Players:
Summary: Today's Forecast: Chinese Food with 80% chance of Random Encounters
Date: March 29, 2012
Log Title: Rumblings In Chinatown
Rating: PG
NYC - Chinatown
The hustle and bustle of Chinatown. Here the streets are always crowded, the traffic is always jammed and street vendors are everywhere. Chinese restaurants and Chinese bakeries litter the streets along with various small shops selling everything from swords to bowls to plastic toys. If your looking for bootlegged purses, movies, toys, anything, you can find it in Chinatown at low costs.
Chinatown. Good place for a last date before you dive into Draculaland to fight the forces of evil. Besides, the red eyed mutant needed a distraction from the fact it was taking so long to prepare. Preparing wasn't his thing. And so in comes Quenton, wearing his hoodie, a jacket over it, the hood swept back so that he doesn't have it covering his hair. For March it was actually okay, the sky was cloudy but a coat could protect you from the minor chill and the snow had long since melted. "So, do you want Chinese? Or Chinese?"
"…Dunno," Shane murmurs, her outsized boots clomping on the sidewalk with every step she takes beside Quenton, the corner of her mouth tugging up. "…How 'bout Chinese? Gettin' tired 'o Chinese after all. Mebbe see 'f they got any Chinese 'round here." With a snort, she shakes her head, bubblegum-pink hair fanning out for a moment. "…So yeah. Turns out? She liked the hell outta it."
As promised Kai has been allowed back out into the city, as long as he sticks to his curfew of course. Making an attempt to avoid areas he used to frequent he finds himself in Chinatown, dressed in dark grey jeans and a ice-blue t-shirt. Kai is heading down the same road as Shane and Quenton, stopping outside a shop he looks though the window at the contents inside.
Having finished one of her numerous non-school based martial arts classes early Chloe has settled in at a ricketty corner table outside a noodle place with just about the largest bowl of noodles you can get without needing a winch to lift. Not that her attention is on the food, her eyes sweep back and forth across the crowd as if waiting for trouble. And oddly there's no sign of her mandatory buddy anywhere nearby..
Fiona is wearing her usual black skirt and ALSO has big black stompy boots to go with that! Strange how popular those are. She's wearing a simple black tank top though above that instead of anything fancy, with her portal keys displaying somewhat prominently on the chain around her neck. 'Trouble' happens to be her middle name. And first name. And last name! The girl approaches from behind Chloe, (as behind as possible) tapping her on the shoulder with a cheerful, "Hey!" Despite the demeanor however, she appears rather exhausted, propping her chin up with her hand as swings around to the other side of the table, grabbing a seat. "Long time no see! They finally let you out to play?" she laughs.
"The dress? Yeah? Weird of her," decides Quenton. "I'm glad she did, though. Better then anything she could make," he murmurs, before stopping by the certain noodle shop that Chloe and Fiona happen to be near. A glance is shot towards the speedster, his lip giving a twitch before he moves to the window where the kitchen can be seen behind, a man waiting there. "Do I get to see the final product?"
"Gonna get some photos 'fore she goes. Sendin' one t'my folks." Snorting, she drapes an arm around Quenton's waist. "First think I ever make for someone else, 'n I knock it outta th'park. Fuckin' awesome, Q. Show ya th' pic I got when we get back." Likewise, Shane glances the speedster's way, adding a fractional upward tilt of the head, almost a reverse-nod. "Sup."
There is a fraction of a second where Chloe tenses at the shoulder tap and her head whips around in a blur. "Jeez don't do that," she says, letting out a long breath. "I'm a little jumpy with all the… stuff… best not mentioned here." She shifts along to make enough room for Fiona and possibly a few more. Quenton and Shane get a nod of acknowledgement, before she grins at Fiona "I recommend the ultra spicy dishes, especially in the oversize bowl. I claimed I'd hurt my wrist part way through class and suck out early, not due to be picked up for a bit yet. Safer than jumping the wall though. How about you, things going well?"
Looking though the window Kai makes a mental note to visit China someday and see the things he's looking at for real and see the proper culture; guess he'd probably have to ask SHIELD for permission but for now he should just focus on school one step at a time.
"As well as can be expected," Fiona replies, sighing a little as she flicks at a stray lock of hair lazily. "I dropped outta high school and I'm doin… other stuff now," she shrugs a little. "You know. Meta-human related. I guess that's the technical term," she grins a little bit. "The spicey one, you say?" she asks, before getting up to order.
"Shrimp lo mein for me, and for the lady at my side, uh…" He glances aside at Shane, then, scratching the bridge of his nose. He lowers his voice, slightly. "Whatcha want? And I can't wait to see. Uh… also. I got the go ahead from Connor to go help save the girls, but I have to wait until he leaves." His tongue draw over lips now. "You should stay and hold down the fort."
A flicker of annoyance passes over Shane's face at the mention of Connor, there and gone before a casual observer would notice… hopefully. "General Tsao's. Potstickers. Thanks." Her head relaxes, leaning against Quenton's unoccupied arm. "…What else was I gonna be doin'?" she murmurs, between closed teeth.
