12218/A Perfectly Normal Request

A Perfectly Normal Request
Date of Scene:	29 July 2022
Location:	A recently cleaned up warehouse
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Stella Roundtree, Hal Jordan, Booster Gold

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Stella Roundtree has posed:
     Lights turn on row by row in the warehouse, which use to house some manner of large equipment and hopefully zero bodies. Stella's happy to show it off in its recently cleaned out state.

     "... so I don't think it'll be that bad with some work. I have savings, of course. The area could be better. Hm. It doesn't HAVE to be this one." Stella says to her ring-wearing gentleman friend. "But I dunno, I'm getting sick of the security thing, and it'd be nice to try somethin' new for a while." The brunette pulls her phone out of her bag and it scrolls on its own, small manipulations of electricity and a degree of laziness on the mutant's part dancing over the screen to pull up her texts. "And Booster should be here to talk it over, maybe grab a bite to eat. Skeets is good at getting deliver if we're feeling like, uh... I guess sitting on the floor or seeing if anything is left in the office?"

Hal Jordan has posed:
Look, in the grand scheme of things Hal is along on this little outting to be supportive. He has no illusions about that. He's a reasonably bright guy all things considered but his expertise is not really in business. He joined the military when he got out of high school and became a test pilot after that. He has no experience running his own business. As far as this goes, Stella definitely knows more than him -- and he would expect the same would hold true for her new partner as well.

Still, he glances around the space, nodding slowly. "Mmmm,m nothing says that you have to stay here permanently. If things go well you can look for something better down the road," he allows. "Given what you're looking to do I'm not sure that location is necessarily your biggest issue regardless," he allows. "And sounds good. I'm just here for moral support. Or if you need a little manual labor," he adds with a faint grin, that ring around his finger flaring emerald green for just a moment as a dozen glowing figures of workmen, complete with tools and hard hats suddenly manifest in a circle around them.

Booster Gold has posed:
One might think her partner knows more than Hal Jordan. But clearly, Hal Jordan had not interacted enough with Booster Gold up on the Watchtower.

There is a quiet thumpthump, thumpthump, thumpthump coming from the small hallway on the second floor, and as the lights start to click on, it suddenly changes into a less loud, faster, THUMPthumpthumpthumpthump. "STELLA Baby, did you bring some food or something?" calls out Booster, and then he makes his appearance, floating out from the hallway. "I've really been digging some of that..." Booster trails off as he sees that Stella is not alone. A ball comes slowly bouncing out from the corridor, finally settling into a roll, and then it drops down onto the floor of the warehouse below.

"Oh, uh, hey there." Booster floats over towards the pair. It's probably a good thing that he always wears his power suit, otherwise the odds of him being in an inappropriate state of undress were high.

As he approaches, Booster, offers an apologetic smile to Stella and then looks to Hal. "Thanks for coming, Lantern sir. A pleasure to have you here."

Yes, Booster has met Hal before. Yes, Booster is usually in the habit of, if anything, exaggerating his connections with people. No, it's not that somehow the legendary Green Lantern of Sector 2814 who is also the boyfriend of his partner is intimidating him. Definitely not.

Stella Roundtree has posed:
"Well, I appreciate it," Stella says with a big smile aimed at her companion. She does have plenty of self confidence (some of that liquid courage at times), and gives Hal an affectionate bump with her hip in thanks. "I know Booster might not be the most conventional partner in a lot of ways, but we seem to get along well and- heyyyy," she says, cut off by the entrance of the blonde. "Booster seems to have made himself comfortable! I take it you guys know one another from work? The other kind."

She stretches, arms over her head as she looks around at the green workmen at the ready, and really seeing the potential in this place, "I wanted to show Hal this space, since he so kindly offered to help with movin' things. And I need to get out of the penthouse. It feels like I'm squatting. Weird, I know, to combine that, but it's been like a ghost town up there," she says with a little frown.

"Don't want to be there if someone comes to claim it, so if we like this place an' it can work out, it'll be nice to have help gettin' my things here," she half rambles. "But yeah, we could order in for tonight, that sounds good. But you mentioned you needed to ask me something?"

It may be just a touch awkward.

Hal Jordan has posed:
Call him an optomist, but Hal is pretty big on giving people the benefit of the doubt until they really show that they just don't deserve it. And hey, Booster is in the League right? He has to have a few things going on. It's a pretty logical assumption.

Still, it's probably a good thing that he emerged from upstairs in his uniform instead of some other state of dress. Or lack thereof.

"Hal's fine," the dark haired man replies with a wry smile. He might keep his identity secret from the masses but he isn't paranoid about it. As is the case with some of their associates. "Good to see you. It's a pretty small world. It was a bit of a surprise to find out that Stella was friends with you and Ted," he says with a quiet chuckle.

