10644/Party like there is no N.O.W.H.E.R.E.

Party like there is no N.O.W.H.E.R.E.
Date of Scene:	03 April 2022
Location:	Outsiders Safehouse in Gotham
Synopsis:	The Outsiders have their victory party. Tim drinks too much coffee. Laura wears a dress. Robbie gets tagged as suspect of dating Gabby (he is innocent). And other normal things.
Cast of Characters:	Conner Kent, Gabby Kinney, Laura Kinney, Robbie Reyes, Natasha Romanoff, Tim Drake, Lonnie Machin, Emiko Queen

---

Conner Kent has posed:
After some chatting, the victory party has been moved away from the Roost. In part because repairs are not finished (poor Ahab is still broken, who will cook now?!) and in part so they can invite more friends, security be damned. And frankly, it would be embarrassing to ask the Black Widow to wear a blindfold to usher her into the bat-secret building.

Besides, the number of safehouses Robin and his siblings have is ridiculous. Some are large enough to host a big party. And Conner has made some refurnishing so it looks cool, and brought here most of the surviving toys from the rec room. Not the billiards table that Pixie broke, though, they need to get a new one.

But there are music, snacks and games, what else is needed?

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney, defacto leader of the Outsiders no more, is quite happy to have handed the mantle of leadership back to Red Robin once he was properly rescued along with the others. It's perhaps part of why she's in such a good mood as she arrives, throwing the doors wide open with a cheery cry of, "PARTY TIIIIME!" She'd even dressed up. In an actual dress. A sundress with biker shorts beneath because she was rather hoping there might be a trampoline or ball pit. Best to be prepared even while being a little bit fashionable.

Turning to glance over her soulder she grins broadly at Robbie whom she is dragging along to this shindig. "Come on, let's get you introduced to everyone! You're gonna have a blast. Just relax!" There's a pause before she considers, and drops her voice a notch, "One of my sisters is here, we're identical because we're clones, but don't stare too hard okay? She's... Not as socialized as I am." Deciding that was the best remark she nods, and adds, "You know I'm right Laura, sorry, just being honest." Even though Laura wasn't in front of her. She just. She KNEW Laura probably heard what she said. No sense in hiding it.

Laura Kinney has posed:
What else is needed? Well for a start there wasn't a decoy party set up in another location. There's no-where to live fire weapon emplacements and not a single bazooka in sight.

But then again there is a reason no-one lets Laura plan a party....

She's dressed up for the occasion though. With a little black party frock and some strappy shoes. Probably from a disguise kit rather than her regular day to day wardrobe. With her hair worn mostly up, using some hair pins that probably double as lethal throwing weapons (because they are), and a total lack of makeup. Because thanks to a healing factor it's pretty much unnecessary.

She maintains a look of mild annoyance. Not specifically directed at anyone or anything. Just at the general 'out socializing' situation.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie, it's safe to say, is not one for parties. He looks about as out of place here as is possible to look, and god only knows what Gabby had to threaten him with, to get him to come. He's cleaned up, at least; there's no engine grease decorating the young mechanic's face. But that leather jacket's gotta be the only one he owns, and his faded jeans are sporting a few rips in the knees.

Have a blast, she says. Just relax. "Right," he grunts as he shuffles in after her, hands stuffed into his jacket pockets, shoulders hiked to his ears. "Don't stare. Fine." And then he abruptly veers off to find himself something to drink. Preferably alcoholic.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff is here as well. Festivities are something that she doesn't always partake in. But this? This is an exception. Rescued teenagers that were targeted because of their powers are safe now because their friends went for them and kept on fighting until they were saved. That makes it a reason to show up. Natasha is near the back, a rare look of contentment.

Tim Drake has posed:
    If anyone thought that Red Robin might have taken some time off to recuperate after being kidnapped, well, they don't know the leader of the Outsiders very well. Which is fine, the rescue was a cross-organizational effort, and the Bats aren't exactly known for being the friendly and outgoing types.

    That one of them is even making an appearance at a party probably says something.

    Though making an appearance in Tim's case means sitting cross-legged on some of the boxes of supplies shoved into a corner -- storage being what this safehouse was mostly used for prior to it being co-opted for a party -- with a laptop balanced on his knees.

    If anyone thought that Red Robin would be doing anything else, please refer to the original statement of this pose.

