1415/Dine and Dash

Dine and Dash
Date of Scene:	28 April 2020
Location:	Sailor Pub and Bar
Synopsis:	Doug runs into Julio as he's trying to skip out on his bill, and takes a surprising interest in the new arrival's well-being.
Cast of Characters:	Julio Richter, Douglas Ramsey

---

Julio Richter has posed:
Normally, this would be a bit late for the dinner rush, but the benefit of a pub AND bar is that the crowd that shows up to eat is usually the same crowd that wants to stick around and drink for the rest of the night. And the benefit of an increasingly intoxicated crowd, for some people, is that they're easy cover for whatever you maybe don't want to be noticed doing. The dine and dash is a storied maneuver, beloved of hard-luck freeloaders and privileged cheapskates alike, and Julio Richter is far from too proud to be lumped in with such people, especially if being lumped in with them means a good meal.

But it's not just hunger that brings him to this particular diner; no, focused as he might currently be on the plate of fish and chips before him, Julio is hoping that a neighborhood called Mutant Town might be the place where someone like him can restart his life with nothing but the clothes on his back.

So far, what's slowly dawning on him is that exactly that hope has drawn in a lot of young, desperate people just like him. There's no Magneto waiting in the wings to whisk him off to an island paradise. Better to just bank on the soon-to-be-free meal and call it a win.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
A lot of hard luck stories like that... and precious little relief. But then again maybe that's the case for any immigrant story - for as many people who make it, there's disappointment and a hard life in a new place.

The guy who walks in behind Julio is... well-heeled, with his peacoat, black and yellow scarf, leather gloves and nice shoes. Blond. Blue-eyed. "Takeout for two," He says to the hostess. "...You guys threw in the extra tartar sauce, right? My girlfriend turns into a DEMON if I bring her fish fry without enough tartar sauce."

"Yeah, we've met Illyana." The hostess says. "Only woman I ever saw reheat her dinner by staring at it."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio glances up from his food as Doug enters, brushing a bit of dark hair away from his face to turn a puzzled look at the newcomer. English may be his second language, but he's pretty sure he's following the conversation just fine -- he got the basics in school, and lots of practice with tourists. It's just that, in Julio's experience at least, Doug doesn't look the type to associate with mutants, much less date one with flamethrower eyeballs. (Forgive him for being a bit literal. He's new at this.)

Still, the preppie has the hostess occupied, the waitress is nowhere to be seen, and the crowd around the bar is blocking the bartender's view. No time like the present. He grabs a last fistful of fries (chips? What the hell, Anglophones), stuffs them into his jacket pocket, and levers himself up out of his booth, preparing to brush just behind Doug on his way out, projecting his best super-casual body language the whole way.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug takes the greasy bag and nods, paying for it -- and then when he hears a waiter shout "HEY! HEY! GET BACK HERE!"

He turns and looks outside. He could tell the guy was starving. He knew he was planning to run. But you can't blow people in for things they WANT to do. He's got hold of his bag, as Julio brushes past him - and he turns just enough to bump into Julio in turn. "Sorry."

When Julio leaves, Doug gives himself a quick pat-down check.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio might not mind stealing to live, but that's a far cry from being /good/ at it. A more enterprising thief might have taken the opportunity, but Julio was so focused on getting away from the shouting waiter that Doug's valuables might as well have been in Fort Knox. All the thief had the presence of mind to improvise as he stumbled past Doug was the Spanish equivalent of "eat my entire mutant ass, gringo," directed at the pursuing waiter.

That said, Julio wasn't expecting Doug's casual side-check, and he hits the doorframe more squarely than the door itself. What should have been a smooth getaway gets a bit awkward as he spins out through the door. Hopefully anyone on the street will just assume he's drunk early as he staggers out, then pauses to right and reorient himself.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
As the waiter is about to hit the door, Doug stops him with a hand - with a $20 in it. "It's fine. I got this." He says, before he steps out of the restaurant and onto the street. "¡Oye! ¡Oye! ¡Espera un segundo, hombre!" He calls, as he starts to chase after Julio.

The kid's got this funny knack of being where other people aren't. They zig, he zags, and he goes against the current in one of the pushiest cities in the world.

Julio Richter has posed:
Between his firebreathing girlfriend and his inexplicably perfect Mexican Spanish, this stranger is proving to be full of surprises. Julio is so taken aback that he actually does wait a second, senseless as that seems to be from his perspective. "Sorry, but I just overstayed my welcome," he answers a bit more sharply than he meant to. He holds up his hands and takes a few steps backward, immediately bumping into another New Yorker who's moving in the opposite direction. God, he is really bad at these smooth getaways!

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"Yeah, I saw that." Doug says. "You're broke and starving." He raises his eyebrows. "Tough place to be that." He gestures, with his bag. "You're a long way from Guadalajara, though. A long, long way. And you're in Mutant Town, which means that *you* are running from something."

