13706/Meetings in Gotham

Meetings in Gotham
Date of Scene:	31 December 2022
Location:	Gotham University
Synopsis:	Franklin Richards bumps into Phoebe Beacon at Gotham U, while wearing All The F4 Swag. They both have a card trick they pull and bond over the idea of coffee.
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Franklin Richards

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Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Gotham U on Holiday Break was only 'somewhat' busy. There's students who are local who split time between the dorms and their famlies, international students who don't travel home, and of course other students who may be in-and-out between the rest of their lives.

    Phoebe was one of the latter, stopping in to turn in an Ethics paper that she had graciously gotten an extension on.

    She was now walking campus, her hair tucked into a bright orange beanie, matching acrylic glasses perched on her nose, earbuds in, backpack over her shoulder as she jogs carefully through the bad weather laid all about the campus green.

Franklin Richards has posed:
Walking around campus, looking lost is a young man wearing some strange clothes. Swag is what Franklin thinks it is called, black hat, hoodie, pants, all with different pictures on it and F4 somewhere located on it. They get them for free, and he is supposed to wear them around though he hated it. With a sigh he tries again as the place is somewhat empty he moves to another person.

"Excuse me." You may hear to someone else near by, Franklin and another random student having a small conversation. As he talks to them, they seem nice, a bit too nice, but anyone can see the look just like he can. Fear, fear of him what he can do, and what that means about being around him.

As the question is answered, Franklin tells a fleeing lady thanks as she hustles away with a bit of a sigh as he was getting used to it, turned not looking moving suddendly the other way as that is just where he is going, almost into a jogging wowam. "Oh!" is all he says as he is moving right in her way, accidently of course, but his fault.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Gotham isn't known for nice conversations and friendly folks, you want that? Metropolis.

    Phoebe tugs out one of her earbuds, her eyes giving a little narrow as she purses her lips spotting the young man covered in Fantastic Four gear. She can't really comment; she's known to wear the occasional Justice League swag just to bother her brothers.

    She's paying attention enough that when Franklin almost gets in the way enough to jostle, she smoothly side-steps, turns, and gives a couple inches of skid in the slushy ground, one arm out to keep her balance.

    "Oh! Hey, sorry!" she exclaims, "Didn't know the Fantastic Four had a speedster!" she offers as a joke, her lips curling into a slight smile.

Franklin Richards has posed:
Thinking he is going to bowl over some poor girl, not money just situation, he already has the apology ready when she side-steps, turns, and is out of the way as he just stops moving to hopefully make any impact lighter. As he peeks out, not feeling anyone run into him he glances down, and then to the side hearing her talk to him and smiles. "Excuse my surprise, I heard people in Gotham didn't have sense of humors." and chuckles a little bit holding his hand. "Franklin Richards, fighter of evil, interupter of joggers, sercher of libraries!"

As he offers his hand he looks around a bit, he adds in a lower tone, "Though I would jog on by Miss. It does not look like I am too popular here." as his grin drops just a little looking at others looking at him at glances. Though it returns quickly, "Of course that is just because they don't know me! They might think I am clown... which around here seems even worse for some reason." not leaving here he doesn't get it of course, as he shrugs a bit though the smile comes back.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe blinks a moment, and though she doesn't shake hands, she snaps her fingers and points to Franklin.

    "You're Reed and Sue Richard's kid? No wonder you got all the Fantastic Four stuff on... do they make you advertise?" she asks, and then rubs the back of her head "... I can't really comment on it, I wear Wayne Industries jackets every once in a while --" she gives a little smile, sticking her hands in her pockets.

    "Phoebe Beacon-Wayne, undecided-but-leaning-bio-major, drinker of coffee..." she looks around, and she gives a half smile.

    "Yeah, Gotham's not terribly fond of clowns. The crime scene here's a bit of a circus."

Franklin Richards has posed:
Franklin blinks a bit, and looks at his hand, right.. Gotham as he puts it back in a pocket. He sighs a bit at the memory as a boy of his dad drilling into his head on how to greet people, and though he gets a bit of a distant look in his eyes he does get a warm smile out of it, and maybe that was freaking out the others.

"I am! Or last time I checked though Johnny says since I leave my lab so often maybe my dad should get a test." and grins a bit. He then stops, "Wait,,, Wayne, like Damian?" he actually laughs a bit "I see.." He looks at her again though this time not as a random school person that he just ran into. A bit made more sense now, but he didn't want to assume she was in the family buisness just yet.