    His attention does stray away from the computer screen when the Kinney sisters arrive and he notices they're *both* dressed up. Which feels statistically significant, somehow. Tim's still got his domino mask on because, well, you know. Secret identities and whatnot. But he's otherwise in civilian clothes, so: black jeans, red jacket, red... shoes.

    Okay yes he's basically just in a casual equivalent of his costume. At least there isn't any embroidered bird symbols anyway. But he's probably got most of his kit on him, even if the utility belt is nowhere in sight.

    "Live it up, HB," he calls out, because RR shortens the super hero names of anyone and everyone he can, it's a thing, no he's definitely not projecting, "But we still have to debrief after this!"

    He's such a party pooper.

Lonnie Machin has posed:
    Nearby that stack of crates, the uh... guy who hangs around Tim sometimes. Sunglasses, Black Flag t-shirt, tight ripped jeans, All-Stars sneakers, leather jacket covered in rivets and patches and decals. He's got his arms crossed, and his hair up in a bun - and if not for the can of seltzer he was holding he'd look quite the menacing picture.

Conner Kent has posed:
To say the truth Conner has not dressed up much either, although the leather jacket is brand new, but the rest of the outfit is the 'lazy uniform' of jeans and black t-shirt with a red S. He is also surprised by the Kinney's outfits. No, actually he is surprised by Laura's outfit (he does stare a bit). He half expected she wouldn't show up. But holy shit, even the Black Widow is around!

Robbie is lucky Conner was in charge of the drinks. There are some alcoholic ones. Beer and some stuff for cocktails. He expected a good number of people over 21 (not that he is going to card anyone).

And looks like Superman is not coming. Good, he is still trying to come up with a good way to tell him about Match. Another clone. And he is a jerk.

"Hey Laura, Gabby," he glances at Robbie, "hmm, hello! I am Conner," greets. And since he came with Gabby, he gets that suspicious glance that suggests Gabby is pretty much everyone's little sister and anyone she brings better be a certified saint.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko arrives looking like she ripped off Tim's look wholesale. But this is what happens when you have two people that wear red and black for their costumes!

To be quite fair, Emi's in a stylish short red leather jacket over a cropped black hoodie over a white tee that tucks into black skinny jeans that end in wedge heeled sneakers in a black/red/white combo. The domino mask is firmly in place as she enters the party location, hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket. She glances around the room, unsure if she's in the right place, at least until she can spot some familiar faces.

She registers faint surprise at the dresses, wondering if she perhaps misunderstood what sort of party this was supposed to be. A glance around shows more leather jackets and casual dress that has her letting out a breath in relief. Moving forward, she heads towards the table to secure a bottle of water.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
The young adults present are given a casual nod from the Black Widow, whom seems to be more playing chaperone to the affairs with a light grin on her face, if not quite interacting. Natasha has a rare period of contentment visible on her face, for those few that had learned, perhaps, to read the subtle cues in her body language. She's just wearing an off-duty SHIELD Bodysuit with a gunbelt and some equipment on it. One never went anywhere without being ready for trouble.

She didn't haev any food or drink on her, nor did she show any signs of moving towards the table.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Score. Robbie liberates a can of beer from the six pack sitting on the counter, pops it with a thumb, and takes a swig. He.. probably is over 21. Maybe. Barely. He's got that old soul look about him, and dark circles under his eyes that make him look both underslept and vaguely cynical.

"Hey, man, nice to meet you," he offers Conner in return. No hand given to shake, but he does size the guy up with a long look that could be friendlier. Certified saint? He'd probably choke on his beer if someone tried to accuse him of that.

Natasha's noted with a speculative furrow of his brows, and then the other Kinney sister with a little double-take. But he was told not to stare, and so he doesn't. Back to minding his own business.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney pauses at the sight of Laura herself only to clap her hands together with an excited squeal of glee. "Laura you look awesome! Guess we're twins! I mean more than we already kind of are but you get what I mean!" And with that she does a little spin showing off her own dress that might have had some pockets sewn into it through her own rudiemtnary skills. Don't ask what was IN them because whatever it was, it was heavy and weighed down the fabric whens he tries to twirl.

That's about as far as she gets in her delight of having a chance to dress up as she looks back to Robbie who heads off for a drink. "Oh, sure, right. Plenty of drinks and food so dig in!" A cheesey grin is given as she feels momentarily awkward. Maybe dragging an antisocial person to a party with a bunch of other antisocial people wasn't the best of ideas. Maybe. Conner's greeting though causes her smile to soften more genuinely. If anyone could be a good host it'd be Conner.

