142/The Rink at Rockefeller

The Rink at Rockefeller
Date of Scene:	26 February 2020
Location:	Rockefeller Center
Synopsis:	Bobby goes skating at Rockefeller Center and meets Cullen, Leon, and Leon's group of urban explorer friends.
Cast of Characters:	Bobby Drake, Leon O'Malley, Cullen Bloodstone

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Bobby Drake has posed:
It's a chilly late February afternoon and people come and go throughout Rockefeller Center. Though the tree has come down, the ice skating rink is still up for the winter. In the middle of the afternoon on a Wednesday, it's not too populated, however, with most people in school or at work. Even so, there are a few people out on the ice. One of them is Bobby Drake. He glides over the surface on a pair of black skates dressed in jeans and a sweater, though he wears no coat, scarf, or gloves despite the cold. It doesn't seem to bother him at all as he makes lazy loops around the rink.

There are some college kids out on the ice as well, in between classes or not having any for the afternoon. There are some business people getting coffee nearby and then hurrying back to their office buildings. It's just another day in the city.

Leon O'Malley has posed:
"C'mon man, it'll be real quick, in and out before ya know it!" A trio of fairly stereotypical looking nerds walks in sequence with a beefier more in shape guy, "No, we're not exploring the old power plant, yer gonna break something. Just like you guys have broken something at every place we've been." The muscle man says to the visible chagrin of the others. The group comes to a stop by the ice rink, the beefy guy leaning over the rail, "...It's February, how is that guy not freezing?...And I thought I liked it cold." He remarks as he looks over Bobby's inappropriate skating attire.

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby happens to be passing by and can't help but grin as he overhears the conversation, turning to a slow glide backward as he says, "This? It's practically balmy out!" It's not. He flashes a grin, and then adds, "The old power plant's probably freezing, too, this time of year." Yep, he overheard that, too. He comes to a stop, leaning back against the wall of the rink, elbows resting on the wood to either side of him as he studies the trio and their beefier companion.

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
Cullen blends in somewhat with some of the other college students who've wandered over to the ice rink. He's not out on the ice himself, rather, he's watching the skaters from off to the side. He's one of those who have instead decided to warm themselves up with a cup of coffee. The cup is of course from the fashionable brand, this part of New York, that's what's available, though what's inside is just plain black coffee giving off a nice amount of steam as he holds it pretty much right under his face, gloves and hat are in place, as well as his slightly baggy black sweater. Some people dress like it's winter in the winter. His eyes folow the trio of nerds trailing after the jock, because that just stands out. "The old powerplant is pretty broken as is." Oh look, someone else is eavesdropping.

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Meat boy just stares back at Bobby's studious gaze with a look that can only be described at Resting Bitch Face, while the lankiest of the quadrio engages Socialization Mode and leaps to interact with the eavesdroppers, "So we'll wear extra layers! And if everything's broke already, what harm can we do!" He says excitedly as he leans onto the rail, "Hey there, nice to meetcha, I'm Corey. That's Dave, and pudgy there is Jeff." He thumbs to the nerd with glasses and the fat nerd respectively, "And sour puss here is Leon." He says with a jabbing point into the jock's shoulder, "....Ow." Says Leon as Resting Bitch Face turns to Annoyed Bitch Face, slowly turning to glare at Corey, "....Yes. It is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you so very much for encouraging my stupid friend. How ever can I show my gratitude?" Said in the dullest, most sarcastic monotone humanly possible.

Bobby Drake has posed:
There's a glance over in Cullen's direction as someone else joins the conversation, and Bobby grins a little bit over at him before turning his attention to the trio. "Hey," he says to Corey, "I'm Bobby." He offers a hand to the most gregarious of the nerd trio for a friendly shake. There's a nod as each of the other kids is introduced, including the scowling Leon. "I wouldn't call it.. encouraging, exactly." Well, he wasn't, not exactly. "What's at the old power plant worth looking at anyway? Other than old rusted equipment and tetanus?"

