18331/Angels and Ice Cream

Angels and Ice Cream
Date of Scene:	15 June 2024
Location:	Big Gay Ice Cream Shop
Synopsis:	Karolina happens across Shun at the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop and the two spend some time getting to know each other. Afterwards, she flies him home!
Cast of Characters:	Karolina Dean, Shun Cruz

---

Karolina Dean has posed:
Here's something you don't see every day...

There's a streak of bright light flying high through the afternoon sky, leaving in its wake a glittering prismatic tail that follows behind like some kind of glorious comet.

As it gets closer, it's apparent that the shape is humanoid, but glowing from every inch of exposed 'skin'.

And as it gets even closer? Well, these may very well have been the creatures that were called 'Angels' at some point in humanity's past. Karolina's willowy, feminine form is made entirely of liquid light -- not blinding, but certainly radiant -- all the way to the multi-colored mane of hair that flows down her back and swirls behind her on some unfelt solar wind.

She's wearing a white tank top, white shorts, and strappy flat sandals, which only serve to add to the whole 'angelic' vibe she has going on. What _doesn't_ fit with the look is the smallish brown backpack she's wearing.

Lightly and gracefully, she stretches out one foot and touches down on the sidewalk just outside of the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, a few onlookers nearby staring in fascination. Some point and whisper to the person they're with. Largely, though, they seem to leave her be. Especially as, within a few seconds of landing, all of the light has gone out.. simply faded away until she's wearing her 'normal' human guise -- fair skin, long blonde hair.

And though the uniqueness of her arrival is a small spectacle all on its own, at least there's no giant Pac-Mac eating through the front of the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop. So, that's promising. It _is_ New York, though, so those kinds of things could change in an instant.

Shun Cruz has posed:
After the fiasco of the bowling alley, Tekkai in his identity as Shun Cruz, has decided to head off some place else away from the madness of Queens for a while. It's New York, though, so he's fairly sure something might happen. Fairly sure.

The glittering trail has him looking up first. Then blinking a few times. He has to rub his eyes and he's a mystic. "Huh... neat." He shrugs, looking around to see others' reaction before he continues to that ice cream shop.

He does bother to pull out his phone and send a quick text to his parents about where he is and spotted a rainbow blonde model of a lady at the ice cream parlor as he continues to walk towards it.

Maybe it's a common occurrence of New York? He's not sure at this point. Giant arcade video game characters trying to do who knows what kinda dulls your senses to the strangeness for a while.

Karolina Dean has posed:
As one might expect from a place literally called the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, the people that opt to go in and get something are pretty chill and accepting about all walks of life... even mutants.

Of course, Karolina isn't actually a mutant. But most people assume she is. The reception outside isn't as universally welcoming. Some of those whispers turn to scowls. A couple of people take a picture of her -- mostly the ones that catch her glowing just get a washed out screen, like trying to take a picture of a lightbulb, and the ones that are too late just get a picture of a pretty, willowy blonde going to get some ice cream.

Which is creepy and stalkerish. She would shake their finger at them if she was after confrontation... she's not. Really, she just seems to want some ice cream.

So, at the door, Karolina grabs the door and pulls it open for a family of four that's exiting with their treats, all smiles. One of the two moms lingers for a moment and looks at her, "We noticed through the window. That was beautiful. I'm so glad you're proud of who you are."

That brings a pleased little smile to Karolina's lips and her fingers up to touch her chest. "Thank you! That's so sweet of you!"

The whole family moves off, but she's still holding the door open, since Tekkai is almost there.

"After you," she tells him brightly. (Get it.. brightly?)

But no, really. Even though she's not _literally_ glowing anymore, warmth, positivity, and optimism still radiate from her as if she were. Maybe it comes off as naive to some, but she seems genuinely and unapologetically nice.

Shun Cruz has posed:
Shun, or Tekkai, gives a smile, "Thank you." He steps in, reaching to hold the door for her. "Beautiful display out there."

Shun is wearing a white shirt, loose black overshirt with billowing sleeves, and some loose pants that have to be some sort of import or the like. They are definitely not normal New York fashion. The sneakers at least are. He's at least a teenager looking with the black hair, green eyes, and Asian-American features on him.