His gaze flickers back to Stella and he gives a quick nod. "Hey, I'm just along for the ride. This is you two's thing. If you need a little manual labor, like I said, glad to pitch in. Otherwise I'm good with the ten cent tour and a bite to eat. If we're lucky we'll even manage to squeeze it in before there's some sort of emergency," he points out drily.

The life of a superhero.

Booster Gold has posed:
"Awesome, thanks Hal, I appreciate it." Booster looks over at Stella as he moves to stand next to Hal. "Have you heard how often I get mistaken for this guy? I don't get it at all." He steps away from Hal and looks at him critically. "Do you ever get mistaken for me? I mean, the whole Gold thing and the Green thing, it seems opposite."

Hal mentions Ted, and Booster's eyes almost do that thing they do in cartoons. "Yeah, Ted and I, we go way back." He nods to Stella. "But Stella and I were only ever friends, we didn't, like, mambo or anything like she and Ted...." He kind of trails off as if suddenly realizing that perhaps some topics are not meant to be discussed. It is a work in progress with him.

"But hey, you don't have to worry about that now, because I am pretty sure Ted is over her since he's proposing and all to..."

Once again, Booster pauses. "Oops, that wasn't supposed to come out." He looks up. "What, Skeets? I can't hear you!!" He zips away, back int the direction he came.

Skeets floats over from the other side of Stella, the opposite of where Booster jetted off too. "Stella!" announces the small robot, and he nestles up against her side.

Stella Roundtree has posed:
"Oh yeah, you guys have to deal with all that actual hero-ing," Stella says, looking from man to man with a little laugh making its way into her tone. Her own heroic exploits are pretty much little bitty helps throughout the day. Adding time to meters. Keeping bagels from falling from bags. Preventing fender-benders. And the occasional call to action if someone else taps her for it. "Well! I can hold down the fort if that's the case. And I KNOW Ted. I'd say we're more acquaintances than anything," she says to Hal.

"And OH MY GOD, Booster. Staaaahp," she says, rolling her eyes whilst wincing. "Ted and I definitely didn't get too far around the bases, let me tell ya." She pauses, collects herself and says, "I did not sleep with that man. Whew. ANYWAY." There are several gestures accompanying these words, trying to both get Booster off the topic and apologetically explain things to Hal in an exasperated breath.

"Oh, and there he goes," she mutters as Booster flies about their warehouse- luckily with very little in it. "You know, I am kinda jealous that you guys can do *that*. I feel like I'm really missin' out in the flight department," she says, just as Skeets gets cozy. "Hey there, little buddy. Are you lookin' forward to living with us?"

Hal Jordan has posed:
It is a little like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You can see it coming and all, but there just is not a whole lot that you can do about it.

"Mmmmm, I can't say that has happened to me. But then until recently I spent most of my time here planetside out on the West Coast. Except for Justice League business, or other emergencies," he points out before shrugging. "I guess there's a lot of us though these days. Pretty much inevitable that they're going to start mistaking some of us for one another unless you're like, Superman or something," the test pilot agrees drily.

If he's offended by the comparison, he definitely doesn't show it.

As for the rest, Hal simply arches a brow slightly, a vaguely amused smirk sliding over his face as he glances between the other two. "Not to worry, this all came up when we first met. That's how I found out that Stella knew you both at all," he notes, unphased.

Turning back to Stella once more, he flashes that boyish grin that does make him look a little younger then he truly is. "I'm biased, given how much I love to fly, but it is definitely the best superpower there is," he agrees though that brow raises once more at the affectionate robot. "I might not have to be the one to worry here," he says lightly.

Someone's popular.

Booster Gold has posed:
Skeets nestles himself up against Stella's torso in the robot approximation of a hug. Or maybe he just likes being familiar. "Sir has been working really hard while you have been out. He has drawn up a business plan and composed a jingle and has pondered many new slogans."

Booster floats back over towards the pair, now carrying a drink of some kind - a can of soda it looks like. He coughs a bit. "Sorry, you know, something in my throat," he says, as he takes a long sip from the can before nodding to Hal and Stella. "Either of you want anything? Skeets can go get it." He looks critically at the robot. "Skeets! What did I say?"

The robot floats away from Stella, and looks as if he has a hound dog expression. Odd for a robot with no face, but somehow the way he bobs as he floats conveys that. "Yes, sir."

Booster smiles towards Hal. "You do have that right, flying is definitely the best. Way better than invulnerability, or super brains, or any of that."