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
Grump face meets bitch face for a moment. Maybe if they stare at each other hard enough the can make a bad mood singularity open up in the middle of the plaza? "Cullen." Responds the buzzcut blond as he takes a sip of his coffee. He's grumpy, not rude, well, most of the time anyway. "No thanks necessary, encouraging bad decisions is kind of my superpower." He says it in such a flat, humourless tone without even the twitch of a smile.

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Corey vigorously shakes Bobby's hand, then looks at his palm when he retracts it, "Whew, you got cold hands, man." He says as he starts breathing on it. Leon looks back to Bobby with a now more resigned look, "You acknowledged him. Dont worry, I made the same mistake too. Unfortunately you are now marked, and shall never escape again, woe is you." Jeff speaks up as Leon finally ceases his snarking, for the moment, "We're u-" Only to be cut off by Leon starting right back up, "We're 'urban explorers', meaning we go to deserted places, film ourselves walking around, put it online, and then these guys insist in two years we'll be rich and famous beyond our wildest dreams." He then turns his attention to Cullen, "Please direct it elsewhere, I dont need these guys blowing up a power plant, especially with them in it."

Bobby Drake has posed:
Well, his hands are out in the cold, so they are, in fact, cold. Bobby grins and shrugs his shoulders, "Yeah, I get told that a lot." Both brows go up as Leon bemoans his fate and his lips quirk into an amused smile. "Urban Exploration is fun. I've done a little bit, myself. I've seen videos on YouTube though. Do you go poke around in abandoned asylums and stuff like that? Those places are both creepy and cool at the same time." He then looks over at Cullen, then back to Leon before saying, "Is that.. a potential risk?" Both brows go up as he studies the nerds. "Most urban explorers don't blow up the places they visit. Not from what I've seen, anyway."

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
There's the slight smirk from Cullen, just the vaguest air of amusement. "I'm mostly certain it's pretty hard to blow up a power plant. Well, most of the time and without the right tools." See? That's Cullen not helping, he does that. He lowers his coffee from his face, green eyes flitting between the five finally actually bothering to take them in. "Urban exploring, huh? That's a thing? All the fun of exploring with none of the downside of being stuck out in the middle of the woods? Doesn't sound like a completely terrible hobby. Except for the potential for giant man-eating rats."

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Corey clears his throat a bit and nervously says, "We uh...We cant actually get permission from any asylum land owners..." Leon then looks back to Bobby, "There's a reason I agreed to join their wanderings, and it's not cuz I like poking through crumbling ruins. Done enough of that to last a lifetime already." Dave speaks up in a bit of a wimper of a voice, clearly and actively avoiding eye contact with Cullen, "I got tetanus twice, and Jeff got a fungal infection, and Corey nearly got mugged..." Corey then looks back at Dave with a glare, who snickers under the disapproving gaze. Leon shakes his head, "And that's all been in the span of two months..."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"Sounds like they're more of a danger to themselves than others," Bobby say to Leon when the others get done explaining their misadventures. He doesn't bother to mention that a lot of urban explorers don't get permission, either. A glance at Leon suggests that's probably not an idea to put into their heads. "Yeah, I can see where that'd be a problem," he opts for, instead. Then he glances over at Cullen and says, "I'd be more worried about tetanus and the almost-muggings than giant rats. Though, I guess that depends on where you go. So is that what you guys were planning on doing today? Going out to the power plant?"

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
Cullen arches a brow as the word permission comes up, as if very quietly saying, 'Wait? You actually ask for permission to go to these places?' Though he does glance at Leon for a moment and maybe decides to keep that thought an internal one. "Twice? Isn't there a vaccine for that?" HE stares a bit disbelieving at Dave, then just shakes his head. He nods his head in agreement with Bobby's assessment. "But, hey, best training there is, having to deal with the problems in real time. You either get it right or suddenly its not your problem anymore."

