12748/Birthday Blues and Cake Interrupted

Birthday Blues and Cake Interrupted
Date of Scene:	11 September 2022
Location:	Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Eating cake all alone on a pedestrian overpass runs the risk of cake interruptions. Raz and Rahne track down Bunny, their invitation to cake is incidental. Rahne and Bunny share some of their pasts.
Cast of Characters:	Bunny Macleod, Razili Darnell, Rahne Sinclair

---

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    It was hard to get space when you lived in a cramped fourth-story walk-up, two-bedroom apartment with eight other people and shared living space with a business.

    So, Bunny Macleod was sitting on a divider wall, her skates giving a swing as she watches traffic whizz by, arms over the dividing railing as she picks up plastic spoonfuls of cake from a cardboard box. The cake is in a bright obnoxious pink color, with flowers and balloons and reads HAPPY BIRTHDAY on it.

    Bunny seems unconcerned about the traffic below, her pink hair put into mini space-buns low enough on her head that it doesn't mess with her helmet when she skates. There's cheery music coming from her phone as she watches traffic go by.

Razili Darnell has posed:
    It's easy enough to pick out Razili in a crowd unless she's completely invisible, as she calls it. Currently, she's not completely invisible. Instead, she's wandering around in her normal what-have-you. She hears Bunny before she sees her, or rather, she hears her phone. Turning toward the visible girl, Razili's clothes betray her movements getting nearer to her. "Hey," she says. "Is it your birthday?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "It was, yesterday. But y'know. Not really that important. Hey, Raz." Bunny gives a slight smile to Razili as she gives a wave to the invisible girl.

    "Cmon, I've got some extra spoons. You like yellow cake? It was my mom's favorite. Yellow cake and chocolate frosting, but they didn't have any with chocolate frosting, so white's the way it's gotta go this time." she explains, giving a small smile to Razili.

Razili Darnell has posed:
    Raz sits next to her...acquaintence? She takes a spoon. "I get the feeling this isn't just about your birthday," she says, scooping a bit of cake out and biting it, the spoon's tip temporarily disappearing before she pulls it back out, sans cake.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "We don't do a lot of birthdays. Well. We don't do my birthdays. SO I got myself a fuggin' cake and I'm going to eat it." she states with absolute tenacity dripping from her voice.

    "Cake is nicer to eat when it's shared with friends, though, don't you think? I don't got a lot of 'em. Not since we moved. But it's fine. It's all gonna be okay."

Razili Darnell has posed:
    "Well, you got me," Raz says, scooping out another bite of cake before making that one disappear as well. After a few moments, she says, "Your mom had good taste."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "I kinda thought you thought I was obnoxious last time we met. Rejectin' all my good ideas, not wanting to rollerskate... incidentally, neither of my contacts had interest in invisible roller skates, I checked." Bunny points out, pointing her spoon over at Razili.

Razili Darnell has posed:
    Razili's hoodie shrugs. "It's okay," she says. "Being invisible is fun, sometimes, but most of the time, if I have to get invisible, it's because I'm running away from something." She noms another bite of the delicious cake. "I do that a lot," she finally admits.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Nothing wrong with that. Sometimes when you're sticking around bad stuff happens. Nothing wrong with running away if you can't handle something." Bunny replies thoughtfully, having another slice of cake.

Razili Darnell has posed:
    "I don't actually have powers," Raz says. "I'm not like the mutants you see on TV. I'm just...invisible. That's it. I can't turn it off, either. I can sneak into movies without paying, but that's not very nice. I just...I wish I were normal, you know?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "So you're like Dr. McCoy then. He can't turn his off either. Or the blue guy who rescued me outta a subway track. Nice guy. Had some nice stuff to say just when I needed to hear it. If I still beleived in a Gawd that cared it'd be real touching." Bunny replies as she takes another scoop of cake.

    "I mean, I'm a mutant. I think I am anyway."

Razili Darnell has posed:
    Raz listens. "Herr Wagner?" she speculates. She thinks things over for a moment, then finally says, "Hey, wait a minute. If you're a mutant, why don't you go to Xavier's?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "I... ah... I didn't catch his name, really. It was kinda weird. Some associates of my brother's wanted to ake some money he owed them outta my hide, he just kinda -- Poomf! --" Bunny pauses her cake-eating a moment and rapidly extends her hands to imitate a small explosion of cloud with the incorrect sound effect "An' then they're gone! One a' them pushed me to the track though. So he comes back, grabs me, and then POOMF! We're on the train platform off to the side! It was *WEIRD*. I got super dizzy after that!" Bunny exclaims.

    And then at the question... she cocks an eyebrow up "Where?"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Sniffsniff. Sniffsniffsniff! Someone's sniffing the air, and it's not because there's a delicious tea someone nearby is having some of. It's a little lady, not too little but little enough. She's just out walking, and she stopped. Right in front of someone who cussed her out for it.

Still had to stop, and sniff. Then she shouts, "BUNNY!" She knows that scent, and isn't sure where the girl is at. So you know, expedience. Just yell real loud.

If Bunny is around, she'll hear it.