After a moment of quietly just looking at her right in the eyes if she looks she would see confidence, and thought as he was always thinking, but then he nods, "Biology.. Thats a rough one. To be honest one of my worst subjects." and chuckles a little bit, "I am surprised I ran.. or well almost ran into you! Wait..." he looks around a bit mainly the shadows a lot more closely as if something might just jump out. "He isn't here is he,. Look I told him it was a time out during the day!" his voice taking on just a light worried tone. People didn't like him already, he didn't need a Robin jumping out at him right now.

Finally as looking one last time just to be sure he looks back to her. "There are so many rules for Gotham I am trying to catch up. Is there a coffee place around here? Maybe you could explain some to me over a cup?" he rubs the back of his head, "Honestly this place is a mystery to me at times." and chuckles.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives an amused little smile at the mention of Damian.

    "Technically he's my younger brother by adoption. By like, two months... and no, I don't think he's here. If he was I'm sure I would have gotten a message." she takes out her phone to check it, and she purses her lips, tilting her head and motioniing with her chin to the campus coffee house.

    "I wouldn't say that there's 'Rules' in Gotham, but people are in general less friendly here. Maybe not as unfriendly as Damian -- buuuuut he's a special case." Phoebe gives a wry smile, and turns to walk towards the coffee house.

    "I like biology. In this case it's my step into medical school, where I'd like to go into pediatrics." she explains "What about you? Just tons of lab work? Or do you go out into the world too?" she questions.

Franklin Richards has posed:
Franklin Richards follows quietly just listening trying to look like your standard Gothamite, hands in pockets, hoodie up, looking downish, but he couldn't get rid of the smile and it kind of ruined it. Still he tried and listened intently to what Phobe said, "Damian is good people, he knows if he ever needs me I got his back." and nods a little at that. "We might have a.... different... way of handling things, but I respect that he does it." he adds though his voice is a bit quieter.

He seems confused though, "What do you mean? Damian was super nice to me?" he tilts his head at her. "Doesn't like those other guys though.. He doesn't treat everyone like that does he?" and chuckles again looking forward.

As they walk he continues, "We were friends when we were both younger. He never treated me like a bomb waiting to go off.. It was nice." and gives a quick chuckle before changing topic. "Pediatrics! That is awesome, I wish my family helped hands on that much." and smiles a bit, "My Father, and sister tend to get lost in their inventions." he sounds just a little sad about it. "I myself tend to try to get out here, and actually do something. Though I have failed so far."

He looks around, "I am running into how do I actually help, not temporary patch, or make things worse, but to fix.. well the world around us you know?" he smiles a bit emarassed, "I don't know... maybe I should just stick to my paintings like my family says."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "IN the grand scheme of things, everything's a temporary patch. We're doomed to rot from the effects of entropy until something big comes along to reset it like a bad server. Or that's what I'm told, anyway." Phoebe replies to Franklin.

    And she gives a slight smile to him. "Damian chooses his company carefully is all. He can be a bit thorny. I honestly don't know who he's friends with -- have a hard enough time of that myself." she gives a smaller smile, and motions Franklin into the coffee shop.

    "Could be worse." she shrugs a shoulder.

    "And yeah, either pediatric speciality or maybe infectious diseases, I'm not sure which holds my interest more, but I hear excitement for infectious diseases is catchy." she adds with a grin.

Franklin Richards has posed:
"You the proability may be miniscule, though zero is always less. Or one will never get there without attemnpting it." and nods his head to her with a grin. "I just want to make my own decisions, and not follow fate ya know?" looking forward he shrugs again, "I have just seen too many self fulfilling prophecy." looking down a bit he does lose his smile for a moment as he thinks about things. "But yes, could be worse with a lot of things. We are here, walking down this shady street." it really isn't for Gotham, maybe a bit for New York, he takes a deep breath smelling... he shouldn't think about what that smell was, "Live now right? Worry about all that stuff later." he quotes holding a finger up as if he were quoting again.

He continues for a bit, "Why not both? I am sure there are cases of both happening at the same time!" he grins, "Either way it sounds like you really got your path set out." he is quiet for a moment thinking before he continues. "I sometimes wonder if I will ever find that balance." he finally adds, as he looks up at the sky. "Though you have convinced me of something." he adds looking back down at her, "Gothomites don't have a sense of humor." and grins with a chuckle obviously joking.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Gothamites do have a sense of humor. I literally said a pun. Nyeeh." Phoebe replies to Franklin breezily, and pulls off her beanie. Her hair is up in a pair of poofs to keep it out of the way. And she looks out over the city, her lips pursing a moment as she considers.