Chloe nods. "Meta-human huh? Sounds exciting," she replies between slow (for her anyway) mouthfuls of her noodles. "I've been kinda considering finishing high school early, then travelling the world. Try study with the masters of every martial art that still has them. Backpacking and doing odd jobs to pay my way, that kinda thing. Life in one place is so boring you wouldn't believe… when no-one is causing the bad kind of 'meta-human' issues that is."
"I dunno, I kinda like having an actual place to live again… I sorta ran away from home for a while over the summer and it… wasn't that much fun," Fiona laughs, before motioning to the cashier/waiter, "What she's having," she nods, resuming her spot at the table. "Seems like those issues ALSO pop up more often than I'd like, too! Although, normal life is probably pretty boring when you're super fast."
Moving away from the window Kai makes his way down the road again. He stops for a moment when he recognizes a voice; he frowns as he spots Fiona talking to Chloe. Odd how often he seems to see her… wait, why does that blonde girl look familiar as well?
Still not noticing Kai (and probably for the better) Quenton shrugs his shoulders, wrapping his arm VERY loosely around Shane, not exactly touching her, but letting her pull it around her more if she wishes. He glances aside at Fiona as she orders but just lingers by, waiting for their own.
"You know. Back to back with your angry boyfriend, fighting the forces of evil, rescuing our classmates. That kind of thing," he teases. "But seriously. Need you to look after Sage while I'm gone."
Shane pulls the arm around her shoulders, her features darkening. "….Going," she mutters, eyebrows drawing down. "….Where? The fuck's Connor got t'do with it?" With those questions hanging in the air, she waits, brooding in silence, for their food to show up.
"Are you really sure you want to have the exact same thing as me?" Chloe wonders, giving Fiona a puzzled look. "This thing could be used as a bird bath for a passing ostrich. I don't think I can stand the thought of another year or two me time at high school, besides my plan involves spending maybe a two months in each place I can get lessons. More than enough time for me to settle in someplace given that's a full year in me-time."
"Well, you said it was good, right? Oh… right. Smaller!" she shouts back over. Hopefully they'll get what she means. Or they'll give her a giant one that she can't eat all of. But that's okay too! "Yeah, I suppose that's true. Still, I'm sure there're a lot of people that'd miss you around here! At least, I know I missed New York pretty bad while I was gone…"
Fiona raises an eyebrow for a moment as she hears Shane mention the name Connor for a second time… In fact, she's a little visibly distracted, trying to concentrate on two conversations at once.
"Well, you said it was good, right? Oh… right. Smaller!" she shouts back over. Hopefully they'll get what she means. Or they'll give her a giant one that she can't eat all of. But that's okay too!
"Yeah, I suppose that's true. Still, I'm sure there're a lot of people that'd miss you around here! At least, I know I missed New York pretty bad while I was gone…"
"Romania. Connor's the one leading the operation, or some crap like that," Quenton mutter, glancing aside at Shane and letting his nose give another twitch at her evident annoyance, though there's no hostility on his face. In fact, for those who know him, he is ridiculously calm right now. Food is given. A table near Chloe's is found. Quenton grabbed the top of the paper bag, and set it down, the top ends perfectly flattened together. "Why?"
"Ro…." Following behind the larger teen, Shane sinks into her chair, tugging the bag open and calmly, slowly, taking out her order. Chopsticks are pulled apart, a fork unwrapped, and through it all the pink-haired girl maintains a seething silence. "…Just wond'rin'," she murmurs at the last, voice flat. "S'fine." And before the conversation can continue, she starts in on her food.
Chloe glances at her watch, then blurts something in fastworld which is probably very rude. "I better dash, I've already been in trouble once recently for skipping out on curfew and I wouldn't put it past them to have someone turn up to meet me early 'for my own safety' or some other crap like that." She pauses just about long enough to eat the remains of her noodles in a blur of chopsticks.
"We'll catch up again before I skip town though, I promise." She pauses just long enough to wave goodbye, including Shane & Quentons table with her silent farewell, before springing off at a brisk forty miles an hour.
Fiona just sorta blinks, and then is suddenly left sitting alone at a table. She waves at the departing form of Chloe before heavily resting her chin in one hand, and then letting her head fall slowly to the table.
"Figures…" she sighs… dragging herself up to a sitting position again right as someone brings her the giant bowl of whatever it is Chloe had that she'd ordered. Slightly adding insult to injury! "… Fantastic."
"Is there something wrong? Did I piss you off somehow?" wonders Quenton, fingers lifting to dig into his cheek, before his eyes drop to the carton of lo mein and he eyes it a little suspiciously. He didn't think about how he was going to eat it. "Can you… fucking open it for me?" he mutters, sourly, as if angry at the cook that it wasn't open at all.
Shane reaches across without a word, and pulls open the clamshell lid of the carton.
"Pick't up'n jus' sorta shovel it in," she mutters quietly, poking at her glazed chicken. "…..Ain't pissed. Not at you, anyway. Jus'… y'know. Scared. Romania. Like, Europe. Long way. M'stayin' here. 'N that ain't even talkin' 'bout what happens when y'get there." A potsticker is picked up, turned this way and that. "'N 'f y'get hurt… Connor's gonna get th'worst hug of 'is life."