Razili Darnell has posed:
    Raz, meanwhile, furrows her brow, which nobody will ever see. She adjusts the lensless glasses on her face. "It's a private school," she tries, "which I guess answers my own question."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "HEY! SCOTLAND!" Bunny calls out, upon hearing Rahne's call. "We're up on the walkway! C'mon up! I have cake and spoons!" she calls down to the wee Scottish wolf-lass, giving a wave.

    "I've never heard of a private school called Xavier's. What is it? Catholic parochial? Arts?" she questions, grabbing another bite of cake. "Sounds like it'd be at least as pretentious as Browning was." she considers a moment.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
That gives a direction. The fact that the direction is up is irrelevant, immaterial, and a bunch of other irreverencies. Probably spellled that wrong.

Rahne looks left for a ladder/stairs, then right, then grins. She climbs, and enjoys it because she does and shush I'm allowed.

A moment later she's peeking over the walkway's edge, looking at the pair of....pair.

Razili Darnell has posed:
    Razili considers silently for a moment. She finally says, "Where DO you go to school, then?" she asks. And then suddenly there's a person peering at her. "Oh," she says. "Hello."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "I homeschool." Bunny replies, with an air of finality.

    She fills her mouth with cake, and gives a wave to Rahne as she offers the Scottish girl a spoon. The cake DID say 'Happy Birthday' at one point. It's yellow cake with white frosting, balloons and flowers in pink.

    "Rahne, this is Razili. Raz, Rahne. She showed up to a roller skain' event with some tall blonde guy named whats-his-face-with-too-many-siblings -- right, Sam!" she snaps her finger.

    "Rahne knows I'm a mutant. Kinda came outta the woodwork last week."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Kind of like a puppy (go fig) Rahne sniffs visibly before clambering over the edge of the walkway. She stands up, if you can call it that at her height, and gives a shy smile.

"I go t' Xavier's," she says. But that's it, she doesn't push the topic. She might be allergic to forcing her opinion on otehrs. Breaks her out in hives.

The spoon is looked at, then Razili. Her eyes twitch left-right, then she nods to the shape.

"I be so confused," she offers. Which is at least it's honest.

Razili Darnell has posed:
    Raz looks at the newcomer and opts to hang off on another bite of the delicious cake. She leans back...or rather, her hoodie leans back, away from Rahne. "What's going on, right now?" she asks Bunny.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "... uh... Rahne is another person who's as close as you get to being a friend of mine?" Bunny replies, looking to Rahne, and then back to Raz, and then she points to the two of them "So... you both go to this Xavier's place. Which I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that's the special school with the speciality equipment for the invisible mutation and where that Sam guy also goes?" she ventures... and she then looks out over traffic.

    "... I wish I *knew* there was a super secret school for mutants before I dropped out!"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne looks confused a moment longer, the she sits down. She takes a spoonful of cake, and eats it. Firmly, with emphasis. Like she's doing it to fit in, to make it known that even if she has no idea what she's doing, she's doing it on purpose!

That makes very little sense, but just picture it for me this once...

When she swallows and sits, she sighs. "Raz...Razil? Y' don't hae a scent, an I work mostly wi' my nose. Threw me for aminute, but no reason tae ignore manners an I'm sorry for tha." She tries to smile, even though she's not sure where Raz' eyes are.

Then, to Bunny, she says, "I was gonnae tell y' about it on th' phone. Xavier's. School for mutants. It is an option, but nobody's gonnae force anyone." She pauses, then looks toward Raz, and kind of sniffs experimentally again. And looks a little sad by the results. "Are ye ...there? Is hard tae tell for me."

Razili Darnell has posed:
    Raz's glasses give a decent idea where eyes would be, if she had any. However, she does lean away from Rahne. She looks toward Bunny. "Hey, happy belated birthday. We should hang out again when I'm not so interesting." She pulls herself up and dusts off her bottom and her baggy breakaways. "Nice to meet you, Rahne," she says. "See you two again soon, I hope."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny was about to open her mouth and try to play peacemaker, and Raz chills out. "See ya, Raz!" she calls out, and then she looks to Rahne, and she gives a bright smile, motioning down for a sit.

    "To be honest? My dad pulled me from public school 'cause I was bored in classes. I used to go to a private school in Manhattan..." she states, dropping the Brooklyn accent.

    "... an expensive private school."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne doesn't laugh, or really comment. She listens. It's what she does best, looking at Bunny with wide eyes. She nods? This is important to her.

She seems to think a moment when Bunny's done though. Doesn't like to just leap out and do stuff. Then, maybe, she offers. "Could show ye around, but I dinna want ta mess wi somethin that's workin." She shrugs a little, then reaches for another spoonful of cake.

"Be nice t' see ye aroun the school sometimes though. We teach how t' keep others safe. From us."

That last is said sadly, into her shirt. Werewolf, she must have issues with controlling, or times when she is a danger? Maybe it's that.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "... I don't want to be a superhero. I /don't/ want to be a superhero." Bunny states, and she draws her arms around herself. "All I do is run away from things. My dad doesn't outright hates mutants, but he doesn't want any of us dating one. If he found out I was one... I dunno what would happen. I'm the best messenger he's got for the business... but hwen my ankle got broken.... he took it like it was a personal insult. I still had to make deliveries, on crutches. Our metrics plumetted. He... he needs me. My family needs me." she admits quietly. She looks to Rahne.