He obviously has no problem with it being all walks of life inside. Seriously. Doesn't even bat an eyelash at it. As if it was pretty normal for him.

Karolina Dean has posed:
"Thanks," Karolina breathes the word in a soft, self-conscious laugh, ducking inside when Tekkai takes the door from her.

She's only a few steps in, obviously on her way to go stand in line at the counter when she turns her attention back towards him. A step backwards, then, with a little shrug of narrow shoulders.

"I usually try not to make a scene, but I _really_ wanted some ice cream, and traffic this time of day is horrible, you know? And it's not even that _far_. I was just on ESU's campus, but Uber was like.. thirty minutes. Aaaand I could have walked, but it's _such_ a beautiful day."

Is she... apologizing for it? Justifying it to a stranger?

Whatever she's doing, she still seems at least a little nervous about talking about it.

There's a line. She almost backs in to the guy in the back of it, but she stops herself just in time and swings her backpack around to her belly, fishing out her phone.

Shun Cruz has posed:
Tekkai gives a respectful looking nod.

He smiles as he walks in behind her. "Hey, no problem. I think anyone would do the same. No wings here, so I had to do the walking thing. Plus, my usual hangout is kinda... under renovations? Something about a bunch of video game characters coming to life."

The young man shakes his head, "I saw a Pac-Man munching on cars of all things. I seriously thought the world was going to end on that one."

He offers a hand towards her once she has her phone, "Shun Cruz."

Karolina Dean has posed:
"Wait, not like.. in a movie? You mean.. life-life? Eating _actual_ cars?!"

A kind of incredulous lift of her eyebrows and goofy smile curls Karolina's lips at the thought of that. She can't seem to help the nervous laugh that escapes. Maybe a being that can transform into liquid light shouldn't be so surprised, but she is, anyway.

"That's like... nightmare fuel."

The offer of the hand gets a little wider smile, though, and she reaches out to shake, her touch light but present.

"I'm Karolina Dean." She pronounces the end of her first name like LEENA. "It's nice to meet you! And, we'll do our best to keep the ice cream from trying that, yeah? We're supposed to eat it, not the other way around."

For the VERY astute and entertainment minded, they _might_ recognize that name from a few years ago as the daughter of two Emmy Award Winning actors that died in California. But not a lot of people keep up with the names of actor's kids.

She grins a bit.

"Have you ever been here before? They even have vegan options! I love this place."

Shun Cruz has posed:
Shun's hand shake is a bit firmer, but hey it's expected. He seems to run his mind through something for a second at the sound of her name.

"As in the actors? Wow." Shun says.

He looks around, "Um... once, maybe, when I was little? I don't get out of Queens much these days. Only problem is figuring out what I want and going from there, I guess."

He smiles, "Place hasn't changed a lot. I'm glad for it."

Karolina Dean has posed:
_The actors._

"Oh! Um... yeah, actually," Karolina muses, raising the hand that she was shaking with up to rub the side of her neck awkwardly. "I'm surprised you remember! Hardly anyone does, anymore."

Was that a good thing or a bad thing? It's hard to tell. It just seems to be an uncomfortable thing. The official news report about her parents, Frank and Leslie Dean, stated that they died in a mysterious explosion. The report portrayed them as beloved philanthropists and benefactors, mentioning nothing about their true identities as key players in a vast criminal organization.

Or the fact that Karolina's actions in fighting against that organization directly contributed to their deaths.

It's not easy to carry around the weight of having killed your own parents. Even if they were evil.

"Oh, that's neat! I've only been in New York for about four years. I still really love all the tall buildings, you know? You probably don't even notice them, anymore..."

Then, from behind her, "Miss?"

She'd gotten so caught up in the conversation that she hadn't even noticed the line had evaporated and she was up next. The cashier was trying to get her attention.

"Oh! Sorry! Can I get a vegan banana split, please? With extra nuts? And whatever Shun wants." She makes a little gesture and then steps aside, smiling and holding up the pay app on her phone. "Is that okay? Can I buy you an ice cream? I've got a bit before my next class. You don't have to stay, though."

Apparently being pretty and blonde and from Hollywood and made out of some kind of energy didn't mean she couldn't still be awkward.

Shun Cruz has posed:
A small shrug comes from Shun, "Parents still watch old movies on occasion." He explains.