Fiona pokes at her noodles silently while she listens in on the conversation. At least something good'll come out of going to China Town… Maybe. Although, she did already know that Connor was likely headed there. So that doesn't really help at all! Although that also makes Donna's assignment to her relatively pointless if he's out of the country. Rolling her eyes, she continues to nibble at her noodles. Which are indeed quite spicy.
Quenton's eyes do stray over to Fiona. He's never seen the girl, he's fairly certain, but he did see her speaking to Chloe, and that maes him curious of her. Still, this is a date, and he isn't going to mess up what little time he has with his girlfriend. His eyes stray back to Shane and he takes from his pocket his pen, an indestructible one that Miss Frost gave him, using it as a pseudo fork thing by holding it by the end the tip comes out of. "I'll be fine."
Shane grunts sourly. "Hear that a lot," the mutters, shaking her head and popping the potsticker into her mouth. Her eyes follow Quenton's, a pink eyebrow arching up as they land on Fiona. "…Y'know her?" she says, once her bite is swallowed.
"Nope," Fiona answers loudly enough for them to hear, "But I know your friend Connor," she nods at them before forking down another load of noodles. "… to an extent…"
"No. Chloe apparently does," Quenton mutters, even after Fiona talks. His eyes stray to her again and he looks aside at Shane. "Do you?" He finally then acknowledges the stranger's words. "How do you know Connor?"
It's a subtle thing, when words are directed at someone, rather than around them, and Shane has spent a good deal of her life tuning herself to the difference. Thus when Fiona breaks into the conversation, her spine goes rigid, her face flat and unresponsive. Without turning around, she jabs at another piece of chicken, silent for the moment.
Fiona glances over at Quenton and Shane, "We… er, someone I know did a job for him. That's all. He… rather grossly overpaid for it. And now we owe him. My master doesn't really like owing people…" the would-be sorceress shrugs, poking at her food rather boredly. No way she'll ever finish this…
"Your… Did you just say your master?" wonders Queton, furrowing his brow at that, glancing aside at Shane, frowning as he sees her hunker down more. He releases a breath, scratching at his ear.
Slowly, Shane's head turns to look askance at Fiona out from between a couple locks of hair. An eyebrow darts up for a moment, and then she turns back to her food.
"….Kinky," she mutters, picking up a potsticker in her chopsticks and holding it out for her date. "Want one?"
"Master in a martial arts sense, like Master and Apprentice, not Master and Slave. Neh?"
Fiona quirks an eyebrow at Quenton, "I just got tired of sayin' teacher. Teacher could mean anything! It's much more like the Karate Kid. Except without the wax-on, wax-off. And more beatings," the corner of her mouth turns upwards in a cynical smirk.
"Aaaanyway… I was told to find him. Of course, she probably had it in mind that I'd be more subtle. But, I'm just not really very GOOD at subtle, you know? The trouble is, I don't even really have a last name to work with."
Quenton gives the potsticker a glance before he nods now, uncertain at the moment in the way the food will be exchanged, before he sort of just wraps his lips about the chopsticks, not using his teeth so that he doesn't snap the chopsticks at all. He glances aside at Fiona and slides the thing off, chewing the thing into mush in his mouth before swallowing it and nodding his appreciation.
"S'good," he admits. "Told to find Connor?" Wait a minute. Dracula's the big bad. Master. He's watched a few movies. He eyes Fiona now warily. "Shane, wanna… sit next to me?"
"Like I said, we owe him a debt… Or rather, not me, I suppose," Fiona fidgets awkwardly, banging the toe of one her boots against the base of the table repeatedly. This is going nowhere. If anything, they're obviously more suspicious than they were a couple of minutes ago. She eventually stops with the toe-banging and rubs one of her temples, mildly annoyed looking.
"Right," Quenton mutters, staring into Fiona's oddly coloured eyes with his… own oddly coloured eyes. He shifts slightly, before he shovels some more noodles in his mouth, slurping a little and clearing his throat.
"Anyway, Connor's… with us, most of the time, now. At our place. But there's these things called phone numbers, that people use to phone each other. On phones."
Shane keeps her silence, index finger slowly turning from flushed to a deeper red, her other hand busy picking bits of chicken and sauce from her tray. Without even looking at the frustrated girl, she simply eats as though nothing at all was wrong, leaning against Quenton's shoulder.
Fiona rubs her head, "Fantastic, so that means he's living at Xavier's then?" Fiona asks outright. Girl with pink hair, boy with red eyes, involved with a man named Connor? They MUST be from there! But from what she knows of that place though (despite having not actually been there) that place is a fortress though. Which means there's really no point in scoping it out in the first place. But can she tell Donna that anyway? What if it's false? "Yeah… phones…" she frowns.
"Run that last bit by me again, bright eyes?" wonders Quenton, now, settling the pen clicker first in the carton and setting his hand flat on the table, just putting a little pressure on that it whines loudly in protest. His eyes flick over Fiona's face. How does she know? Was it his fault?