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Leon's face brightens a bit at Bobby's understanding, "Yes, exactly. Hence my needing to supervise them like a mobile daycare." He says with a wry smirk. Dave clears his throat one time and glues his eyes to his feet, "....Yeah...There is...." Leon then turns to glare a bit at Cullen, "Yeah, I already got that in the corps, I dont need it here." Jeff then starts to pipe back up, "There was also that time in the sewers-" Leon snapping around with a mimed 'zip it' "We dont talk about the sewers. Never again." Corey shuddering slightly at the mention.

Bobby Drake has posed:
"Oh come on," Bobby says, "Now I gotta hear about the sewers." He glances over at Jeff, sensing he's the one most likely to talk and ask, "What happened in the sewers?" While he talks, he continues to skate backward just a little bit away to an opening in the rink where he comes out and plops himself down on a bench nearby, starting to unlace his skates, since he's stopped skating at this point and is just loitering around talking. There is a glance over toward Cullen though when he mentions training in conjunction with giant sewer rats. "I suppose, if you're training to be some kind of hard core exterminator."

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
"Well, you got it, but, uh..." Cullen looks over at the nerdy trio and then back to Leon with another arched brow. "They seem like they could use a little." Sewers? He definitely looks like he wants to know about that and opens his mouth to say as much, fortunately, Bobby saves him from another probable Leon glare by asking for him, so he just kind of bobs his head in agreement. Though he snorts at the training comment, "Or just training so you don't trip over your own shoes and walk out of an abandoned factory with the bubonic plague."

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Dave pipes back up in his squeeky little unsure voice, "Leon doesn't like talking about the sewers..." Leon follows this up by immediately repeating him, "Leon does /NOT/ like talking about the sewers." ending with a rough affirming nod. Corey chuckles nervously at Cullen's very accurate appraisal, "Yeah, training, we uh...definitely need that, r-right, Leon?" Leon then glances back at Corey, "...The last time I tried to train you guys, you knocked yourself out on a pull-up bar...I didn't even know that was possible."

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby Drake's lips twitch and it's clear that he's trying /not/ to laugh at the visual image of someone knocking themselves out on a pull-up bar. He does manage to school his features back into something a little more exposed before saying, "I dunno, I think you're going to need more than a little cross training to deal with some of those rats. Not to mention the albino alligators." He flashes a grin over at Cullen and then looks back to Leon, curiosity, perhaps, even more piqued now that Leon does not want to talk about the sewers at all. "Maybe start with some balance and coordination training," he suggests, semi-helpfully.

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
"See.. all this.." Cullen makes a circular motion with his finger. "Just makes me want to watch this on YouTube more. In that, slow down as you drive past a fender bender sort of way." He looks over to Bobby. "Know what I mean?" He brings his coffee up to his lips for another warming sip. "I mean, I've seen some walking disasters, but yikes, a pull-up bar?" He shakes his head, and looks at Leon. "I'd have bailed then, myself." Though Bobby's suggestion does get Cullen nodding. "Better than pit fighting, I suppose."

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Leon nonchalantly answers Cullen's call to bail, "I did. Drove em to the hospital and went home. Even my patience has limits." Corey meanwhile goes ghost pale, "Al-alligators? That's j-just an urban legend...Right?" He says with a nervous chuckle, Dave and Jeff giving eachother concerned glances.

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby Drake smiles a little wryly over at Cullen at the mention of the train wreck in the offing and shakes his head just slightly, as though he can imagine it. "So, you guys, what? Family?" He asks this of the quartet, curious, perhaps at why Leon feels so compelled to protect these kids from themselves. He certainly can sympathise to some degree, but he's clearly trying to suss them out. Then he grins over at Corey and says, "Oh, no, there's totally alligators. Great big white ones with sightless eyes down there. Like cave fish."

