see you. Or was clay shopping the excuse to drag you out of Barnes.." He jokes before grinning and holding the door open for Rashmi. "So how are things?"
Rashmi chuckles, resting a hand on Robyn's shoulder as she passes, squeezing gently. "Things are… okay. Better. Especially after that rally, I *needed* that. Oh God, Robyn, you should have been there, it was *incredible.*"
"I wish I could have, I've just been focusing so much on college next year that I think that's about eighty percent that's on my mind." Robyn says following Rashmi in and putting his stuff on a table before going to order some black bubble tea and green tea pastry. "I heard everything about it and I have the picture in the paper saved. I'm glad that it worked out as awesome as it was."
Rashmi bobs her head, smiling. "So how *is* art school coming, by the way? D'you know where you're planning to go? Um… White Jasmine, please," she says of the man behind the counter. "And some of those mochi balls there? The strawberry ones." Turning back to Robyn, she runs a hand through her hair. "It was really intense, actually… I'd planned to get a bunch of us to just go up to the precinct and go 'I'm a mutant, arrest me.'"
Robyn shakes his head. "I put in applications at Parsons, Pratt School of Art and Design, New York Academy or Art, NYU, Empire State University and a few other places. I'm really hopiong to hear back from Parsons actually but I haven't gotten any letters yet." And there is a little bit of nervousness in his voice. "But I'm really sorry I haven't been there for you with what happened and then the mutant town rally. I wanted to but art school, it means so much to me and honestly, focusing so much on it has made me happy and feel like myself again."
Rashmi smiles gently, shaking her head and resting a hand on the boy's arm. "Hey… it's okay. I honestly don't mind. Besides, we're here now, right? And I'm sure you'll get into Parsons, no problem. Probably even a scholarship…. you've been looking those up too, right?"
Robyn nods as he sits down at the table with his drink. "Yeah, that's part of why I've been so busy is looking at all that stuff. I can only afford to go there if I have a scholarship. My parents aren't exactly rich." He says as he knows Rashmi doesn't care about that and that her family is about the same as his in that regard. "But I'm glad things are getting better for you and you're still fighting for what you believe in. Though I've been having to deal with Lucas being Mr. Emo Pants." He makes a bit of a face after saying that then breaks out into a grin.
Rashmi chuckles as she sits, turning her cup in her hands for a moment, before shaking her head, sighing. "I really do feel bad, you know…? I mean… I *know* why he left, and even if I wished he'd've talked so *one* of us about it… I can kinda understand. And then to drop everything and come out…" Her nose wrinkles, and she lifts the cup to her lips. "…That was kind of something he didn't deserve, y'know?"
Robyn shakes his head. "No one deserves to have a parent pass away." He says. "He's so bad with his emotions though and when there's a group of people he does that ignore everyone but one person kinda thing." He says. "I honestly don't know how I'd handle lossing my Mom. But at the same time Lucas rarely talks to anyone about his problems he closes himself off." He says chewing on the end of his sraw for a bit. "I'm glad he went to rescue though." He still feels a bit guilty himself about not running out to Africa.
Rashmi nods slowly. "I'm glad he did too," she says, as much to herself as to Robyn, but then looks up at the boy, brow furrowing slightly. "Hey… Don't beat yourself up about it, okay? You had important stuff to do too, you know? And I'd be *mad* if you skipped out on your college dreams just to run out with everyone else."
"I know, this whole college thing is really important to me. I was so scared that with my powers I wouldn't be able to but I've been practicing and trying to focus on grabing psychic energy from the air." Robyn says smiling a bit. "It's not easy and it doesn't…this is gonna sound weird but I don't know how else to put it. It doesn't taste as good? It's like drinking stale water verses fresh water, but it keeps the headaches and fogginess away." He says with a nod. "And Rashmi, I know you're happy I didn't go but at the same time, you're my best friend so it was a hard choice."
Rashmi sips her tea, nodding slowly. "I know.. but… Robyn? Think about this, okay? You remember what it was like for Connor and I during the Mutant Town shootings…? Well… this was actually worse. Like… *way* worse."
"I know and I know I don't handle situations like that well." Robyn says not hiding from that fact. "I don't know if anything could be worse then what happened when you first got here and the whole Inferno on Earth thing." He says taking a sip of his bubble tea. "Though thinking about that it's amazing how much we've gone through together and survived. How much we've changed and grown. I'm just really happy that I've 'come back to the light' kinda thing and realized that I'm not cut out to be a superhero. It's my art that's important."
Rashmi nods firmly. "Exactly. It may not be how the school wanted to teach it, but… I think we're all pretty much proof that no matter *what happens,* we can still live the lives we want, you know?"
Robyn reaches across the table and grabs Rashmi's hand with a nod. "I really lost myself for a while there letting everything that happened just consume me but after the whole trip to the demon realm, it effected me a lot differently then everyone else. I came back inspired." He chuckles. "But I'm glad you're still fighting the good fight for mutant kind so that those of us who want to do something simple like make monsters out of clay for movies can."
Rashmi grins widely. "That's the important thing, isn't it? It's so good to see you, Robyn, *especially* now that you're feeling so much better."
"I am. And it looks like you're doing really well at Barnes. You're happy there right?" Robyn asks wanting to make sure but it seems like the rally did some good in his opinion. "And honestly, I'm a bit worried about next year cause I have to realize that going in there, I'm pretty much goign to have to tell myself 'I don't know anything' and learn their tecniques and such. It'll be cool." He says taking a deep breath before taking a big bite out of his pastry.
Rashmi grins. "Well, not so much 'I don't know anything' as 'I am exactly as good as *everybody else* in here.' Which is a little different, but still pretty intimidating all the same." Sipping at her tea, she chuckles to herself, glad that she could have the chance to pass some easy time with one of her better friends… and to see that they're both well on the road to healing.