"…The hell," Shane mutters, closing her eyes for a moment. "Why do they even bother?" Drawing in a breath, she peeks at Fiona beneath Quenton's jaw, raising her now-faintly-glowing finger. "Jus' so y'clear. Somethin' happens there, 'n I see you?" With a ruby-colored flash, Shane's finger flares alight and dims back to normal… but the displaced air caused by the burst of energy rushes back into place with a muted snap as a faint, already-dispersing pressure wave washes over Fiona.
Fiona frowns… "… right." The girl rolls her eyes a little at Shane's threat. Clearly, she is rather non-plussed, at least on the outside. "I'm so scared." She rises from her seat, stretching. Her eyes, which now glowing a vivid purple, would betray a certain amount of nervousness though… To someone who knows how her demon-link works, anyway.
"Anyway… Especially now it's rather obvious that you're both mutants. And you know this Connor guy. So, that means you're linked to Xavier's in some way, and probably students. 'n don't play dumb, my boyfriend attends the place. Follow?"
Steam rises from Quenton's back as he watches Fiona when she rises as well, her glowing eyes and Shane's glowing finger filling the pent up ball of fury like no one's business, and he mutters aside to Shane, "Stand up." His hands grip at the table's edge, but he does nothing at the moment.
"Don't play dumb? You interrogating us or something? I don't know who your boyfriend is, but right. Pretty obvious we're from there. What's it to you?"
Shane glances back at Quenton, eyebrow twitching slightly. Pursing her lips, she takes a moment to consider her next course of action… Which turns out to be putting down her chopsticks, raising her hand to cup Quenton's cheek, and give the corner of his mouth a kiss.
"…Movie," she responds. "Hunger Games'll be playin' soon. Let's go see." And with that, she slides out of her chair, turning her back on Fiona and crossing her arms over her chest.
Fiona shrugs, "I got what I wanted. So it's nothin." The girl eyes Shane for a moment, then shrugs again, eyes still glowing brightly, as she begins to saunter off. Without answering Quenton's question, for the most part. What a stable, well adjusted bunch of individuals!
Caught ENTIRELY off guard by the kiss, the steam rises still from Quenton's back, but hostility is drained as he sort of gazes down at Shane. "Sure," he mumbles. "Of course." And then the girl begins to stop off, and Quenton just scowls. "Hey! Sorcerer's Apprentice!" He has no idea how almost accurate he is. "Daniel-san! You didn't answer my question!"
"Q," Shane says, actually reaching out and tugging on Quenton's arm. "C'mon. Miss the previews. Let's go already." Fiona, it would seem, has ceased to exist as far as the bubblegum-haired teen is concerned.
There's bit of a scene going on just outside a small Chinese eatery in China Town. Fiona is walking away (as calmly as she can) from a large bowl of some kind of spicy Chinese food while a rather large teenage boy (Quenton) shouts at her back, something along the lines of 'Sorcerer's Apprentice' and 'Daniel-san.' The pink-haired girl next to him (Shane) seems rather annoyed and is trying to distract him. It's probably fairly late in the evening, or at least dark out, as Chloe previously left, seemingly worried about her curfew.
Fiona pauses as she walks away from Quenton, glancing over her shoulder at him. "What do you want me to answer? I already explained everything to you. We're simply looking for Connor because he overpaid for a job that we did for him. My teacher doesn't like owing people things, so I'm just supposed to find out where he lives so we can repay that in some way. It's rather idiotic to say 'use a phone' with the type of business that we're in; that would be like 'sure, just call the head of the mafia!' Thus, you have to do a little bit of old fashioned legwork. Though, I imagine this is not exactly what she hand in mind…" Yes, the exact words were something along the lines of, 'without opening your mouth.' "Now, big man, are you gonna come beat me up? Or are we done here?"
Oh. She meant right this minute. Quenton glance over his shoulder at Shane, then after Fiona, scowling at that. "I don't see why in this case a fucking phone won't do. Still, he steps back, at Shane's words, releasing a sharp exhalation.
"And please. Someone in your line of work —" He cuts himself off. Shane's here. Your smile. Don't let yourself get baited. So with that, he just scowls, turning for the pink haired girl, shooting one last look over to Fiona.
Mike Drakos has been shopping for strange Chinese spices. Not that he plans to eat them himself, or even use them; they're a gift for a friend who has been helping him with some technical issues with a really complicated circuit design. Paying someone in fine spices for helping to design a better brain? Priceless.
So the New York Street Goddess of Mutant Coincidence decides to prank him, and he walks out the door of a store attached to the eatery, only to have to step back right away because Fiona is not looking and is about to step into him.
"Uh, hi? Fiona, right?" He takes in the scene, and recognizes Quenton from the search that Heather asked him to do. And that has to be someone else from the school but he doesn't have her on file.
Suddenly, someone steps out of a small chinese eatery. Some type of .. butch lesbian? That is obviously an accurate descriptor for Jules, who is wearing a black tank top with a red and black checkered tie with tight jeans. A small take-out box is probably filled with chinese leftovers.