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
"Dude. We live in a world with people who can fly and shoot lightning out of their asses and you think alligators in the sewer is far fetched?" Cullen just shakes his head in a very slow, 'oh my sweet summer child' manner. "The alligators are probably one of the tamer things down there." He's smirking slightly though as he says it, trying to hide the expression behind a quickly cooling coffee cup.

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Corey jumps and lets out a yelp, now visibly shaking at the thought of giant alligators and no doubt having Resident Evil 2 flashbacks. Leon just shakes his head, "No, just met em last month. My brother took me to a gaming store near his apartment, they're part of his D&D group. Corey may be a dumbass, but the guy's actually a pretty damn good DM." Corey quickly snaps out of it with a touched "Aww, thank you." Prompting Leon to glance back at him, "Hey, I still think you're a dumbass, dont forget about that." He says with a smirk before turning back, "Anyway, my brother talked me into joining, says I need some friends....Cant exactly say he's wrong, so I caved. And now he we are, several infections, injuries, and delvings into places we'll never be clean from again later."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"I guess there are worse things," Bobby says as he glances from Leon to the little trio and then back again, "I've heard of D&D. Sounds like fun. Not something I've ever tried, though." He walks over to a locker and pulls out his shoes from within and then sits back down, tugging the skates off and lacing his chucks back up on his feet. He chuckles at Cullen and says, "Yeah. That is the downside of poking around in places that have been closed up. Sometimes stuff moves into them that you probably don't want to run into."

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
"My sister keeps telling me that I need more friends. I tell her to mind her own business." Cullen shrugs. "Well, local friends." He narrows his eyes slightly then shakes his head, draining another long sip of coffee. He does look over the quartet once more, squinting. "Well, you know what? If you're enjoying yourselves and having fun, do what you want to do. Risk is a part of life." He peers into his now empty cup with a prominent scowl though for his moment of optimism or for the lack of coffee isn't clear. Might be both.

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Leon shrugs a bit at Bobby, "It's got it's moments. I recommend either grabbing the old Rules Cyclopedia, dont know if that last part is a real word, but that's the title, or looking up some videos online. If nothing else, it's fun to look at." Corey then bursts back in with renewed enthusiasm, "He's right guys! Tomorrow night, meet me at the power plant, and bring your cameras!" He then sprints off, presumably to head home and prepare, Leon looking mildly surprised and confused by this as Dave and Jeff turn to watch him go, "....He'll remember in a minute that I'm his ride home." Leon says as he turns back towards Cullen, narrowing his eyes into a glare, "....I hate you so much right now..."

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby Drake gets up from the bench and slings the skates over his shoulder, hooking the laces through two fingers to let them dangle there. He shakes his head with amusement as Corey takes off in excitement and forgets that he has no way home. Then he turns his attention back toward those gathered. "Hey," he says to Leon. "Want some company on that exploration? I've got nothing going on tomorrow night. I can help you keep an eye out for them. Maybe help make sure no one falls in. Or, if they do, that they get out again." He smiles a bit wryly. Then he looks over at Cullen and says "You should come, too." He did, after all, help encourage these shenanigans.

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
Cullen shrugs. "Most people do." And he actually breaks into a bit of a smile at Leon. "Told you, it's my superpower. Can't control it." He rubs at the back of his neck, looking over towards the direction Corey ran and... does he actually look guilty for just a moment. Nah, must be the lighting. Then there's the suggestion that he come along on the trip, too, and his gaze shifts to Leon and Bobby. "Yeah? Maybe. Not like I have a whole lot to do tomorrow night anyway, and I do kind of want to see this train wreck in action."

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Leon shrugs, apparently passing the decision off on Dave and Jeff. Jeff starts to answer, but Dave cuts him off with his unconfident whimper voice, "The m-more the merrier, I guess." Corey....still hasn't returned, and may in fact be running his way home. Leon sighs, "...Well, I guess if this is happening, I better hit the grocery store on the way home."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"Here, text me when you're going to meet up," Bobby says and passes off his phone to Leon so that he can send himself a text and get his number, or put his number in it -- whichever. Then he offers the same to Cullen. "If anything, it will at least be entertaining, and you won't have to look out for them on your own."