    "... they forgot my birthday. So I'm just..." she bites her lower lip. "Sixteen, you know. Not that important."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne listens. Her heart breaks a little every time, but she still has some to give. The cake is forgotten though, with the pain in what Bunny is saying. You can see it in the way she leans in, the way her eyes won't let go.

"Ah will ne'er forget," she whispers. But that's for her own hearing. For Bunny she has hands, reached out to hold.

"Ye matter," she says. In a way that she has, that says she means it so much, so deeply. You matter, you are a world to me. "You matter, so much."

She wipes her face with a sleeve, no I'm not crying darnit. "Nex time, call me? Know someone who can heal an ankle. Or jus listen."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Oh, it got fixed, but..." Bunny pauses, and she trails off. Her eyes go glassy a moment " -- it got fixed. An' that's that." she whispers, and she pauses as she looks at Rahne, and she looks horribly embarrassed.

    "Rahne, Rahne you just met me!" Bunny protests, giving a small laugh. "And you're wonderful, but if there's something I learned from Disney is that you shouldn't make someone your entire world on the first meeting." she smiles, and she looks up at Rahne, all pink hair and bright colors and smiles to bury the pain of everything.

    "Because they'll probably try to kill you and depose your older sister and take over your kingdom!"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne pauses, then she smiles. She's blushing! "Um," she manages. Then she kinda looks away. She's not great at talking.

She takes a breath. Blows out her cheeks, then lets it go. Slow, easy. Then words. "Everybody's th' world, Bunny. Every single one of us." She turns to look again, then sighs a little. Happier sigh though.

"Just met ye, yah. Does tha' mean ye don' deserve help, if y' need it?"

Then she pauses and makes a little weird half-smile that looks awkward, adding, "I dinna get the reference. Wot's tha from?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Frozen. Used to be one of my favorite movies to play music from when I was learning piano." Bunny explains, giving a small smile to Rahne, and she leans back.

    "... you talk like someone," she begins, picking a little frosting off her leggings, and flicking it off to the cars speeding below "... who has been through some stuff."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
"Some," Rahne agrees. She leans back, then takes a spoonful of icing. Then she looks at Bunny, and gets this little smile on her lips.

Evil smile. She looks down, then at the cars. Then at her spoonful of icing.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Bad stuff with parents?" Bunny asks, turning her gaze to Rahne... and then to the frosting. And then to Rahne again.

    "... what are you doing, Rahne?"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne smiles. Then she takes the icing and...sets it down. Without doing the evil things that came to her mind. But they were there, and they would have been funny.

She starts to cry, a little bit. Then a lot. Til she turns away from the roadway, and from the temptation she couldn't take. And the memories.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny pauses, and she takes a breath, ready to take a spoonfull of icing to the face (which would have been funny, and would have started a cake fight on the overpass), but instead... Rahne bursts into tears.

    "Rahne? Rahne was it something I said? Oh gawd I'm so sorry!" Bunny whispers, and she moves the cake away from the edge, she moves over, and the little skater girl just throws her arms around Rahne.

    "You can cry. It's OK to cry. I won't tell anyone. You just cry until you don't need to anymore, okay Rahne?"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
She's so small suddenly. She was short before. Now she's small, like she somehow became less than she was. She's a quiet crier, too. She doesn't let anyone hear. Which says so much. Nobody can cry silently in extremis, except the ones who've needed to.

She shakes for a minute. Then it slows, and it stops in Bunny's arms. Rahne breathes it out, eyes closed. It takes a time.

Her voice is a bit broken when she tries again. For reasons. "You matter, Bunny. Nobody should be treated like they dinna." She looks up. Yes, it's important.

"Momma died birthin' me. Dinna know m' father." Breathe. Take your time. "Scottish churches take in orphans. When your mom was a paid lady, they ...um..." She isn't sure how to say more.

"Was a long time for me. Bunny, you are nae wot others think o ye. Ye be better naur that!"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "It's OK Rahne. For six feet around me's a judgement free zone or else they get skates to the shins." Bunny whispers, and she squeezes Rahne a bit tighter. She breathes out and listens to Rahne quietly, and she gives the wolf-girl a bright smile.

    "All right, Rahne, But only because *you* think I'm pretty awesome am I going to accept that statement." she states. "'Cause if I'm the world, then you are too, okay? And you know what, we're gonna be pretty awesome."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rahne smiles, seeming to grow just a little. Maybe an inch, or a bit more than that inside. "Yah," she says. Because she'll never be totally over it, her own wounds. And she doesn't expect Bunny to be either.

"We have tae be. We be nae alone anymore." Then she puts a little dob of icing on Bunny's nose. And then, she's allowed ot laugh.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny crinkles her nose, and looks crosseyed at the frosting as she sits up a little straighter.

    "Well." she states in mock disbelief "Now I just look ridiculous!" she exclaims with a grin, and then takes a finger full of frosting and puts it to Rahne's nose.

    "And now we match!" she grins.