Shane wraps an arm around Quenton's waist, leaning against the angry mutant as his attention returns to the here and now. "C'mon," she murmurs, "let's get outta here, aight? Call it in after the show."
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"Er, right. Yeah," Fiona blinks at Mike, completely taken off guard as her icy demeanor breaks down into a stammer, "Er, um, Mike? Yeah?" she grins a little. So far she doesn't notice her boyfriend hanging around just yet. She of course lets Quenton and Shane go because, well really, she doesn't have any superpowers! So she couldn't keep them there even if she wanted, which she doesn't really.
"You remembered. What's up?" He waves to the departing Quenton and Shane, though he doubts they recognize him either, unless there were incriminating photos he didn't manage to destroy from his time at the mansion.
He doesn't recognize the apparent lesbian, but he's in public; he's still keeping track of everyone within his range. Practical not paranoid, besides what good is a computer brain if you don't use it.
Shane doesn't have to tell the mutant boy three times. If it's a fight or Shane, even despite his love for the former, it'd always be the latter. He goes. Lets her lead with her arm about his waist so that he doesn't drag her along. "Alright, then," Quenton mutters, glancing over at Mike as they head off.
Jules takes a moment to loiter by the opening of the chinese restaurant. The teen even waits so long to open the door for a couple people before leaving. Shane seems to grab the young teen's attention, however. With little hesitation, Jules strolls up to the girl and her companion. With a somewhat whimsical and airy voice, Jules says, "Well, hello there. You have some nice hair. I rather like the color." A clever distraction to keep Shane and Quenton from leaving!
"That's nice," Shane grouses, squeezing Quenton's waist. "Fuck off." Not another word is said from her, as the pair continue to make their way down the street.
"Yeah, easy there, L Word reject, she's mine," Quenton mutters to Jules, giving the young teenager a curl of is upper lip and a sneer. Such a friendly couple, Quenton and Shane, with her grousing and his… unfriendliness. Still, he shoots Shane a concerned glance at her response to the teen.
Fiona pauses, turning around to spot Jules pestering the other two. "JULES!" she shouts, not looking particularly happy about that - although he didn't really do anything. "Hang on a minute," she says to Mike, heading over in that general direction.
Ah, young love. How special, how delightful. It makes the world sparkle. They seem like a less heroine-addicted version of Sid and Nancy, almost. Not that they likely know that, not having Mike's robot brain with comprehensive database of rock and roll history. (Have to have SOMETHING to trade with the LMDs when you're sparring. They sneer if you don't operate on three levels at once.)
Mike shrugs, smiles slightly, and follows Fiona.
"L word reject? I'm not in love with either of you, I just wanted to say how nice you looked." replies Jules, who then stops following after the pair. Fiona's shout automatically grabs Jules' attention, which immediately causes the teen to look towards Fiona. A wave is offered back to the sorceress, "Hello, Fiona!"
Shane glances up at Quenton, catching his concerned look, and shakes her head briefly. "Just wanna see a movie. 'S'all." And now that Jules' attention has been diverted, the slight young pink-haired mutant picks up the pace, heavy clubstompers ringing out on the pavement as she seeks to make her escape, boyfriend in tow.
"L Word. It's about lesbi- never mind," Quenton grunts, scowling. Insult lost on Jules, this just makes the angriest boy in the world madder, but more so at himself, so he's steam free as he is toted along by the pink haired human hand grenade.
"I… erm, hi!" Fiona replies back, face reddening slightly. "Have you met Mike? This is Mike. Mike, this is my boyfriend, Jules!" At that moment, her eyes stop glowing and go back to normal - as her demeanor becomes much warmer for the most part…
Mike considers texting the two escapees with a greeting and farewell, but decides against it. This is who Heather was so worried about? Wow, he's really really cranky. Probably good not to provoke him anyway. At least unless he's aimed at something you want to break.
The robot kid shrugs. "I haven't met Jules before. Hello Jules." He blinks. Boyfriend. OK, sure. No, Drakos, do NOT scan the guy. It's rude and he might feel it — some people do. And if the TSA shouldn't do it then robots on the street shouldn't do it either.
"Hello Mike, hello Fiona. I said hello already. I am saying it again. I just had some chinese food, but I really didn't. This is from last night." says Jules as he points to the styrofoam container, "It's actually from last night, but I have to be discrete when I'm moving around outside of my home." Fiona probably understands what the crazy teen is talking about.
"Right," Fiona nods, laughing. He wouldn't be Jules if he weren't eccentric… "Anywho… I was aaaactually on my way home, but, I can stick around now!"
Mike thinks back. Boyfriend goes to Xaviers. Is this the same boyfriend? Possibly. Do not assume. Holmes would scold. But the crazy talk reminds him of Heather in her less human moments, though not quite the same kind of crazy. But he has to ask.
"Why are you carrying old chinese food into a chinese restaurant?"
"Stick around, and do what? Would you like to eat my chinese food?" asks Jules with a headtilt. The same curious glance is thrown to Mike, "Because if I left with new chinese food, I'd have to pay for new chinese food, and I can't leave with nothing. That'd just be weird."