Stella Roundtree has posed:
"To be fair, it seems that most heroes are hot guys. Or really attractive women," Stella says, as if going through a mental file of all the heroics she's seen since moving from the rustbelt to the big city. "And that's true, we did have to sort it out. I almost definitely blinded you with hot coffee before I made the connection. But I am glad I met you as 'Hal' first," Stella says to her dark-haired companion, still giving Skeets a cuddle. It seems that cheerful robots are something she finds quite endearing.

As Booster makes his return with drink in hand, "Aw, but look how cozy he is, all snuggly an' lovey. Yes you," Stel says as the crestfallen robot separates himself from her. "And what, did coming up with new jingles wear you our, or did you have a little proposal caught in your throat?" she asks, smirking over in Booster's direction. "I'm guessing that's where you goin' with that. So Ted's popping the question to whats-er-face, huh? Did he ask you to be the best man?" It's not said with maliciousness, but between she and Booster, perhaps neither of them are invulnerable OR have super brains.

But Stella does have a bit of compassion, "Must be hard, best friend gettin' married. Though I am coming at that from a lady perspective. My sister's is coming up this Fall and I definitely had a few drinks over THAT. Oh, that reminds me. If we're pickin' things up, Skeets, could you grab me some box wines from the Wine an' Spirits? My usual?"

Hal Jordan has posed:
It does seem that a greater than average percentage of the superheroic types are fairly good looking. For those born with it perhaps it is a part of their inherent power set. Hal just happens ot have a magic ring. Unless the ring chose him for being reasonably good looking and for being without fear?

He's pretty sure that's not the sort of criteria that the Guardians concern themselves with.

He does flash a brief grin Stella's way, a little shrug rippling across his frame. "It worked out reasonably well I would say," he agrees wryly, that gaze following after the dejected robot as it is shoo-ed away. Poor Skeets.

"On the other side, best friend and ex or not, it's nice that Ted found some one," Hal points out before smirking once more. "Though as the last of my siblings to still be single I can understand that it may be a little bit difficult to be entirely magnanimous," he conceeds. "And I'm good with a cola if you can manage," he adds after the departing droid.

Booster Gold has posed:
Skeets shuffles off to see to beverages. "Uh, yeah, keep that under your hat, please, because I'm literally the only one who knows, so if it gets out, it's definitely me he'll blame." Booster pauses. "Even she doesn't know yet, so really we're just at the propose stage. Never know, she's a bit kooky, she might say no." He shrugs, and runs his fingers through his hair as he looks between Stella and Hal.

"You make a good couple, now that I see you both standing there." He nods approvingly, and then looks to Hal. "But, uh, you know, if she's already talking about her sisters wedding, you better get on that whole ...." His eyes go wide. "PLEASE tell me that your little guys have a friends and family program! Can you get her like a knock-off or something, so she has her own, kinda, maybe pale green ring or something?"

Stella Roundtree has posed:
Maybe the ring does just like people who are really, really good looking. And depending on where you are in the universe, that could have a lot of meaning. But here on Earth, Hal's definitely a looker.

"Oh? Just reasonably well, huh?" Stella teases back. But she's less sympathetic towards Ted, "Mm. Yeah, yep. Great that he found someone conveniently located nearby," she says, a little growly. She might sneak a smoke after all this. "Us mutant gals are irresistible, can't fight it. I do miss the robots, though. I kinda got used to them, so it's nice having Skeets around.

She does pale a little bit as Booster starts making implications, her speech picking up pace. "Oh god, I like Hal a lot, so I'm not sure I'd subject him to my family so soon. We haven't been datin' that long," she says. "He might not be so into me once he hears me an' Luna fighting in a mid-range wedding venue bathroom. At charming as I am," she says, shaking her head.

"But I got a necklace from him when we were out an' about globe-trotting, and that's pretty good for me," she says, wrapping an arm around Hal's waist and giving him a squeeze. "Besides, I didn't think I'd end up seeing a human guy at all, so I'm still surprised at how things shook out," she says with a shrug.

Hal Jordan has posed:
Being without fear isn't just a clever marketing ploy for the Green Lantern Corps. Whether it is intergalactic space tyrants, world-threatening disasters, or marriage implications Hal is always ready to stand calm and composed in the face of danger it would seem.

"Not a word, of course," he assures the other man. It shouldn't be that hard of a secret to keep, given that all of their shared friends and acquaintances are in the League. And while the League is great at dealing with crises, there is not a ton of socialization beyond that. Other collectives might have close ties, but they do tend towards being more business-like at the Hall of Justice or Watchtower.

At least that's true for most of them at least.

The little implications really don't seem to bother Hal and he shoots a grin Stella's way. "Don't worry, it takes more then a wedding to make me panic or do anything too rash," he assures her. "But hey, who knows what the future holds," he teases mildly before chuckling once more. "I'm sure your family's fine. Or at least no worse then mine. You should see my mother have a go at me about being a test pilot. Nevermind this," he says, lifting his hand for just a moment, showing the ring off there.

