15518/Boardwalk Beach and Bunny

Boardwalk Beach and Bunny
Date of Scene:	01 August 2023
Location:	Beach and Boardwalk - Coney Island
Synopsis:	Mark Grayson and Bunny Macleod meet over spilled cotton candy, and find in each other a reflection of insecurity. And desire of cotton candy.
Cast of Characters:	Bunny Macleod, Mark Grayson

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Bunny Macleod has posed:
    The sun is shining, the smog and air quality alerts are low, the beach is calling, and on skates she goes! BUNNY MACLEOD OF CLAN MACLEOD, once delivery girl
    The sun is shining, the smog and air quality alerts are low, the beach is calling, and on skates she goes! BUNNY MACLEOD OF CLAN MACLEOD, once delivery girl and currently between jobs and part of the Young Avengers is sporting bumps, bruises, lacerations, and her left arm is fairly wrapped in gauze, but she's taking in the sun and the boardwalk. The pink-haired teenager has her hair in a pair of braids, a bright pink helmet and a sky blue tank top, with pink denim shorts and bright neon-yellow roller skates with pineapples on them -- along with a fresh pair of Barbie Pink sunglasses.

    There's a bunch of people skating around with a couple of old boom boxes set up blasting pop music from a bench, there's ice cream, people just having a grand time.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Among those having a good time is one Mark Grayson. Taking a break away from his heroic alter-ego, the teen is on the boardwalk, dressed down in a button down style shirt that is untucked with a print of palm trees on it, a pair of surf shorts that go to his knees and sneakers, he is currently enjoying a large ball of home-spun cotton candy that is as big as his head. The pink and light blue confection is being easily taken care of as he walks and he makes his way through the lively crowd.

As he walks, he comes across a group of skaters that are jamming to the boom box music, a sophisticated combonation of break-dancing and trick skating that leaves Mark impressed and more than a little distracted as he tries not to impose, but perhaps unaware where he is walking.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "WATCH OUT!" comes a cry, and as Mark makes his way with a large cloud of fairy floss that creates a blind spot, the girl in the sky blue tank top skates in low and attempts to arrest his forward momentumn by grabbing his shirt and hard braking!

    -- just in time for a couple of skaters who are whizzing by on skates that have gotten the hang of the 'going', and not quite the 'slowing down' and 'stopping' part -- they're either gonna crash into Mark it looks like, or one of them is going to nose-dive over a concrete divider!

    "AAAIIIIIE!" flails one of the newer skaters!

Mark Grayson has posed:
The sudden grab by the front of his shirt causes Mark to come to a halt and sends the fairy floss flying all over the place. "Yikes!" he manages to squeak out as he is brought to a halt by the girl in the tank top.

With her hands fully on his button-up, Mark's attention goes quickly from the girl that grabbed him, his face reflected in her Barbie sunglasses to the flailing skaters. There's a decision to be made here. And he quickly makes it.

He tears away from the girl holding him and moving at a speed that isn't quite human, he catches the skater that was about to slam into the divider, quickly bringing them to a halt. "You alright?" he asks, pretty confident that he wasn't seen in the hustle and bustle of the boardwalk.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    The skater flails a moment, all elbow pads and gloves flying all over the place before she realizes that she's not going to go over the divider, and she gives a grin.

    "Thanks, mister!" she replies, and gives an embarrassed wave. "Gotta work on the whole 'turning' thing, huh?" she gives a small smile as her friend wobbily skates up to fetch her, and they go back to disappear in the brightly colored melange of roller-skating-and-blading people.

    And he might not have been caught by the general public, but the girl in the blue tank top and shades skates up, and then nimbly hops on the divider.

    "Nooooot that it's any of my business, but uh... you need a granola bar?" she asks awkwardly, and gives a bright smile.

    "My boyfriend's a speedster. Sometimes the low sugar thing comes on quick, I read."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"You're doing better on those skates than I ever would." Mark responds with a grin, releasing the girl once she's back on her feet and confident again. "I think stopping may be more important though?" he suggests, giving a wave as the two of them disappear into the crowd.

And he dusts himself off and sighs. But before he could state what the sigh was about, he finds himself joined by that same skater that leaps up on the divider and her question gets his attention. His cheeks darken slightly and he clears his throat.

"Which one?" he asks cheekily, and with his shirt slightly open, she may notice the T-com that he wears on his belt. "I don't need food in that sense, though I am mourning the loss of my fairy floss. I can get another one later, though."