"I'm sorry if I brought up any bad memories. Um..."

He blinks a few times, "Oh, um... I guess? Uh, an American Globs?" He asks.

He looks at her, "I don't mind staying. School's out, so all I have is free time and some workout routines later. I'm trying to get ready for military out of high school, so... yeah."

Karolina Dean has posed:
Karolina shakes her head, brushing blonde hair back behind her ear. "No, it's fine. Honestly, I'm just glad people are still enjoying their films," she says, smiling, though her tone is a bit more subdued.

The orders are started, though, and the screen pops up to pay, so Karolina touches her phone to it and selects a tip.

"That's a... big decision." The military thing, not the ice cream choice. She tucks her phone back into her backpack, though, and swings it back around behind her as they wait for their orders. "I didn't really do the traditional high school thing, but I don't think anyone I knew around that age was talking about enlisting."

There's a little tilt of her head, then as she folds her arms across her stomach and settles in, hip propped against the counter.

"What made you choose that? Are your parents military?"

Shun Cruz has posed:
A smile comes to Shun's face. "Dad was. Veteran affairs now."

He shrugs, "I tag along sometimes." He sticks his hands in his pockets, looking away and out the window. "But... yeah. Big decision, but I hope it will be worth it. Not for the whole politics or protecting the country, but protecting the people. Like back when Loki and the aliens invaded. It's... a bit odd, but in a way I want to enlist to help others. For me, best way to do it. Either that or go be a cop. I'm more inclined towards military at the moment. Police are up there, but not really my sort of thing usually?"

He smiles at her, "Lots of stuff I could do, I kinda just want to follow my dad and hope to come out ok and ready to help out when I get back." He looks proud to say it, too. Sincere. But definitely looking forward to it eventually.

Karolina Dean has posed:
"Both of those paths are really noble. Loki's attack happened _right_ after I moved to New York... really made me question a lot of my life choices up to that point. But I totally get the urge. It made me really want to help, too, and I was sort of... in the middle of it, already doing what I could."

Her smile softens a bit.

"I totally get being proud of your dad and wanting to follow in his foot steps, though."

She was the hardest one in her friend group to convince, and each of them with parents that were directly contributing to the end of the entire human race. She only wanted to see the absolute best in her parents until the last possible second, when there was just no denying that they were sacrificing the Earth and everyone on it for their own gains.

"Here you are, dears," says the lady behind the counter.

Each of the treats is set on the counter, along with some paper napkins and plastic spoons.

"Thanks, Miss Kay," Karolina offers warmly, taking hers and nodding Tekkai over to one of the free tables with a smile.

"Have you considered SHIELD? It's sort of... the best of both worlds, right? Kind of police, kind of military?"

Shun Cruz has posed:
Shun reaches over to grab his, giving a smile, "Thank you." He looks to Karolina.

Her words definitely have some consideration. He seems to really, definitely consider it. "I... got no clue?"

He rubs his chin. The idea of SHIELD has him looking considerate. He hardly touches the ice cream for a good few seconds, then hums, "I will have to look and see what they have to offer. Really. It's kinda something I didn't consider, so maybe?"

He tabs a bit at the chocolate shell of his ice cream, finally getting a piece to crack so he can spoon himself a bite. That makes him silent for a second as he seems to consider a bit more.

"I mean, they don't overstep boundaries and such as far as I know. So it would be nice, but I don't know if they would have some spot for a guy from Queens. I'll have to check out their tests and all. Wonder if they got a tour or something?" He asks.

Karolina Dean has posed:
Karolina digs into her banana split, scooping out a heaping spoonful of ice cream, chocolate, and banana, all covered in a generous layer of peanuts.

"I actually don't know if they have tours," she says with a shrug. "They must have, right? I mean... at least of some kind. Where else would they recruit from? Not _everyone_ that works there can be a superhero. My guess is that most of the people that work there have the same thought you do... they're just trying to help. I only know what I read about in the news, though. It's not like I actually _know_ anyone there. I know Nick Fury is the director, though. If you're good with computers, you could probably hack his personal cell and ask if he'd give you a tour. That might get you one."

Beat.

"Or arrested."