So for the moment she heads across the room toward Tim and Lonnie to out and out reach around Tim's laptop to give him a hug. "Welcome back! Don't ever do that again! Make sure he doesn't, Anarky. Lo-jack him or something."

Laura Kinney has posed:
Where the younger Kinney sister might be warm and friendly the older sibling returns the brief glance with a look that says 'I know just about every way to kill a man and make the body disappear there is'. It's quite probably true too.

Laura gives her sister a more curious eyebrow raise. "Many of my casual clothes got destroyed in the attack," she notes with a shrug. "The disguises kit was better protected from water and smoke damage."

She idly makes her way over to the drinks table. Which is probably a lot less chaperone suited than Natasha might like. And if it isn't? Well X-23 has a few vials of things she can add to spice up her beverages. Is it capsaicin? Is it alcohol? Perhaps a mix of the two? Who can say. But whatever it is Laura is keeping it in a bottle with a poison symbol on it...

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff has taken a light note of that small bottle that Laura Kinney has. The veteran spy looks amused for just a moment, it passing over her lips. Laura can probably make it out. Someone else.. Well, if they take a quick glimpse of her as she makes eye contact and catches that look of amusement. Robbie is given a light and curious glance back, Natasha's attention returning over to watching the kids (in her mind, at least) go about enjoying themselves.

Again, still not quite interactive, but still a little more engaged than her normal shadowy self.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Even as focused as Red Robin is on whatever work he's tending to on his laptop -- there's a certain frantic note to his furious typing that his teammates might recognize -- he's still canvasing the room on the regular. He's not physically capable of not paying attention, likely because the spectre of the Dark Knight will appear behind him the moment he were to do so.

    And Batman's scary, you guys.

    So he's noticed Gabby came in with a plus-one, of course. But he's comfortable leaving the first introductions to Conner. He's also not immune to the presence of an Avenger in the room, either, and for some reason Tim feels like Natasha can tell every time he glances in her direction, even with his mask on.

    Okay, maybe that's all in his head.

    Emiko's arrival, though. It takes him a moment or two to recognize her as Red Arrow only because he's distracted by the social faux pas they're unwittingly committing right now, which he brings immediate attention to by pointing at her from across the room.

    "Hey!" he calls out.

    ...

    "Nice outfit!"

    His laptop is snapped shut and set aside as Gabby starts making her way over, as if Tim knows what's going to happen. Except he's mildly startled by the hug, but still sweeps up the smaller of the Kinney sisters in his arms to return it warmly. When he pulls back, his hand lingers on her shoulder for a moment, giving it a quick squeeze. "I think he's going to tag me in my sleep tonight," Tim admits with a quirk of his lips.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Make that two Avengers in the room, technically. Robbie's semi-retired from his duties, in order to focus on taking care of his younger brother, but if they needed an unkillable vengeance demon with a flaming head? He'd be there.

But right now, he's here. At a party that's getting busier by the minute. And Robbie? Plans on pasting himself into this here unobtrusive corner, sipping his beer, and fiddling with his phone until he can make a discreet departure. So far, everything's going according to plan.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko glances up at Laura's approach, giving a small nod towards her, "Hey. Glad you got all your people back." She flashes a quick smile before turning towards Robbie at his approach. There's a bit of a chuckle for his choice of beer, but she lifts the bottle in toast to him all the same. Maybe she's wishing she could go for the liquor!

Tim's call out has her turning towards him, looking at him, then at herself, then throwing up both hands and grinning, "Great minds!"

Chuckling, Emi falls back a bit, smiling now as she tips the bottle back for a sip. Glancing around, she moves towards Conner to offer a hand out to him, "Thanks for the invite, by the way. It was unexpected, but welcome." There's a quick smile for him as she stares... UP. Short girls be short.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney grins broadly when Tim returns the hug so enthusiastically. There was one thing he was good at, hugs, and she was a hugger that got very few lately. So hugs it is, and that little pick up and spin earns a laugh from her before she's settled down again. A step away is taken to give him his personal space again while tipping her head toward the drinks area.

"That's Robbie, I suggested he might want to meet everyone and see if he's interested in joining up." Another glance is cast in his direction with just a hint of worry, perhaps even guilt, as he seems to be doing his absolute best to merge with the wall.