Fiona just kind of waits for the Jules-crazy to stop. As much as she loves him… she has yet to figure out exactly what every single bit of it means. This is one of those times. Mike, Jules, and she are standing in front of a small Chinese place. In China Town. So really, they are surrounded by those. This one serves food though.
Mike nods. "That makes sense, I suppose. Although that would imply you took a full box of food INTO the restaurant. Did you?"
He looks over to Fiona. "If this is food from last night and it wasn't kept in the fridge, you'd probably get REALLY sick if you ate it." The robot kid adjusts the lighting on his induced image - with the changing seasons it changes quickly sometimes and it's getting suddenly dark; he should be less sparkly lest someone mistake him for some kind of modern vampire.
"It was refrigerated!" Jules snips in response, "I just don't want to attract too much attention to myself. Randomly appearing teenagers don't sit well with people who are trying to eat dinner, best to take in the character and blend in. Even if it means carrying around full boxes of chinese food around. Otherwise, I might get caught trying to escape curfew, too."
Driving up the road comes a beat up old Pontiac GTO with a black matte paint job; a vehicle Fiona might find familiar from the night before, especially given the way the engine ticks and occasionally misfires. The vehicle soon enough draws up along the side of the road, not far off from the place where Fiona, Mike, and Jules are currently having food. The engine goes mercifully silent, before one rat girl extracts herself from the driver's seat. Tabitha brushes her fingers through her hair, and pauses to grab a hoodie off the passenger seat before slamming the door shut. She wraps the sweater around her waist and ties it off as she approaches the small group, and picks up her pace as she recognizes one person. "Oh, hi Fiona!" she greets cheerfully. "No thug rage tonight, and no crazy… people… things."
"Oh! Hey Tabs! Yyyyeaaah," Fiona grins, "Though it seems like trouble likes to follow me wherever I go! I was just making it for myself right before you got here! It's okay now," laughs the sorceress.
"Right. This is Mike, and this is Jules! Jules and Mike, Tabitha! Mike's my friend, and Jules is my boyfriend. Though, they are both boys."
She squints at both Mike and Jules, "I think," she jokes. Given that Mike happens to be a robot and Jules could probably best be classified as a Jules.
Jules actually looks like a butch metrosexual lesbian at the moment. It's just a style thing that Jules has. It's supposedly because he's from Michigan. The young butch lesbians says to Tabitha, "Hello, Tabitha. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Mike lived in Montana, and in Michigan, Ohio, New Mexico, Arizona, Seattle, and many many other places. So he has seen women wearing everything from dirndls to clodhoppers. He thinks Jules looks like a fashion model - androgynous, in grunge attire, and probably a mutant so who knows what else. (Still not sure whether Jules is the Boyfriend mentioned in previous encounter.)
He does, however, spot Tabitha, because how does one miss a Biker Babe Mouse (Not From Mars). He grins at that thought.
"Hey, Miss Jones." Yes, Mike hangs around in the vehicle bay at Barnes, so she's likely to have seen him there, if she ever goes there. But he got her last name from the school student database. The public one. Not the other one he's not supposed to have.
As someone who is working on Mechanical Engineering at Barnes, Tabitha most certainly does frequent the vehicle bay; especially with a bike to maintain, and now an old muscle car that's begging to be fixed up.
"Oh! Hey, Mike," she replies, as she comes to a stop beside the table where the other three are. "And it's just Tabitha. Really. Or Tabs." She chuckles softly, before her eyes linger on Jules for a moment, as if trying to decide on… something. In the end, she just bobs her head. "Good to meet you, too," she replies. "And don't worry Fiona, trouble sticks to me like you wouldn't believe. I tried going down to Mutant Town once and got mind controlled by super villains for two months. Wasn't my favorite summer ever."
"Yeah… I remember that…" Fiona rubs one of her arms nervously, grinning, "Mine either! Then again, that's sorta every day for me! Not as bad though," she winks. "So, we're one big happy family here! Now what?" she glances at Tabitha's car questioningly, "Where did you get that thing from? I thought you had a motorcycle?"
"I think I remember something about that. With a bit monster and Heather and I broke my arm." says Jules whimsically while a pause builds. Finally Jules continues, "Actually… I don't really remember anything at all, come to think of it. "
"Oh, THAT's why I wasn't allowed to come back to school early this summer. Damn. You owe me for my having to do Nascar again." Mike grins at Tabitha, and then looks at Jules. "Ah, you're THAT boyfriend. OK." (He may appear to be eating, going through the motions, but, robot boy runs on gasoline, not chinese food, even the spicy hot kind that gives one gas.) He also glances at Tabitha's car questioningly.
"Is that the car they keep in the No Mike Allowed bay, Tabs?"