    "Yeah. Got my path pretty well figured out." she replies, though her tone seems to indicate that nothing was figured out and everything was on fire and it was awful.

    "If you want balance, you have to seek it and decide what you'll sacrifice to keep it." she points out.

    "So, you paint? What kind of subjects?"

Franklin Richards has posed:
Franklin actually laughs, let the Gothamites be afraid that was funny shaking his head at her. "You know your pretty smart. I will try to keep that in mind." he rubs his chin a bit thinking about his art. "Well... how much do you know about pointillism." he asks suspicious then just grins looking forward. "What it is, usually changes. I have one of a rainbow bridge in space I think, with the wierdest looking horses, men and women armed like they were Thor's own cousins."

Though as he talks about it he realizes he might of said a bit too much. he looks down quieting a bit quickly, "Look you are smart, and a nice person, but I got to make sure you know." he starts rubbing the back of his head again. "I umm.. I am sure you know me, but do you know... well..." he stops and adds quietly. "What I can do?" he looks at her for a moment then away.

He had to remember if this was a Wayne she was prob a normal person. He didn't want to fool her that he was normal as well when he wasn't. He could never be as he feels the spark of galaxies breath just under the surface. "I am.. how does Mr. Wayne say it.." he repeats in a gravely deep voice.. "Trouble...." and tries to look broody though he can't pull it off near as well.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Pointillism isn't my favorite, I like the whole impressionist thing, Monet is my jam." Phoebe offers as a joke, as she listens to the recounting of the rainbow bridge in space with horses and Thor's cousins, and she gives a small smile.

    "I've heard some indistinct things, but given you're kind of Superhero Royalty it's kind of to be expected, isn't it? That you'd have some either oddball or -- Fantastic -- powers." Phoebe comments quietly.

    "And everyone is trouble to Mr. Wayne. Even those of us who aren't trouble are trouble. With a Capital T which rhymes with B and stands for..." she trails off, and she breathes out.

    "If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. I don't like when people make me talk about my talents."

Franklin Richards has posed:
Franklin thinks about it, he could just not tell her. and move on, though no. If he is friends with people he needs to be honest as they need to know. He sighs, indicating to continue walking "I don't know even where to start ya know." he glances at her looking at the ground a lot now as he talks. "I see... things.. Sometimes they are real" he pauses again before adding "sometimes they haven't happened yet." and sighs a bit "I wish I knew which was which, but real, fake.. It is all just a line like that crack on the ground. We stepped over the crack are we fake now, if we step back over are we real again?"

He actually smiles at that, "Let me show you. I am not embaressed by it just... well its a lot." Now looking trying to explain, but most just do't believe it till they see it. A small thing shouldn't be that bad, as long as it was quick. So he holds his hand up flat so you can see the palm. "There is a card in my hand, It is the Ace of Spades. I know it is there, though we can't see, feel, or sense it at all it is still there.. It is always there, as it is everywhere. You just nearly need to pluck it." and he plucks into mid-air as he pulls his hand back out of what looks like a small line of light a card appears.

Thankfully it is the right card this time, as he has failed at this before. but it was just a normal playing card that did not exist before. This small card did not exist. He looks up at her to see if there was fear, or worry. This is usually when he got it when they realize how thin the line was around him. He would not judge her of course but had it just been laser eyes he would of kept his mouth shut.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Laser eyes would have been a pretty cool effect, but the Wayne spare heir watches Franklin with interest. She purses her lips a moment, and then she brings up her hand, and with a flick she produces - Dun dun Duuun! A Nine of Hearts. She waggles it in her fingers a moment.

    "You manipulate reality." she smiles slightly, and she looks at her card.

    "Between you, me and the wall, I think the precognition is the worse one. TO know what's going on before it happens -- maybe... that... seems like it'd be very difficult to deal with."

Franklin Richards has posed:
Franklin looks at her and chuckles a bit, "Oh you are slick maybe I should take my lessons from you." he tosses his card away and it just breaks down into light as he keeps moving just walking and talking. "At first, what really got me was if I was seeing the future.. Or making it?" and grins a little grin as that one took him a minute to figure out. He looks ahead again as he continues, "Realised it didn't matter, what is supposed to happen will happen." he gives a soft chuckle, "Faith.. that it will find the way on its own is how you get by... Does that make any sense?" as he looks over at her with a wink before looking ahead again.

"Reality is tough it doesn't like to be played with, and little tricks is all it will allow without... consiquences."