She grins a bit, takes that bite of her ice cream, and then shakes her head once she's wallowed.

"But I mean... why not a guy from Queens? You've gotta be from _somewhere_. I'm not even _from_ this planet. Chances are, I'm better off if they don't even know I exist. You've got a _way_ better shot than I do, 'just a guy from Queens.'"

Shun Cruz has posed:
That earns a laugh, "Oh come on. Not from this planet?" He asks.

"And I'm not good with computers. More... action oriented, I guess? Another life, probably be a jock or something."

He shakes his head, "But yeah, I think I would have to be a superhero or something to be able to join up. Might just work in security or something, I guess. Work my way up from there." A sigh is given. "But that's probably a back up so far."

He takes a bite of his ice cream again, chocolate, nuts, and some other stuff. He looks considerate again.

"Are you really from another planet? I mean, were your parents?" He asks.

Karolina Dean has posed:
"Yup."

Karolina's digging into another scoop of ice cream.

"So, yeah, to be fair... _I_ was born and raised in Hollywood, which feels a little like another planet sometimes, but my parents were aliens. No one ever knew. _I_ didn't even know until I was like... thirteen."

She lifts that spoon full of ice cream and lets a finger hover just above it, a little prismatic glow radiating out just from her fingertip that steadily melts it like she was holding a torch against it.

"I'm a Majesdanian. Only one I know of that's still on Earth. Then again.. how would I know?"

Then she takes that bite of melted ice cream with a shrug and her nose wrinkles.

"That's what I get for showing off."

Shun Cruz has posed:
Shun looks curious as he eyes the light. "Neat. Solar or something?"

He sighs, looking considerate. "Makes me wish I could do something flashy like that. Ah well." He says before he takes a bite of his ice cream.

He laughs a bit once he swallows. "Could have just held up a finger or something. It's obvious you well... glow and stuff."

A shake of his head as he smiles, "So... I know you're like an orphan or something, but... is it hard having powers out there? I mean, people don't look at you odd or anything?"

The question might seem out of the blue, but he's definitely not shy about it. And something in his eyes is showing that maybe it's for a different reason. He's not good at hiding his emotions and such so far.

Karolina Dean has posed:
"Nailed it in one."

She smiles, nodding the spoon at him approvingly.

"Yeah, well, with great power doesn't always come great common sense, okay? I'm doing the best I can over here."

But her blue eyes are filled with mirth, even if she tries and fails to sound frustrated instead of amused.

At least until that question lands. _That_ gives her a few seconds of pause as she turns the answer in her head and scoops another bite, apparently seriously considering what she wanted to say about it.

"I hid who I was for a long time. Way longer than I should have. And I mean, even in the early days, I didn't wear a mask or anything, but around other people I tried not to let them see. I didn't want..."

She shrugs.

"I didn't want to end up alone, I guess, but the more friends I made who didn't know -- and as the friends who did know started to drift away -- the more I felt like I really _was_ alone. I started running out of people to talk to, so I..."

She laughs softly.

"I decided to make some _new_ friends. Friends I could be honest with. And one of them in particular has been serving as kind of inspiration for me to stop worrying so much. There's still a lot of push-back. People fear what they don't understand. I see them pointing and whispering. Sometimes it's worse than that, but being... 'like me'... is more normal than it was 10 years ago, and a lot more normal than it was 10 years before that. Plus, I'm bi. And that's a little bit the same, you know? Ten years ago, I was _terrified_ for anyone to find out I liked girls. Now, not so much, but there are still people that are going to hate me for it."

Shun Cruz has posed:
The words have him leaning back in his chair a bit. The next bite of ice cream during her words is chewed thoughtfully as he gets a piece of the chocolate shell of his.

"Huh... you have a point... I guess it's the worry as far as friends. I've seen how some in Queens are scared of mutants and treat them differently. The same with liking the same gender. I don't see what the problem is myself. It can happen, shoot there's other species that do it." He shakes his head.

"Seriously, I'm glad that slowly people are changing. It might not be obvious with stuff like Sentinels or people saying things about it, but I'm seeing it here and there. Like here. I don't think I've ever heard of this place being attacked. And seriously, I would pity someone that dared to even try to rob the place. It's got good food and all."