His hand extends to Bunny, "I'm Mark." he offers in way of greetings. "No low sugar here, different power set."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Bunny." Bunny introduces herself, grasping Mark's hand. She's also wearing fingerless gloves. They're also -- you guessed it -- bright pink.

    "I kinda do shields-and-platforms. Solid light manip over a plane, I think? I mean, there's probably some scientific thing, but all I do is become a victim of physics."

    She gets a very dour look.

    "We are *all* victims of physics and math."

    "Which speedster or which boyfriend?" Bunny gives an equally cheek answer to his question, and then rubs the back of her head with a laugh.

    "He doesn't do the superhero thing. He's kinda low-key and just InstaCarts better than InstaCart." she gives a shrug "And yeah -- that cotton candy was as big as your head! Where'd you grab it from? Usually they've just got the little baggies and that's not enough pastel spun sugar content for this skater girl!"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Nice to meet you, Bunny." Mark responds. When she brings up her powers, he considers for a moment, his lips pressed into a thin line of thought, but well, here we are. "Half-alien. Kinda like Superboy, but not quite the same."

Easiest way to explain it - noone seems to know what a Viltrumite is.

(Editor's note: Probably for the best.)

"Physics, math, and biology. Terrible combonation, especially in college at the same time." he admits with a hint of bemusent. The changes in subject are rapid though and he keeps up.

"That's pretty smooth. Currently not dating. Was once, not now. It's a transitional phase." At least that sounds good in his head.

"Oh, it was a couple of blocks back. They were seeing how large they could spin a floss and I just happened to be at the right place at the right time, but now..."

The fairy floss, what's left of it, is currently tumbling down the boardwalk like some postmodern tumbleweed.

"You from around here? I'm enrolled at Empire State, but my family is from Baltimore." Well, his mom is.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Baltimore huh? Land of Orioles and the Aron Iron Urn challenge." Bunny's Brooklyn accent is pretty pronounced, and she kicks her feet a bit. "Really? Sharp looking guy like you? Ah well. I mean if I didn't literally fall into it, accidentally, bass-ackwards, I'd probably be single and rockin' the two-bedroom life with my eight siblings. Three's a crowd but eight's a small army to cook oatmeal for." she jokes cheerily. "Enjoy the transitional phase, get out, enjoy life, go to college parties and casually date! Or formal date, which I guess requires a bow-tie or something?" she questions, her lips pursing a moment as she tilts her head.

    The reason why she's remained perched on the divider? She is *short*.

    "I'm a local. I live in Bushwick." she states casually.

    Because it's pretty well known Bushwick is Mutant Town.

Mark Grayson has posed:
"My dad took me to a black tie affair one, he's an author. I was totally uncomfortable. A little too refined for me, I like the normal suburban life." Mark responds as he pivots to take a seat on the divider next to Bunny. "My whole problem is approaching the girl. Especially with, the whole you know what thing." he explains. "I was dating a girl. Didn't tell her about you know what, she figured it out on her own, got super-pissed that I didn't tell her, broke up with me."

There's a shrug. "I can't really walk around with a sign that says 'Hi, I'm Invincible.'." A pause and a smirk he corrects. "I /could/ I suppose, that would totally ruin any chance at a social life. I have a friend from back home, Eve. She's handling that a whole lot better than me. I should catch up to her sometime."

The clues are all there, but Mark doesn't seem to be bothered that she's a mutant. "Saw the news on that whole supposed cure thing." His hand presses against the concrete and small cracks form it in as he bends the rebar without much thought. "Never will understand why some people need to find ways to make everyone just like them and take away what makes others special. I know some are excited for this whole thing, but it should be optional, you know?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Oooor you would get into a shit-ton of fights because people will think you're just being a jackass and not InvincibleTheActualHeroOHMIGOSH." Bunny squeaks, and then just points at Mark, pushing her glasses up, which bump into her helmet, and then she takes her helmet off, pushes her glasses up, and offers her hand again.

    "Prisma, with the Young Avengers. /Hi/!" she pauses a moment. "Big fan of people who can like, go toe-to-toe with the Superfam." she states, and she works her mouth a moment, and then rubs the back of her head.

    "And I get it. My girlfriend seems to know /every superhero/ on the /planet/. And is friends with soe of the bad guys even?! Like how do you freaking *compare* to someone who just shows up slinging freaking psychic blasts and gives a wave and goes 'Oh hey Gabs, haven't seen you in *freaking school*.'" Bunny states, being rather candid, and animated.