"Maybe a party wasn't the best introduction. I was just excited," she explains with a little sigh. Her grin emerges again almost immediately as she pipes up with, "You guys both look great! Good to see you again, Red!" There's a pause, a sidelong look, and she starts counting on her fingers. "Red Arrow, Red Robin, Red Hood... we might need to work on expanding the color schemes."

Laura Kinney has posed:
"That group was doomed to fail," Laura notes solemnly. "The moment they decided to put us all in the same cell it was only a matter of time before we defeated them." Supremely confident for her size. "To be frank I think I probably could have taken them down by myself given enough time. It would have been a lot... messier though."

Whatever she added to her drink has turned the glass of fizz into... something. Something which is giving off a faintly unnerving mist that irritates the eyes of anyone close by.

"Red costumes are practical. They hide the blood."

Conner Kent has posed:
So, Laura is playing wallflower-ish, but that can't be fixed. Who else? The Black Widow. Arguably the one woman in the world that is scarier than Laura. But that kind of thing has never stopped Conner.

"Hello," he greets. "I was one of the kidnapped people in the NOWHERE base. Superboy, but call me Conner. I thought I saw you when we got all the kids out. I wanted to thank you, and... er... all the Avengers for coming to help."

He turns to smile at Emiko, "of course, you came too. I think Imp is at work, but maybe he will drop by later. This is... uh, actually one of the safehouses. The Roost is still not fixed."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would note over to Laura, "It's also dependent on the material. Some things aborb better than others, or stand out. And the best uniform will always be one that blends to the surroundings and doesn't stand out, so lon gas you're not looking to get any attention."

She would turn to Conner and dip her head, "There's nothing to thank us for. IF we're not coming to the rescue for -anyone- being kidnapped and threatened, no matter what their status is, then we have no right to consider ourselves heroes. It's a pleasure. I'm just glad that all of you got out and you were okay. And a pleasure to meet you, Superboy."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Hey," Robbie greets, somewhat curtly, when Emiko glances over. Maybe he figures he should at least attempt to be friendly. He tips his beer back for a swig, then gestures with it vaguely. "You know Gabby?" Let's be honest, *he* barely knows Gabby.

Conner mentioning that he was one of the kidnapped people has him looking the guy over curiously. Superboy, huh? Thought he looked a little familiar.

Lonnie Machin has posed:
    Lonnie looks up, having finished his can of seltzer - and then, monkey-like, he climbs up to where Tim is perched, or was perched? Either way, he's trying to roust Tim from his spot and make sure he can't come back to it - that instead he has to be around all his friends until all his limited Introvert Fuel is used up.

Tim Drake has posed:
    The tilt of Tim's head is purposeful, to let Gabby know that he's turned his attention to Robbie's distant form over by the refreshments. He crosses his arms over his chest as he leans back against the supply crates, but it's only for a moment before he pushes back off of them. Partially, yes, because Lonnie stole his spot. "Fine, fine," he mutters, and then he's asking Gabby "Think he's a good fit?" even as he starts heading over in that direction.

    Halfway there, he spins on his heel to walk backwards for a second or two, head tilted back at Lonnie in silent invitation.

    He slips right into the conversation with "Hey, I don't know about you guys, but I wear red because I look amazing in it," delivered in his very best deadpan. With the domino on it's almost impossible to tell if he's serious or not.

    No one mention Mr. Sarcastic, okay?

    "N.O.W.H.E.R.E. really did themselves dirty. They put a rogue, a monk, an artificer and a sorcerer in a room together and expected us to stay out of trouble." He jerks a thumb over his shoulder at Conner. "Even if they'd captured our tank, we were more than they could handle. Full Saturday cartoon special power of friendship."

Emiko Queen has posed:
"They -were- doomed to fail, but that is the downfall of all villains. Ego. They always think they've got the best plan, they've covered all the bases... then we swoop in and scatter everything like children's building blocks." Emiko gives a nod towards Laura, smiling briefly at her. Turning back to Conner, she chuckles, "He's actually still studying. He leaves for work in.." She glances at her phone, "Four minutes. That boy will study all the way up until he has thirty seconds left. I'll see him tonight, though! I try to swing by and have lunch with him at work now and then."

Looking to Robbie, she chuckles, then shakes her head. "To be honest, I barely know anyone here. I was part of the last mission but like... I've not really met anyone. Battlefield isn't the best time for introductions."