Karolina Dean has posed:
And as if on cue, there's a blaring horn, a screeching of tires, and THEN...

...nothing happens. It's New York. That kinda thing happens all the time. People don't even look up. Karolina didn't even pause in her chewing.

"Being made to hide who you are to avoid abuse is still abuse. You're not stopping it. You're just trading one kind of pain for another."

There's a 'big thought' for the day. Maybe she's got a bigger future in advocacy than she thought she did.

"I've got a better chance of protecting myself than some, and maybe that gives me more courage than I should really have... but I don't really feel as _brave_ as I am just exhausted. People assume that I'm a mutant a lot, and that's fine with me. I try not to do anything that would hurt the reputation of mutants _or_ aliens, but at some point... even that statement is weird, right? Like I'm putting all of this energy into making sure that everyone else is comfortable with me, rather than just being me."

She shrugs.

And as if on cue, two teenage girls -- about thirteen or so -- freeze, peek at a phone, look back up at Karolina, back at the phone, back up at Karolina, and then there's a little squeal of excitement. "It _is_ her!!"

Shun Cruz has posed:
Shun glances over at the exclamation. Then looks back to Karolina. "Someone has fans." He notes.

He shifts a bit over in his seat just in case. Teenage girls. That's going to make his day as he watches amused.

"Totally agree with that statement. Should write it down somewhere and make like a slogan or something of it."

He absently gets a bit of ice cream and munches on it as he waits to see what the teenage girls do.

He mentions after swallowing a bite, "You got a pen in case of autographs?" He asks with a small grin on his face.

Karolina Dean has posed:
Karolina's gaze follow Shun's, and she blinks at the girls a couple of times. The smile she offers is tentative, though. "I don't... have... fans," she points out slowly, as perplexed about what's going on as anyone else that noticed the squeal and glanced over to look.

There's one more glance back to Shun, and then back to the girls, who she waves over... because she doesn't seem to know what else to do about it.

The pair of them are practically shaking with frenetic energy, one unified bundle of nerves, arm-in-arm. "Ohmygod are you Supergirl's girlfriend?!"

Aaaaand the light blinks on. Karolina's smile softens, and she makes a little circular motion with her finger. "It's the picture from outside the Wiener Hut, isn't it? Can I see? I haven't gone looking..."

They turn the phone around, and sure enough, it's a picture of Karolina, about four inches taller than the blonde beside her, who is obviously Kara Zor-El (or a fantastic look-alike) in plain clothes in front of a restaurant with a big hot dog on the top, Kara leaning her head into Karolina's shoulder.

It's a benign enough picture. They _could_ just be really good friends. Except that they wipe to the side and there's a video of the two women floating above the restaurant, kissing in mid-air. In that one, Karolina's glowing, so it washes a bunch out, but it's still previous obvious from the dark patches that are Kara's arms and body.

That one Karolina actually blushes at.

"It totally went viral," one of the girls announces. "What is it like dating Supergirl?"

Karolina opens her mouth like she already as an answer prepared, but she seems to reconsider it, hesitating a moment before saying instead, "If you can imagine all the best things someone can be wrapped up into one person... that's her. So, pretty great."

"What does -- "

Whatever the other girl was going to ask gets cut off by an older man coming over and raising his arms to usher them both away from the table. "I'm so sorry. We were _just_ leaving," he says, sternly enough that it comes out as a growl.

Which leaves Karolina still blushing a bit, giving them a last wave, and then looking back to Shun.

"Sorry. As you can see.. I'm adjusting to the spotlight for _other_ reasons."

Shun Cruz has posed:
That has Shun trying hard to cover the laugh. By the time the two girls are pulled away, he's still trying not to laugh still. Calming down finally, he gives a broad smile, "I can see. I do not follow the whole social media thing so well. Mostly because it means seeing all the negativity here and there."

He takes another bite of his ice cream. "So Supergirl's girlfriend? I can see why, of course."

The teen shakes his head, looking amused. "I guess with that out you might have a few more pop up?" He asks, looking considerate. "I heard that social media travels fast as anything these days."

Shun is definitely enjoying the moment or two. "Makes me wish I had magic powers or something."