    And then the cure thing comes up.

    She frowns. And her shoulders rise up -- and her accent fades, and becomes more Genteel Generic American.

    "... most mutants can't defend themselves. Not like I can. Not like people who go out and use their powers to fight can. Some have powers so niche that they can just... see through paper. And I get it. Some people have powers that are incompatable with life." she states, looking out over the boardwalk, quiet.

    "... my powers saved my life when a giant rhinocerous and warthog wrecked a business I was delivering to. Turns out it was a lab that was experimenting on mutants. Maybe they had a hand in this cure. Maybe they didn't. I don't know... but even if it is optional?"

    She looks uo to Mark.

    "What's stopping them from using it against mutant criminals? Or people from using it involuntarily on their kids like a conversion camp?"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I'm not all... Supermany built." Mark admits with a laugh. "My dad is. He tells me it will come in time. But dad lost his powers years ago. I keep thinking that is going to happen to me at some point."

With the reintroduction, Mark laughs and accepts the hand. "Nice to meet you, Prisma. Invincible, currently working with the Teen Titans. Used to have my own team, but we're all scattered right now." RIP Teen Team.

"Exactly. I can see someone that really doesn't want what they have - like if their heart is outside their body or something like that... but I don't think it should be forced on anyone. And I'll stand against anyone that suggests that they would."

"I just don't understand our country sometimes. Or rather, those in charge."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "You think that's bad, try being a queer girl with very religious parents. Parent. A Very Religious Parent, I'm beeng tee-em-eye, sorry, cringe." Bunny gives a nervous laugh, and rubs the back of her head again, and she looks out over the skaters, and itches at the bandages around her arm.

    "It's wierd. We put on the mask and want others to see us as Worthy, we want to protect them. Altruism's sorta like the best mental disorder to have though... at least as long as we make it out alive... but the minute we're ourselves again, all that confidence just kinna..." she pauses, and then makes a 'poof' motion with her hands.

    "I'm kinda the new girl on the block. Between the girlfriend who is a Super Experienced And Well Known Hero, and the Boyfriend Who Doesn't Want To Be A Hero, I'm a bit like the fuzzy ping-pong ball that goes into the dryer to collect the sock lint."

    She fingerguns.

    "Fuzzy on the situation!"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"And here I thought I had it tough with a dad that is clearly disappointed with my development not being as fast as his liking. My mom's great, though. She's like super-supportive. No cap." Mark responds and shakes his head at her TMI comment.

"Share what you need to share, Bunny. Not my place to judge." His hand releases the concrete slab and he dusts them of together.

"When I was growing up, I knew my dad was this powerful and great superhero. He regaled me with stories of his homeworld, how they went out to help other people, those alien to them, to make them better. To protect them and keep them safe." He gives a little laugh. "Yet here we are, and I can easily count on both hands and feet the number of heroes that could easily do a better job of protecting Earth than I could." he shrugs his shoulders.

"So, yeah. Mask, confidence, rar rar go get the bad guys. But no mask, just the average normal college kid that is just barely making the grade in school and working on finding his social footing."

"I realized pretty quickly, though. A lot of people already know each other and it's a P-I-T-A to fit in when they're already clicked together. The Titans have done a great job of trying to help with that. But there are still times..."

A glance up to the sky and then back to Bunny as he smiles. "...grand scheme of things is just a little too deep for this conversation, huh?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "This is actually super refreshing -- I mean, I play up the blonde thing, but for a high-school drop out I'd like to think I'm pretty smart." Bunny gives a small smile.

    "Titans seem like a good group. Young Avengers seems kinda that we're mostly Reactionary. and Local. But hey, sometimes Iron Man shows up and gives us coffee. Or at least a drone does. I think his better half makes him do it." Bunny quips, and then breathes out.

    "But any time you wanna talk Grand Scheme and the Masks We Put On?" she reaches into her bright mini backpack, and takes out a card with a New York City number on it.

    "I'm always good to lend an ear."

Mark Grayson has posed:
Accepting the number, Mark takes out his phone, scans it and beeps back a message on Bunny's phone. "And if you find yourself in a situation that requires heavier firepower than you got..." he leaves it at that.

"Thanks for the ear, Bunny. I promised a couple of friends we'd catch up with movies and games tonight and if I don't show, they get all panicky." Pushing off the concerte divider and standing up, he tips a couple of fingers against his brow. "Nice meeting you, Bunny."

With that, he moves to head into the crowd, eventually disappearing amongst the skaters and celebrations.