Looking back towards Conner, she ends up smiling at Natasha, "Hi there. It's a true pleasure to meet someone of your caliber, just.. period. I would -love- to talk tactics and techniques sometime."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Maybe. Bit of a loner, but fought well together," Gabby manages to mention to Tim before he's heading off in that direction to go see about Robbie himself. Her experience was limited as well but she *was* one of those mostly optimistic sorts. Still, the question and apparent assured reaction from Tim has her standing there lost in thought. She HAD temporarily led the Outsiders during their entrapment. Perhaps she should think more carefully before making recommendations. Hm. Food for thought.

Granted the thought of food earns a little rumble in her stomach so with a sigh she heads for the food table to indulge in some non-lethal snacks. Laura's drink is eyed warily. "Laura is that acid? It smells like acid. Even to me. I know you heal but you should try to eat healthy--Oh my god I'm turning into Phoebe." Her hand hovers over the tray of veggies and hummus dip before pointedly shifting to the Cheetos to grab a handful.

Laura Kinney has posed:
Laura Kinney glances at Natasha, then back at her sister, and a little louder than usual she notes "Gabby if I ever wear a yellow spandex costume assume I'm being mind controlled by something nefarious."

That is probably a joke. Right?

Her head tilts to one side. "No, I didn't add any lysergic acid diethylamide. This is simply a mix of toxins that attack the liver and allow alcohol to give me a mild buzz while my healing factor kicks in."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Yeah, I getcha," Robbie demurs with a crook of his mouth to Emiko that tries valiantly to be a smile. Doesn't quite manage it, though.

His duty to attempt socialisation complete, he peels away from the girl.. and practically bumps into Tim, who's headed right for him. "Shit, sorry, man," he mumbles, and raises his beer. "Nice party, yeah?" Real smooth, Robbie.

Lonnie Machin has posed:
Though he was just about settle down in Tim's spot, Lonnie notices that Tim is calling me over. After a moment he swings long legs down, having abandoned his jacket, and he approaches - he walks up behind Tim, and puts his arms around his shoulders from behind, and rests his chin on top of his head. He gives a little reassuring squeeze, and a faint smile.

Tim Drake has posed:
    "We're all loners until we meet the right people," Tim says, and then his nose scrunches up, partially obscured by the bottom of his domino mask. "I feel vaguely hypocritical for saying that, but Conner's the only one here who was around at the start of the Outsiders to see just how terrible I was at being a human, back then."

    If he notices that Gabby lags behind a little bit (and yes of course he notices) Tim doesn't say anything. Nor does he comment on her avoidance of healthy snacks.

    Because, c'mon. Cheetos.

    Rather than acknowledge the near-collision, Tim just lifts a hand for a casual wave. "Hey. Robbie, right?" Tim doesn't go for the handshake if only because it always feels a little weird, in costume (which he isn't... but also sort of is) and besides it's a casual party. Be casual, Red Robin. "You and Gabby have worked together some, yeah?"

    That he's sizing Robbie up to some degree is probably obvious. To be fair, though, Tim does that with everyone. And it can't be too serious, because he ducks his head a bit underneath the weight of Lonnie's, stacked on top, and makes a thoughtful noise. "N.O.W.H.E.R.E. did one thing successfully, though: they cured me of my caffeine addiction."

    He reaches up to wrap his fingers around Lonne's wrist. "Speaking of, SB, did you bring any iced coffees? I'm literally dying right now, please, oh my god."

Conner Kent has posed:
"Well, yeah... but it was Wasp and you who came," points out Conner. "I know it is duty and all that, but heroes deserve some gratitude too, right?" He grins, "I used to get invited to parties often. Man, maybe it was something done only in Hawaii, New Yorkers are not very grateful, are they?" And he is keeping a much lower profile nowadays.

Laura's comment makes him laugh, too. "Hey, there are different ways of doing things. Superman outfit is colourful because he is a symbol, he draws attention. Batman is kind of the opposite. You are also kind of lurk-y."

An amused glance is directed to Tim. "I brought the old coffee machine," the one from before Ahab. But it still works! "And there is coffee ice cream, too. Uh, plenty of ice if you want to ice the coffee."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would nod at Conner, "Thank you. The point is that we're obligated to help those. And not all missions will necesarily be hte best for everyone. Sometimes one needs raw strength and firepower. Other times precision and stealth. One needs a great many assets available to cover most ocntingencis." She would turn over to Laura and watch at her response. Amused.

"And one always does have a need for coffee."