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
Cullen goes through the whole number exchange thing, including offering his phone over to Leon in a somewhat apologetic gesture. He's not going to say it out loud, but he's definitely got the air of 'helping you keep an eye on them is the least I can do, but I'll kick myself in the face before I apologize.' Which oddly also is a very similar facial expression to a mildly sour stomach. "Well, it's something to do, at least."

Leon O'Malley has posed:
Leon takes the phone and looks back to Dave and Jeff, "...You guys know when he wanted to meet?" They look at each other, shrug, look back at Leon, and shrug again, ".....Ughhh, typical...Alright, I'll smack him around a bit till he calms down, then I'll give you a call." He says as he sends himself a text and hands the phone back to Bobby. His pocket vibrates a moment later, he takes the phone out, checks it, and snickers before putting it back. He then glances over to Cullen and repeats the process, snickering and all. He then pushes off from the railing, "Well, nice to meet you guys. We'd better go find Corey before he runs out on the highway." He glances over to Dave and Jeff, "Shall we?" They nods and the trio start their way out.

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby watches as Leon and the others head off to find Corey and he says, "It's like chasing after a small dog that's run off into traffic." He shakes his head just a little bit and then glances over at Cullen. "Where'd you get that coffee, by the way?" Because it's about time for him to find some of his own. "Think I'm done skating for today."

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
"Follow me, I need a refill, anyway." Cullen is watching off after the retreating group for a bit though, eyes lingering on Leon before he's on his feet and heading to one of the many, many green mermaid logos that dot the city like freckles.

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby Drake nods his head to Cullen and then turns to follow him off toward the coffee shop, strolling along with his skates over one shoulder. He catches sight of the logo up ahead and says, "Perfect. I could use a little caffeine." He grins as they make their way inside and asks, "You ever gone urban exploring before?"

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
"I um.." Cullen shifts his head to the side and gives a little shake of his head in the negative. "Not like this, anyway. Plenty of wilderness camping." He shoves his hands in his pockets as he walks along. "It's a.. weird subject." He frowns slightly and shrugs his hsoulders again, holding the door open for Bobby before following inside. "Hopefully this will just be.. normal. Well, normal as an abandoned power plant can be."

Bobby Drake has posed:
"It's a weird subject?" Bobby asks, looking a little confused as to what's weird about it. "Wilderness camping can be fun. I've been a few times. Some trips more eventful than others." He smiles a little bit wryly at that, and then moves to get in line after he goes through the door. "I don't figure it will be anything too bad. Biggest risk is them falling on some exposed rebar or something. Hopefully they've all had shots at this point." He waits in line, sliding his hands into his pockets and rocking a little bit up onto the balls of his feet and then back onto his heels.

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
Cullen shrugs again. "My trips could have been better." And he seems content to leave it at that as he falls into the ordering line, pulling out his phone for a moment to check something, then sliding it back into his pocket. "Yeah, good point. What's a little more tetanus after you've already had it twice." He snorts softly and shakes his head.

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby Drake studies Cullen for a moment or two, as though attempting to read something more out of that statement, but apparently decides not to pursue it for the time being, curious as he may be. "Sorry to hear that." He opens his mouth as though to say something else, but then closes it again, as though reconsidering. Then he shakes his head with a chuckle at the mention of the kids. "Those guys are a mess. But I kind of don't want to see them get themselves killed, and I dunno.. part of me is just curious. And possibly looking for an excuse to put off writing my paper that's due on Monday."

Cullen Bloodstone has posed:
Cullen's phone gives off the rather generic ring tone sound from his pocket, and he pulls it out to look a the screen. And his face actually goes a little pale. "I, uh, gotta take this. But I'll se you tomorrow night I guess." And with that he's haded towards the door, a speaking a rather timid sounding, "Elsa.. hey.."