The rat girl chuckles softly. "No, I think this is a different car Mike, I only got this a few days ago." She nods once, "I do own a motorcycle, and I love it, I just wanted to try fixing something up. And 'that thing'," she adds, pointing at the car, "Is a sixty-nine Pontiac GTO. That means it's a thing of beauty… or in this case, a thing of beauty that needs love." She pauses, and at the mention of boyfriends and significant others in general, her ears flatten against her head and her grin fades. "I uhm… I'm gonna grab something to eat," she murmurs, "I'll be right back." And with that, she backs off and goes to join the line-up at the food place.
Fiona tilts her head, peering at Mike, "Did you think I had more than one?" she asks quizically, looking slightly surprised. She's not that kind of girl! … Probably not, anyway.
Jules attempts to grab Tabitha's attention, "Tabs! You can have my food. I am not particularly hungry tonight." Well, actually it's just that Jules had already eaten. Regardless, the food is offered.
"I never assume," the robot kid answers. He smiles his most engaging smile (agh! Turn that thing down!) and winks at Jules, who is probably not paying attention or is immune to the effect. Mike waits for Tabitha to get out of sight before he mutters, "I'll be right back," reaches towards the car, and vanishes. Inhabiting a car is not quite like one might expect. While it becomes one's body, at the same time one is able to sift through it, find all the problem spots, find where it needs new hoses, where a leak in the radiator is imminent, where the oil hasn't been reaching, how badly worn the springs are, where the wiring is old, and how many cheetos are lost in the underneath-and-between. He's not fixing any of this, of course, because it would mean he ends up needing to fix his regular body afterwards. But the full inventory might be useful.
"Hey, where are you-" Fiona blinks at that Mike as he reaches out (and then merges?) with the automobile. He had told her something about that but she still finds it kind of ridiculous/amazing. "I think she wants her own, Jules, not stuff you've been eating out of. Though, that's just a guess."
Tabitha's ears flick, and she glances over her shoulder to shake her head. "Naw, that's okay. I've kinda got a craving for beef with black bean anyway." And with that, Tabitha neatly inserts herself into the line… well, at the back. Behind the only other person lined up. Soon enough, of course, food is ordered, and she wanders back to the table to wait for it to be ready. "Uhm. Where'd Mike go? Is he…" She pauses, and coughs softly. "Mike! You're in my car."
"Just checking it out," the car radio says in Mike's voice. "Sweet ride. I'll give you a list of things to fix tomorrow."
Jules shrugs, "It was just an offer." Soon enough, the androgynous boy returns to silence to watch the happenings.
"Don't just DO that! Yeesh. Crazy," Fiona laughs in response, peering at the car. "Is it okay?" she wonders, "Are you okay? That seems… impossible. I mean, really." Yes, and she knows magic! Well… sorta.
Tabitha's ears perk up at a shout from the shop owner, and she moves away again; when she returns, she sets down not one but two large styrafoam containers, and takes a seat. The first is opened up, revealing some steaming hot Chinese food, and the rat girl promptly attacks it with a set of chopsticks. "Okay, I appreciate it Mike," she replies to the… car. She pauses, and shrugs her shoulders lightly, before tilting her head towards Jules. "So, you go to Xaviers, I'm guessing? …And, yeah, Fiona's right. I kinda wanted my own."
Mike reappears, standing next to the car, and steps back to the street-table thing. Strangely, he's timed it so that nobody else happened to be looking directly at them when he vanished, and when he reappeared. Not too hard when one has a pseudo-radar-sense, but if someone further than a quarter mile had a clear view? He'd have been spotted.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist. You know how it is, right?"
"Me? Xaviers? I don't know what crazy school you're talking about. The nargles would probably attack me if I went to some crazy whackjob school for people who are crazy whackjobs. At least, that's what I've heard." replies Jules, with a smile towards Tabitha. "Are you one of Fiona's new friends? Or old friends?"
"Tabitha's one of my first friends!" Fiona exclaims, leaning on Jules idly. "I met her around the same time I met you! Seems like as soon as I left my lame old high school I started meeting people who weren't jerks. So I guess high school equals jerks."
"You never saw anybody get into a car before?" Mike says, deadpan, to Fiona as he returns to the table. He leans over towards Jules. "I went to Xavier's for Winter and Spring terms, 2010. My folks pulled me out because they didn't think it was safe. And a one-afternoon visit that Halloween turned into a month in hellworld, so I'm forbidden to go back." He tilts his head. "…and Ms Frost will scold you if she heard you calling yourself a whackjob."
Pause. "Not that I would tell her or anything"
Tabitha pauses, about to put a big chunk of beef in her mouth, and scowls at Jules. "Look, I know what Xaviers is. I go to Barnes." She points at the dark green tank-top she's wearing (similar to the one she had the previous night except, well, green), which says BARNES right across the bust. "I attend the university version. So you don't need to worry about me 'finding out', trust me. Anyway, if you think you are a whack job, try looking me for a week and see how that goes." She gets around to stuffing the waiting morsel into her mouth, and mms softly as she enjoys it. "That sounds pretty entertaining, Mike; I'm sorry I missed it. And at least I know my parents won't pull me out of anything good."