Karolina Dean has posed:
"That makes one of us," Karolina snarks playfully at the 'I can see why' comment. "She brought _coffee_ to my study group the other day..." Dramatic pause. "_Coffee_. Like it was the most normal thing in the whole world. My whole group flipped out. They were hardly even talking to me before and now they all want to know how Kara's doing every day. I didn't feel like I deserved her attention to begin with. Can you even imagine how intimidating it is that like ninety percent of the planet wants to take your place?"

She wrinkles her nose, then, and grins before she takes another bite. "Yeah, I said ninety percent. Fight me."

There's a little laugh, though as she slips that spoon full of ice cream and banana past her lips to chew, though she's already waving her spoon around as if she could summon the thought into existence without having to say the words.

"You do."

It's said _so_ flatly, once she's swallowed, jabbing the spoon towards him like it would drive home the point. Like she somehow just _knew_ he had magic powers and was absolutely certain of it. No hint of amusement or teasing or jest or anything else.

And she lets that hang there for a few seconds.

"You made my whole day better. You didn't _have_ to sit here and talk to me, but you did, and used your powers to improve my day."

She shrugs, then, and scoops another bite.

"If that's not magic, I don't know what is."

And then she pops that next bite into her mouth.

Shun Cruz has posed:
A small smile comes to his face at that. "I guess it is."

He smiles a little, "You are right, though. I guess I did improve your day as much as you did mine."

Shun looks over at the rest of the store, "I am so coming here more often. Nice, quaint, and definitely a good spot." He shakes his head.

"Shoot, maybe I should look into becoming a therapist instead of going military. Charge ice cream for it." He has a small grin at that before he takes another bite of his ice cream.

Karolina Dean has posed:
"Oh! Oh! You could even be a therapist _in_ the military," Karolina points out with a happy little shift of her shoulders as she swallows that bite. "Best of both worlds. _Plus_ you already know you'd be great at it. And I'll totally write you a letter of recommendation that they'll definitely throw in the garbage, but I'll _still_ write it."

It's true, though. She really wasn't in a bad moon when she came in -- she's almost always a ray of sunshine, even when she's not being a literal ray of sunshine -- but she seems to be particularly enjoying the whole atmosphere, too. The conversation, the chance to be herself, to talk openly, to stop worrying so much about what everyone else thinks. It's freeing, like flying up into the stratosphere and just hovering, looking down at everything below.

"And if you start coming here, you should call me if you ever want company. I'm always on the lookout for a new therapi -- I mean friend."

That grin grows even wider.

"I literally live just a few blocks from here, so it's not exactly a long trip.. especially if I skip traffic."

Somehow, being able to travel faster than the speed of sound when you need to makes everything seem a little bit more attainable.

"So what do you do when you're not... you know... eating ice cream and planning out your future with a complete stranger?"

Shun Cruz has posed:
A small smile comes to Shun's face. He raises an eyebrow at her. "I think you just want a friend to eat ice cream with on that one." He laughs, "But it is good to get out of Queens and any problems it might have."

He seems to consider, "Well... usual things. Arcades, bowling, that sort of thing. Oh, and school work at the moment. I do some martial arts, too, but well... that's mostly family stuff. Mom and dad like to make sure I can defend myself just in case. It is New York, after all."

He makes a face at that. "Otherwise, I draw, too. Didn't bring my sketch pad. I'll have to next time. I'm getting good at it, but it's not exactly perfect. That might be something if I decide to go into the police. Sketch artist." He shrugs.

Karolina Dean has posed:
"What?" It even comes with the incredulous, overly-innocent look and a sly smile. "I'm allowed to want friends that eat ice cream. So what if it means I get more ice cream? It's not the _only_ reason I want a person to be my friend. It's just a... happy side effect."

Her blue eyes shine warmly as she listens.

"What kind of martial art? I really wish I'd taken _any_. I realized how woefully unprepared I was the last time a guy ran at me with a scythe. In fairness, I'm not even sure which martial art teaches you to deal with that."

Thank you, Nightcrawler.

But she perks up at the drawing. "Oh, neat! My friend Viv draws. See? The reasons we should be friends just keeps adding up. I love artsy types. I can't draw anything more than a stick figure, but I cook! I actually taught some classes."

She lowers her voice conspiratorially. "They called me the Vegan Iron Chef."