His attention flickers back to Booster for a moment and he grins once more. "Unfortunately no. The Guardians tend to be a little uptight about their creations. It's part of their charm," he says wryly. Which is clearly a joke. The Guardians don't have any charm. Well, not most of them at least. "But hey, I'll suggest it to them. Green Lantern Ring Lite. Half the calories, half the power."

He's probably not serious about that, but then you never know. The Earthly Green Lanterns are all considered to be a little roguish by Corps standards.

Booster Gold has posed:
Booster Gold looks at Hal evenly. "Two words. Guy. Gardner."

He turns to regard Stella, arching an eyebrow at her comment about ending up with a human. "Uh. Were you planning to settle with squirrels or something?"

Skeets slowly floats back over with all of the things - drinks, food, Stella drinks. You name it.

Booster nods to Hal. "Come, join us. Mi casa, su casa." He thinks for a moment. "What's our? I dunno."

Stella Roundtree has posed:
     Stella would tell someone, if she had someone to tell. But as her friend roster has wildly shifted, she'll have to keep these nuggets of knowledge to herself. As tantalizing as they may be.

"Oh, we'll see about that," Stella says. "Granted, if it goes badly, normally I'd just stay in Ohio post-wedding, but having this new and excitin' business venture will keep me from holing up in Columbus. My lease- I extended it- is up in September, so I gotta move all my stuff here in August," she says. "And the wedding'll be September after that. So you can come if you want to. Or I could really make a fuss and bring both of you, no context," she grins.

"And no, I wasn't planning on livin' in trees, but I did initially come here to meet other mutants and instead met you all," she says, eying the freshly delivered food with a rumble in her stomach.

Hal Jordan has posed:
Of course Hal might have a slightly different perspective on things. An awkward social event doesn't exactly register on him as a disaster. "It will be fine," he says with a confident smile. Then again maybe he just doesn't fully understand how awkward these things can get. Perhaps he is in for a bit of an education in that department.

A brief smirk slides over his face and he arches a brow Stella's way. "Oh, so that's how you're going to play it," he teases with a little shake of his head, starting to move over towards Skeets and the food he's returned with, a green table and some chairs suddenly manifesting there in the center of the room. "If you get invited I'll try to make myself available. Fingers crossed, there won't be any sort of major dust-up in space. And hopefully the situation over in Latveria will be settled."

He can't really blame her. Sometimes you just can't resist trying to one-up the ex.

Stella Roundtree has posed:
It is certainly handy to have a person around who can manifest all kinds of furniture, helpers, and more! Unless one is opposed to the color green. And Stella has found that it's only grown on her in the months since she met this particular hero. "Well I have to go to Luna's wedding. Anyone who wants to can come, she told me to 'bring anyone I could find.' I have the text. That's proof," she says, settling into a glowing green chair as if that's just part of her routine. Which it is at this point.

What is also routine is settling into her usual nightly habit of imbibing, so she awaits a green goblet or chalice or glass, whatever Hal's up for manifesting, and unloads some Bota Box (good choice reading the reviews, Skeets), into her cup so that she may swirl it while she schemes.

"Hal's more likely to get invited than I am to Ted's thing, I'd think. Right? Unless he feels really bad for me. I do have that one dress..." she ponders, taking a deep sip and indicating a scandalously low neckline. "... but that'd be petty."

But also, fun.

Hal Jordan has posed:
Versatility. It might not be in the official Green Lantern Handbook as one of the key traits that make up a good recruit, but a healthy imagination guiding arguably the most powerful tool in the universe does bring a whole lot of that to the table. So there is no lack of detail there in the cojured green furniture.

He flashes that familiar grin as she indicates what she has in mind, grabbing one of the sodas from Skeets with another nod of thanks for the flying robot. "Mmmmmm, well, I do like your fashion choices. They are usually pretty persuassive," he says with a quiet chuckle. "Whatever you decide just try not to scandalize your family to such a point that I'll never make a good impression," he says drily. He might not fear social awkwardness, but that doesn't mean he's big on fighting unwinnable battles either.

Before he can crack open that can however that ring around his finger begins to flash and Hal gives a small frown. "Mmmmm, looks like duty calls. I'll try to be quick," he promises, the emerald glow spreading to envelope his whole form, that Green Lantern uniform seeming to simply roll over him as if appearing out of nowhere. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he says, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Stella's cheek. Booster too gets a nod.

And then HAl Jordan, the Green Lantern is off, nothing but a brief burst of emerald energy left in his wake.