"He rubs his chin. and considers it, "Though a lot of people want me to.,, Change the world, make it.. Better." he looks around again, "It is.. well kinda dangerous to hang out sometimes as there are some really bad guys that come after me for just that reason." he shrugs a bit, "I offer them the future, but they never want to hear it. Just make this or that.." and he actually chuckles at that.

"But you need to know this incase something happends. I need you to know it is okay to run to safty if you need don't fight them I will be okay." he looks at her in the eyes as he says this. "It is VERY important okay!"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "A little bit." Phoebe replies as they walk, and and she gives a smile. "Though I think you and I are gonna disagree about Faith. We can always change a future. Nothing is set in stone." she adds quietly, "We make our own path, you know?" she states to Franklin, though she does laugh "And yeah, reality doesn't like when you try to lie to it and say a cup is blue when it's green, or that your playing card was a Spade when it was really a diamond." she walks along, and then she looks over to Franklin.

    "I... uh... all right. I'll do what I can to stay safe if someone comes after you?" she trails off.

    "Bit intense for a first meeting isn't it?"

Franklin Richards has posed:
Franklin looks surprised maybe at himself. "Sorry.. I got a little too forward with that. I just don't want anyone hurt believe me once it happends you will go to any length." he falls silently a bit rubbing the back of his head again. "My sister says it is just a defense mechinism to push people away.. but I don't know.. Maybe it is just nice to talk about to someone else ya know?" and laughs a bit nerviously as he was trying not to scare this lady he reminds himself. "He glances around a bit looking for anything to turn the topic to then snaps, litterally snaps with an "Oh duh.."

He looks at her with a smile willing to let that go just that quickly, "Why I am here! Well not... here.. wherever we are right now. But, Gotham!" he chuckles a bit, and continues, "I was going to swing by the house, and check the tech." pats a pocket and chuckles as it wasn't with him. "It isn't anything too ground breaking. but I thought I could help Damian's hobby for helping me out with something." he shrugs a bit with a grin. "Do you both live at the house still? Cause that place looked antique even back in the day."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "No, no, I get it, but you're talking to someone who's from Gotham, who has spent most of her life in Gotham, and knows how to handle herself in an emergency. It's OK, Franklin, just... take a breath man." the younger Phoebe gives a small smile.

    And then she stops.

    "Uh. Stopping by 'The House'? You mean Wayne Manor? I mean, yeah, I live there."

    She does not embellish the statement.

    "It's /classic/." she states, "Timeless."

Franklin Richards has posed:
He does that stop, take a deep breath, and while he isn't sure what he is breathing in it does help as he lets it out, "Right.. You do, and I am sure you are quite good at it. There are Ninjas in Gotham I mean you have to be." then blinks at her. "I am not asking you to lead me to the house." he chuckles at her."And I had hoped both you and Damian lived there?" he asks as he isn't sure on that fact. Then he stops. "Oh.. right.." he puts a hand to his face, "I bet asking questions is not very popular." he holds up his hands, "My interogation technique is finished I am doomed!" and chuckles glancing at her.

He glances around again a bit confused.. "This isn't like a kidnapping attack right?" and wags a finger at her. only joking again. "I don't know how you don't get lost, but I guess it looks different at night." and smiles at her. "I can't believe I just ran into another Wayne... I really did not see this coming," and winks, "So where are we anyway?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe stops, and she purses her lips into a grin, and shakes her head "Nah, I'm not kidnapping anyone. I'd be a terrible kidnapper." she explains, and she motions up to the sign. "We're at the coffee shop. If you were going to continue an interrogation of one of the Wayne kids, I'm afraid I'm supposed to have a lawyer present." she placidly replies, and she keeps her hands in her pockets.

    "And if you didn't see that coming, I feel bad. I think I'm the most friendly one, aside Dick."

Franklin Richards has posed:
Franklin is still shaking his head with a laughs, "I think not only is that fair, but I think that if they did that one on purpose I would agree Gothamites have a great sense of humor." and grins a bit, but looks up at the sign. "It is wierd, at times, talking to someone who has so many...." he thinks about the right word.. "Layers, so please excuse me for my.. Openness" though he finishes with a little chuckle again. "I grew up around everyone knowing just about everything about me. So sometimes I forget."

Going to the door, and opening it since she doesn't like touching stuff, "You are welcome to join me, but if you need to head a different way I understand really. The conversation was nice, but we all need our space at times." he peeks in at the place inside "Though if your Waynes kid your paying for your own coffee." and grins again.