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko has stuck near the drinks table and rustles around on it before pulling a pair of slim cans from a cooler and calling out, "Starbucks incoming!" then lofts them over towards Tim. Its the Starbucks doubleshot, in whatever flavor was available!

Since Conner would have to like.. move and be rude to people to get the coffee and she's just... right here! It works.

She flashes a quick grin towards Robbie before commenting, "Looks like you're about to get really popular though. Good luck with that!" She'll stay over here, out of the way, still just lurking in the corner. Like a lurker. In red!

Lonnie Machin has posed:
Lonnie affects a deep sigh. "I keep trying to introduce him to all these all natural products that give long-lasting, sustainable energy without a coffee crash," He gives Tim another squeeze, "But no. I even tried arguing about the unsustainable practices that go into commercial coffee harvesting. Nope." He pushes off, and then he goes to go get Tim a coffee. "See the hold he has over me."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Robbie, yeah." And then, for good measure -- or maybe because he's getting the sneaking suspicion he's on trial here -- he adds a last name, "Uh, Reyes." Got a tinge of an accent there. Mostly East LA, though by the sound of him, he might've learned to speak Spanish before English.

"I mean, she came into my shop and needed help. Dunno if I'd call it working together. She knows how to fight, though, I'll give her that." He rakes fingers through his dark hair. Guy's also not in costume, nor wearing a mask, unless his schtick is poor Latino kid with a can of beer. He also notably doesn't detail his role in the help that was provided.

"You a friend of hers?" adds Captain Obvious, with a hitch of his chin toward Gabby. Look, small talk is not his forte, okay?

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney comes up beside Tim and Lonnie though she opts not to get in their way. Instead she's steadily munching from her handful of Cheetos by pulling one out at a time from her fist to pop into her mouth with a thoughtful munching crunch. "Yeah he's pretty handy with a chain," she lets out though she doesn't say more. It wasn't up to HER to explain, and she hopes the reassuring smile she gives to Robbie conveys that. She's not outing anyone, really.

"RR's my ... team leader?" It's questionable in the role but she looks to Tim with a shrug. "The group I told you about a little. He's one of the smartest guys I know, but he can still throw down with the best of them."

Tim Drake has posed:
    Never before has there been so many offers of coffee coming his way. Truly it is a blessed time, and with Lonnie going off to potentially brew him a cup, Tim is free -- as in, physically unhindered -- to reach out and snatch both thrown cans from the air.

    "Oh thank god," Tim says, maybe to Emiko for throwing it, or maybe to some obscure god of the coffee bean (likely from either an African or South American polytheistic religion) before he tucks one can under his arm, cracks the other one open, and downs it all in one swallow.

    It's basically one step away from shotgunning a beer, just much lamer and more nerdy.

    To Lonnie's retreating back, Tim calls out a snarky, "Love you!" But we all know who Tim loves the most, and it's definitely coffee.

    The next can is opened and, thankfully for everyone around him, sipped at rather than chugged. "Friend-slash-team-lead," he confirms after Gabby's explained it. "Handy with a chain, huh?"

    Though he doesn't chase after details. He just pats Gabby on the shoulder a couple times, supportively. He does not try to swipe any Cheetos from her. If only because he feels pretty certain he won't be able to get away with it.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Coffee be damned. Beer seems to be more Robbie's speed; he's already polishing off the first, and reaching for another while Tim's distracted with the other goings-on. *crack* as he pops the tab and swallows about a third of it in one go.

Knuckles swiping his mouth, Gabby gets a look of brief confusion. "RR?" he repeats, switching his mismatched gaze back to Tim; one eye's dark brown, the other green. Heterochromia is the technical term for it. "Outsiders, right? Yeah, I know my way around a fight." Is putting it mildly, given what he's capable of. He doesn't bother mentioning the hellfire, or the demon possession.. thing. "Glad she's okay."

Lonnie Machin has posed:
    Eventually Lonnie returns with a travel mug full of coffee - btu when he notices that Tim's double-fisting cans of espresso mocha, he shrugs, and just drinks it himself. He never said he *didn't* drink coffee, after all. "Love you too." He says. "Even if you keep cheating on me with coffee."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney glances over to Lonnie when he returns with a grin of amusement. "At least it's a rival you can boil to death to get revenge?" A bad joke, she knew, but given they were talking about coffee and not people it wasn't TOO bad.