He offers up the bag. "I can order delivery, my girlfriend won't mind. ...Come on." He says, before he gestures to Julio to follow him.

"So while we walk and I figure out what to do here, why don't you tell me about yourself? I'm Doug, and I'm dating a Russian mutant who's like a Clive Barker horror movie when she's hangry." He beams. "Fortunately I love danger."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio's guarded expression and posture don't ever go away, but he doesn't run off, at least. His eyes do go wide and wary when Doug mentions his hometown. "How do you know I'm from Guadalajara?" he demands to know, his accented voice a suspicious hiss. Obviously the thought of being connected to the place doesn't exactly fill the runaway with warm feelings of security -- no need for mutant interpretation on that score. But Doug doesn't seem threatening -- quite the opposite -- and either against his better judgment or thanks to a lucky intuition, he does fall into step beside the stranger. "No danger for me, thanks," he says warily. "I don't know Clive Barker. An actor? Maybe I would know the movies he's in." After another second to consider, he finally says, "I'm Julio." He reaches out to take the bag, but then stops himself. "I just ate, actually."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
    "Yeah I saw." Doug says. "And I can also tell that you're still starving, it might as well be written on your forehead in sharpie, hombre." Then Doug sighs. "It's part of my mutant power. Little things like regional variations in accent... they stick out to me. So I can tell that you're from Guadalajara and that you grew up around a rough crowd where you had to project a tough attitude to cover--" He stops himself.

"Sorry. Clive Barker is a film director. Oh, don't worry, she'll be fine. Highly unlikely to make the walls bleed." He takes out his phone and orders some takeout delivery, just in case. "So you're in a tough spot."

Julio Richter has posed:
"I'm not starving, I'm OK," Julio says, less in protest than an attempt to reassure himself. He takes the proferred bag, regardless. Then, picking through the bag, he extends a hand, holding two plastic ramekins. "You should keep the extra sauce for your angry girlfriend." He still doesn't look entirely happy with the Guadalajara thing -- he definitely would have preferred to keep that under wraps -- but Doug's explanation is obviously too intriguing to let sit. "You're a mutant?!" After the initial stunned response, his voice drops to a conspiratorial volume. "You don't /look/ like a mutant." With a plastic rustle, he glances through what's left in the bag Doug gave him. "Is that why you're helping me? You read my voice to know where I'm from, maybe you know other things?"

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
The bag is two orders of fish fry, with extra tartar sauce. "I am a mutant." Doug says. "There isn't really a way that we look -- or is it the shoes?" Doug looks down at them, and then back up. "What about me precisely doesn't say 'mutant' to you." He beams, and he's plainly not upset by it. "I pick up on stuff, yeah."

Julio Richter has posed:
"It's not... /not/ the shoes," Julio admits. "I don't mean in the face or body, I mean..." He trails off and gives Doug an evaluating sidelong look for a few seconds, before finally finishing: "Rich." Looking ahead again, he explains a little further: "I don't know many mutants, it is true. I know the ones who /do/ have it in the face and body. I know myself. People here -- this is a mutant neighborhood, and it is not a rich neighborhood. I know the Brotherhood and the X-men, and that is as good as it gets, but they dress like luchadores." He shrugs and shakes his head. "Who ever heard of a mutant lawyer, or politician, or actor?"

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug lets out a long snorted exhalation. "I'm not even the richest--" He pauses, and then says, "I get it. A disproportionately high number of mutants wind up on the streets with nothing. I got a lucky break. A lot of lucky breaks." He adds, "But the thing about being in a position of privilege is, when you're aware of it, you have to use it to give a hand up, not a hold down." Then he glances side-wise at Julio. "Or an accountant, or a scientist, or a doctor?" Then he sighs. And thinks about the uniform in a bag in his closet. "My parents were lawyers. Are. We don't speak. That was a mutual decision."

Julio Richter has posed:
As Doug rattles off more professions, Julio nods along in agreement. No mutants in those fields, either, surely. Then he sighs when Doug alludes to his family situation. "I didn't really like my father. He was killed." There's an echo of some trauma there. "I loved my mother, but she doesn't want to see me now. I guess I know how you feel." He pauses, then adds with a rueful twist of his lip, "Wish I'd gotten a nice coat or two out of them, though."

He gives a quiet, amused snort of breath, then finally makes good on Doug's initial request and tells a bit about himself. "I was trying to get to Genosha for a long time. It seemed like having our own place would be better, but they wouldn't let us keep it. I came to this country, and it treats people like garbage. I don't think I get to be a lawyer like your parents."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug's profession sobers just a bit at the mention of Genosha, and then he says, "Yeah... yeah. But we're what's left, we have to move on." He looks around and murmurs "My country, 'tis of thee, land of iniquity--" He rubs the back of his neck. "Come on." He gestures, "I can explain you to Illyana later. Just uh -- if you forget how to find her apartment after you leave, don't freak out, okay?"