They didn't. She called herself that.

"Oh! Do you want to drop our dishes off and walk? I should probably start heading back to campus, but I'm happy to keep talking."

Shun Cruz has posed:
"Eh, it's a mixed form. Something my old man knows from the Marines. All non-lethal. Worst I can do is disable someone and stop them from following me." Shun confides.

"As for going for a walk, sure. I can catch a bus back to Queens from there, I think. Lot easier than walking back." He says.

"Vegan Iron Chef, huh? But yes, I do draw. I'm not completely great at it, but I definitely know most of what I am doing. It's a nice past time to help relax, especially after school. Just find a good sight and go from there. Draw what comes to mind is what I usually do."

A smile is given, "I think I have a few things to capture on paper when I get back home. At least a few are going to be an interesting challenge. Might have to stop at the store and get some supplies."

Karolina Dean has posed:
"That's better than I can do when I solar energy's tapped out," Karolina muses with a little shrug. She holds up her vegan girl arms in a power lifter's pose which is... not at all impressive, unless you're measuring them for a fashion modeling gig. "I punched a guy without my power once. It... did not go well."

At least she was still around to talk about it, though.

She smiles. "That's gardening, for me. And cooking. When I need to relax after school, I spend some time with my plants."

She's standing, then, collecting her dish and walking it over to the bin of dirties to set it down, attentively waiting for Shun before she makes her way back outside.

"So... about that bus ride. I mean, it's not exactly the same experience -- you know, the crowded seats and uncomfortable body odor -- but if you want, _I_ could give you a ride back to Queens. Wherever you want. It's totally up to you, though. No pressure. Flying is _not_ for everyone, but I'll tell you, the view is... pretty great."

She's already walking towards the ESU campus, though, thumbs hooked into the straps of her backpack.

Shun Cruz has posed:
Shun shakes his head, "It's not that hard. You just have to know how to do it and what to do." He shrugs, "Like there's a point you can grab at the base of the thumb that you can control just about anyone not expecting it. Hurts like hell, too."

A smile is given, "Really? Mom does the same. Usually after she's done with her shift at the market."

He sighs at the idea of flying, then nods, "Sure? I mean, you aren't going to drop me or anything, are you?" He asks.

Secretly, he hopes not. Last time he had to stop a fall with his powers, it hurt like hell and he had to get an arm reset. Ow.

Karolina Dean has posed:
"Smart lady," Karolina points out with a smile. "...and, maybe you can show me that place on the thumb some time. I can practice it on Kara. It's not like I could _actually_ hurt her."

She stops and holds out her hand to him, then, and in the next moment, light rips across her skin, turning every bit of light pink flesh to bioluminescent plasma in exactly the same shape. It even streaks down the mid-back length of her blonde hair, turning it into long prismatic waves that reach down to the sidewalk and swirl behind her.

It... gets attention. Again.

A few people stop and change direction or take a wide path around.

Nevertheless she still holds that hand out, smiling that _literally_ glowing smile, this time.

"I'd never drop you. I promise. You don't even _have_ to hold on tight, but you can squeeze as much as you're comfortable with."

Her hand is warm, as one might expect from a glowing being made of pure solar energy, but it's not hot to the touch. And when he does take her hand, a streak of rainbow-colored light wraps around him, circling out from his arm and going all the way down to his feet, until they're both rising slowly off the ground.

And that's what she means by not having to hold on -- it's not their hand holding that's keeping him with her. It's the solar energy she has wrapped around him to support him.

"Anywhere specific in Queens?" she asks brightly, lifting up above the buildings to leave the gawking people behind, but she's already turning and leaning, carrying them both across the city.

Shun Cruz has posed:
He actually looks around as he realizes they are in the air, "Um... fourth block in from here."

Well, this is definitely something new for him. And he does magic. Not that he's going to tell her that. But finding a spell to fly or a means to is definitely going to be up there on his list now.

That he's actually looking down and not that afraid is probably a miracle. He's looking around, and even pointing directions to her.

"Oh, right there. Um. Guess you can drop me near the steps? It's my place and all. I'm on the third floor." He says, then realizes that he's literally having a glowing might as well be angel type dropping him off. "Oh, kami. This is going to take a lot of explaining to do." He realizes.