"No secrets are ever safe. I guess it's like my father said. Nothing spreads like word of mouth through networking. Though, in present company, I guess that makes more sense than I'd have anticipated.." says Jules thoughtfully, having taken little to no apparent offense at the scowling. "I'm a teleporter there, yeah. Corsair squad and stuff. I guess that's how students introduce themselves to each other. What's Barnes?"
"It's a… like a military school sorta…" Fiona trails off. Tabitha told her a little bit about it here and there, but she never really bothered to completely look into it. At the point where she found out the government was in any way involved, she didn't exactly want to have anything to do with it. "I think. But you know, for meta-humans. Not only mutants."
Mike replies to the traditional "squad" declaration - "I was on Excelsior with Rush and Connor. Ask Scott or Emma about Barnes, they'll give you the details. We're not supposed to discuss it other than to admit it exists to people who have reason to know. And yeah, military school… Sorta. At least, not as preppy-private-school feeling as Xavier's." He shrugs. "Some level of secrecy is a protection, but it hasn't prevented some intrusions, after all." (Not to mention the absent Kai, who seems to have returned to the school already.)
"You can study whatever you want at Barnes, but it is a military academy, yes," Tabitha confirms. "But Mike is right, your best bet would be to ask Emma Frost about it. She'll tell you what you need to know."
The rat girl pauses, taking the time to gobble up a bit more of her food. "And I'm… Tabitha Jones, pleased to meet you. Never been on any of these squads, I got put straight into Barnes. Probably because I was a trouble-maker." She coughs softly, making a show of clearing her throat.
"Anyway. I'm a power copier. Anything you can do, I can do too." She bites her bottom lip, and humms softly. "Speaking of which, I'm supposed to try copying as many other people as I can… I've tried teleportation before, but only got to practice it the once. Mind if I try copying you, Jules? I promise I won't wind up stuck in any walls."
"Oh, sure. Do you need to touch me or something? Maybe we could teleport together, it could be fun! You can't get stuck in walls, but make sure not to start falling. A quick safety lesson, momentum is preserved between teleports. Just think of a direction and how far you want to go. Not how it says in fiction where you try to think of a place. Only relative distances." says Jules. He could go on for ages about this.
"Nah, she can copy it just by looking. It's kinda crazy, really," Fiona murmurs. "At least, I think that's how it works." She leans against Tabitha's car idly, legs crossed while she watches the proceedings. "Yeah, just don't teleport off a cliff or something crazy like that and you're fine."
"Or make sure I copy someone who's immortal or something first," Tabitha replies, "Since I can copy two people now. Got that worked out a while back. Can't manage three though." She finishes off every mouthful available in the first styrafoam container, and pushes it aside, only to move on to the second one; which seems to be full of noodles with chicken and… stuff. "And yeah, I just need to be close and I just… I'm not really sure what I do to be honest, and I've done it by accident more than once. I just do it."
She pauses, and manages a grin once more. "I already copied you. Didn't even hurt, did it?"
Hopefully, Jules manages to teleport away from Tabitha before she even grabs the second container, or notice for that matter. Just the final perk of Jules' teleportation, it is completely silent. The target this time? Tabitha's car. The teleporter just chills in the passenger seat of the car, kicking back with feet on the dash.
Tabitha doesn't seem perturbed when Jules vanishes; afterall, he did just explain that he can teleport, and she did just copy him. Moments later, the rat girl appears inside the car as well (albeit in the driver's seat) with food still in hand. "…Yeah, I could get used to having this all the time," she observes. "Too bad I can only keep it for two weeks. Oh well." She pauses, and rolls down the passenger window — hurray for power windows! "Hey, Fiona!" she calls out. "Hop in? I'll drop you off at your place if you want. You too, Jules, though… you might not need me to."
Jules smiles and laughs, "I like…" He vanishes, appears next to Fiona, offers to teleport her, and if so, teleports her to the back seat. If not, he just returns to shotgun, "the slow way, sometimes." The box of day old chinese food is left on the table, regardless. Who eats leftover chinese food?
Mike, quiet for a few moments, has been busy on the phone, but cheatingly, just appeared to be quietly watching. Robot with built-in-phone, after all. But when Tabs gets in the car, he possesses it as stealthily as possible, then begins quietly returning it to cherry-new condition, without comment. It's temporary, of course. And he does not interfere with the driving at all - as far as anyone can tell.
"Okay!" Fiona agrees, climbing over and then squeezing in next to Jules in the front seat. It's better than walking… Maybe! She's seen how Tabitha drives….
"Yep, hello there Mike," Tabitha observes, as she closes up her styrafoam container and tosses it on the dash. The rat girl gives Jules a light smack on the side of the knee, "Feet off the dash while I'm driving there cowboy, if I wrap this thing around a lamp post you'd get broken in half like that." She pauses, and flashes a grin. "Not that I'm going to."
She turns the key, and the engine howls in protest before starting up with a mighty roar. Tabitha waits for an opportunity, before she pulls out into traffic with a squeal of tires and a bit of a fish-tail of the back end.
"…Mike? Add new tires to your list," she observes, as she accelerates up to the speed limit — and past it, but not by much. There won't be any grey hairs on anyone's head tonight.