He continues to walk along.

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio nods vigorously, giving Doug his wholehearted agreement for the first time. "Yeah, we have to survive. We won't let them see us fail," he says in a rush, then starkly draws back inward, seeming embarrassed. The rest of what Doug says puzzles him. "Explain me? Why would you need to explain me to your angry girlfriend?" He looks down at the bag he's about halfway through emptying. "Will she use her laser eyes on me for eating her food?"

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug tilts his head at Julio and then says, "...Well you'll understand when you meet her. I love her, but she can be a lot." He sighs, and then says, "It's hard. But we'll get through it. We don't have a choice." Then he says, "So... what's your mutant power, anyway?" He seems genuinely curious about that.

Julio Richter has posed:
"Ah... to be honest, I don't really know," Julio answers. "It comes from the earth. There's a power there that I can feel. But it's very dangerous." Julio sounds embarrassed again. "I can use the power to shake a wall so hard that the building tears itself apart. Or the earth just explodes. I killed a lot of people once, so now I don't use my power unless I really, really have to."

Julio obviously has a very shallow reserve of talking about himself, because very quickly he shifts the topic again. "So you want me to meet your girlfriend?" He seems surprised but not displeased. "You say your girlfriend is a lot. I know some girls who are a lot and it is fun... some girls are a lot and you wish they were a lot less."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"Oh, I know someone with a similar terrakinetic power, except she uh--" Doug says, "...Taps into geothermal magma flows." Then Doug holds up a hand and says, "Ah, but there are girls, and then there's Illyana." He takes a turn, and then says "...Sounds like a dangerous power." He admits. "Powerful, but dangerous. You could do a lot of damage to city infrastructure, or rip open a fault line, or..." He gives Julio a sideways look. "Do you need help, Julio? Because... I know some people who can help you -- but I'd have to talk to them first. And you'd have to trust me."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio seems curious about this mutant with similar powers, but doesn't immediately inundate Doug with questions. Instead he listens to the description of the possibilities with a sober expression -- blanching slightly at the mention of damaged city infrastructure. When Doug finishes with his offer, Julio turns his head to look at the American with an expression of disbelief.

"What? No, Doug, I'm doing great," he says, eyes wide. "Just fantastic. I'm on top of the world. My life, it's like a rap video." He laughs, then leans in and says, "Yes, I need help. If you know anyone who'd want to help me, I don't care how scary they are. I'll handle it." He shakes his head. "Scary I can deal with. Like you said -- like /I/ said -- I'm dangerous. You'd have to be a little scary to want any part of that. I should warn you, though: I'm a pretty good bartender, but that's basically the only job I've ever had. Not sure what kind of skills these friends of yours are looking for."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"It's not about the skills they're looking for... really." Doug says, "But I'm not here to sell you on anything. I just..." He gestures, "Well, like I said, I have to talk to some people. But for right now," He finger-guns, "Let's just get you off the street. Have you ever been to Maine?" He asks, somewhat cheekily.

Julio Richter has posed:
"I mean, it was a fair question," Julio points out. "You did catch me stealing dinner. Maybe you're going to hook me up with the Mafia." He gives a roguish little smile. "I bet I'd look good in a suit." The final question elicits a puzzled but amiable laugh. "I don't think I could find Maine on a map," he admits. "Are we walking all the way there? I'm happy to get off the streets, but my shoes might not make it..."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"No. Just thinking." Doug says. He looks into an alley and then says, "All right, we turn in here." He sighs, "I needed to be able to get to New York... from my house. In Maine. So... we took care of it." He looks over at Julio. "There are some people who just..." he thinks, "Have the spark. That need in everything they do and say to make a difference, even if they don't know it -- but I can tell. You're one of those people. But... from here on out, Julio, it's going to get weird. I know it did for me. Are you all right with that?"

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio has been really grateful just to be able to talk to someone, and the small kindness with the food went a long way, too. But with the talk of a quick jaunt to a house in Maine, he looks a bit worried for the first time. Was Doug willing to talk to him because Doug is a little bit out of his mind? Is that who he's making friends with, now?

But then, Doug more or less puts the question to him directly, and after a few seconds of thought, Julio realizes that he has the answer not just to Doug's question, but his own unvoiced concerns. "Weird, eh? To tell you the truth, Doug, from where I'm standing, weird would be a very big improvement. Go ahead. Bring on the weird."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug quirks his mouth, and then walks to the far end of the alley - a damp, non-descript wall. He knocks on it. "Da-da-da-da-da, shave and a haircut..." He counts to five on his fingers, "Two bits!"

The symbols appear on the wall in glowing silvery light, demonic sigils in a circle, before a point of light expands outward into a glowing golden door. On the other side is... somebody's living room.

"After you." Doug gestures.