Robbie gets an apologetic look. "Red Robin. Sorry. I try not to give away real names unless I have permission to. Secret identities don't work for me because I'm kind of nobody, but some people have identities to keep secret to protect their family. So." A small shrug is given as if that sums it up.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would look at the younger Kinney and just twitch her lips upwards at Gabby. "Sometimes that's all one can really work with. And we all make do." The redhead sounding amused right before it would twitch over to look at Robin getting the coffee of a lifetime seemingly!

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner finds Tim's coffee addiction quite amusing. Poor man suffered more in N.O.W.H.E.R.E. by the lack of decent coffee than the mad scientists' actions. But he did bring the coffee machine; he knows Robin is not the only coffee lover.

He is more into soda, himself. Coffee does nothing to his metabolism, anyway. He goes to the table for a coke can and a sandwich, "hey, everyone here is a superhero, right? Really, we should know each other better. Most times we meet only when some maniac is trying to kill someone."

Tim Drake has posed:
    "Me too," Tim agrees as he glances towards Gabby. Though he speaks nothing further of whatever concern he might have once had.

    Besides, he's busy contemplating how to steal the mug of coffee Lonnie's drinking.

    Robbie's assurances regarding his capabilities in combat gets a nod of Tim's head and a thoughtful, "Good to know," before he excuses himself to make the rounds. It's the least he can do after Conner's bravely handled all of the initial introductions. "You're one of the Arrows, yeah?" he asks Emiko as he sidles up to the refreshment table nearer to her.

    No, he does not go for the Cheetos. Without the excitement of stealing them from Gabby, the calories just aren't worth it. And then he glances across the table towards Natasha, who needs no introductions.

    "I think in the future the Coffea plant must have gone through some evolutionary leaps because whatever N.O.W.H.E.R.E. was serving as coffee tasted like boiled sandpaper," he explains, perhaps having seen her look towards him. Then Red Robin shrugs at Superboy. "You know how it is, superheroes don't come to Gotham."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Aaaaand that's his cue to disappear on out of here. Whatever questions he might have had for Robin will have to wait. Conner's talking about superheroes, and the Ghost Rider's not too sure how he feels about that label. So he tosses back the last of his beer, and touches Gabby's shoulder on his way to the door. "Thanks for the invite, chica. Catch you later." Then he weaves his way through the crowd, intent on making his escape.

Lonnie Machin has posed:
    Lonnie takes a swig of his coffee, and promptly keeps his mouth shut. He watches Robbie go, and he says, "Wait-" He holds up a hand. "...Before you go-" He looks Robbie up and down. "Tell me about the car you drove here today. Can I see it?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"I don't know if I'd call us 'super'," Gabby starts in response to Conner with a laugh. It tapers off though when Tim heads off to make the rounds giving him a knowing nod as he does. He had limited length of time he could be social, and after all he went through, he could use some rest. Let him get the necessities out of the way before doing anything else.

Natasha earns a grin as well as a slight shrug. "Just trying to be thoughtful of others where I can." Then Robbie is wishing her a farewell and she nods quickly. "You're welcome! Thanks for stopping by for awhile Robbie." Then the car is mentioned. "Oh you'll like that, Anarky. It's super sweet."

There's a moment of hesitation before she clears her throat uncertain if she should try to block Lonnie from bothering Robbie so he could finish his escape. A few more Cheetos are popped into her mouth as she glances between them.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko glances up when Tim approaches, flashing a grin, "Nope! I'm with Aquaman, can't you tell?" Chuckling, she gives a nod, "Red Arrow. I've been around the scene longer but... different side of the coin." Lifting her water for a swallow, Emi glances towards him again, this time in surprise, "I do. Go to Gotham. Ran into Batman the first time, too. Nice guy. Curt, secretive, stern. Not bad traits in a vigilante hero. But he was nice. Helped me figure ot an issue I'd been having with a trick arrow."

She reaches back and snags another of the Starbucks cans by feel alone, popping it down next to Tim even as she looks towards Robbie's escape, watching him leave with a bit of a smile, "He seems.. interesting."

Looking back towards Conner, Emi smiles, "Hey! So, I've been curious, and I might as well ask. You have a lot of the same powers as Big Blue, did you get the x-ray vision too?" Because of course the masked vigilante wants to know if someone can see under the mask!

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Well, shit. He was *almost* home free. "My car?" Yes, his car. He can't possibly think that nobody's spotted the mint condition '69 Charger parked outside. The thing isn't precisely stealthy. "Uh. Sure." Lonnie's watched evenly as he gives the mechanic that little once-over. His car keys are dug out of his pocket, tossed and caught in a gloved hand. "What do you wanna know? Yes, it's my baby. No, I don't let anyone else drive it." And apparently he's capable of actually smiling, after all.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Don't mind Tim, he's just gonna crack into his third can of Starbucks coffee right over here. "So, you're in the red group with me then," he says with a nod. "We've got SB leading the blue group, and then I'd put HB--Honey Badger, sorry--," he nods towards Gabby over yonder, "With our teammate Balm in the orange group. Laura's in the yellow group now because of that costume comment she made."

    Also because she'd made an excellent Yellow Lantern, but that's meta knowledge.

    Tim takes a noisy slurp of blessed caffeine and peers over the top of the can at Conner, waiting for his answer to Emiko.

Lonnie Machin has posed:
"Well, I've built my own motorcycles. Easier to navigate Gotham's side streets with a bike than a car." Lonnie gestures, for Robbie to follow them out, "I guessed you were a mechanic - why don't you show me the custom work you've done on it?" There you go, Robbie. A safe out you don't have to feel guilty about.

Conner Kent has posed:
"Eh... no, not so far," replies Conner, looking at Emiko past his sammich. "Maybe never, I am missing a couple things from the usual Kryptonian set. I am part human too. But that is from where I get the telekinesis, which I can use to see through walls when I touch them, anyway." He grins. Walls and masks, but he needs to touch them.

He looks at the retreating Robbie with a frown. Maybe they scared him off? And Laura seems to have hidden somewhere. No surprises there.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Nodding to Tim, she lifts her bottle of water in a solidarity toast, "Red group knows the score." She takes another drink from her water, then nods to Conner and chuckles, "Well I appreciate you letting me 'come out' on my own." She watches Robbie head out with Lonnie, then glances back to Tim, "So tell me about the Outsiders. Impulse doesn't talk much about the other groups he's in. I had an invite to the Titans that was... well, years old. But I'd love to know more about you guys as a whole."

She sticks to the veggies at the snack table, forsaking the ranch and just crunching into a carrot stick.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney meanders over to where Emiko is chatting with Conner because... Well she's trying to let the boys over there escape as they so clearly wanted. Plus they were near the food table and those Cheetos were long since gone. She grabs for a soda though opting to go for the fizzy beverage of choice rather than something alcoholic in any way. "Not all of us clones get the same things, too. Like I don't have enhanced senses like Laura, and I have fewer claws." No foot claws either.

"Besides, Conner's super great without that extra stuff. Pretty sure Superman can't do that telekinesis thing like he can." Grinning broadly she tries to offer her support in her own way.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Built his own motorcycles? Oho. *Now* Lonnie's got the kid's attention. "Yeah?" Robbie shoots him a sidelong, assessing glance as they head for the door. His half-smile broadens to a grin with actual dimples, his eyes suddenly seeming more animated now that he gets to talk about one of his favourite things. "Yeah, put in a four twenty-six HEMI, brand new camshaft and fuel pump.."

And he rattles on and on, until Lonnie may regret asking him about his car.

Tim Drake has posed:
    "The Outsiders don't exist," Tim announces with a serious nod. "Because superhero groups aren't allowed in Gotham. If they were, we'd inevitably end up with the same kind of power creep in villains that you see in Metropolis and New York."

    Somehow that third can of coffee is already empty and he doesn't look like he's about to vibrate out of his skin from the amount of caffeine now coursing through his body. "Though sometimes particularly enterprising villains try to relocate their evil lairs anyway, which never ends well."

    For the safety of everyone, including himself, Tim switches to water for his next beverage. "For the bad guys."

    He smiles at Emiko and leaves her to divine any further meaning from the things he didn't actually say. "I need to go check on something, but it's been nice to talk to you. And I'm glad your run-in with Batman was... surprisingly pleasant by the sounds of it!"

    Tim waves to Conner and nudges his elbow against Gabby as he passes her by, off to go check on what exactly Lonnie is up to outside. Suspiciousssss.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner handwaves at Tim's statement. "I don't think there is a power creep," offers Conner. "In any case, we have the lair here but most of the stuff we do is elsewhere. We are a secret team and since almost no one knows about us, we can secretly go to secretly kick the bad guys where it hurts without having to worry about the things the League or the Four Fs have to worry."