15702/Mootant Aftermath

Mootant Aftermath
Date of Scene:	25 August 2023
Location:	Mootant Town Milkshakes
Synopsis:	Bunny meets Sam Guthrie, Gabby Kinney and Lydia Dietrich for milkshakes. Somehow develops an existential crisis upon realizing that she's got a moderate case of homelessness, hasn't had an actual meal in weeks, and no one ever told her if she was allowed to use the microwave at the Young Avengers' HQ
Cast of Characters:	Bunny Macleod, Samuel Guthrie, Gabby Kinney, Lydia Dietrich

---

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    MOOTANT MILKSHAKES -- a place that Bunny has become very familiar with now that she's sort-of open about living her life as a mutant, participating in a few anti-cure protests, navigating the complicated world of dealing with the fact that no one in her family's taking her calls anymore, and her father's demanded all of the Macleod Messenger swag back because, in his words, 'she was no longer the type of person he wanted the company to appeal to'.

    So today she's post-patrol, the rain is falling outside in Brooklyn as thunder rumbles overhead. She sits in a booth with a folded umbrella (bright rainbow with rubber ducks on it, of course), a pink denim jacket (mildly damp), and bright blue leggings beneath a bright yellow T-Shirt promoting a particular bright yellow bird on a well known street, bright green roller skates on her feet as she nurses a salted caramel milkshake with gummy bears.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie may have ticked off someone or chose a bad day to volunteer for beat patrol. Either Way Sam is walking the beat wearing his NYPD uniform complete with the see through rain slicker over it and his hat. He does not seem to be letting him get him to down though.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Rain never melted her yet! Gabby makes a mad dash from where she'd parked her motorcycle across the street toward Mootant Milkshakes to duck inside quick as can be. Right past an NYPD officer that she barely pegs on her radar... barely, yet does, as she skids to a halt to whip her head around squinting up beneath the hat. "Sam? When did you go all officery on us?" It's been awhile since she's really been in touch after all. There was so many things going on she had to juggle a lot of things.

Her thumb jerks toward the shop as she declares, "I'm meeting some folks inside if you want to join, dry off a bit." Says the girl already soaked to the bone. Maybe she had a towel tucked away in a pocket somewhere. Though given she was already wet she does head for the door to duck inside pausing to sweep her hands back through her hair to wring out the damp. "Oh well I guess 'drowned rat' is the look of the day. Hi Bunny!"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia walks into the ice cream parlor like she owns the place, striding in straight backed and proper. She's wearing a black high-necked lacy blouse, and a matching black a-line skirt that goes down to her ankles that covers a pair of black heeled boots. With her hair tied up into a bun, she looks like what you expect a Victorian school teacher would look like if they'd somehow been transported to the 21st century. For those who know Lydia this is more cosplay than anything else.

    She lets go of her power, which was in the shape of a large glowing amber umbrella to keep her dry, and lets it go back to the twinkly stars that constantly surround her. Golden eyes scan the place and when she sees the other mutants a warm smile graces her lips. "Bunny! Gabby! And Sam! It's a pleasure to see you here. I take it you're all here to help patrolling the area? Lord knows we could use the help. I was just in the area checking up on Baruch before I start teaching classes tonight."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Gabby!" Bunny exclaims, excitedly giving a wave and almost upsetting her milkshake, a gummy bear launched into the air before she gives a panicked expression, leans back and catches it in her mouth. She's chewing when she waves to Sam with a grin, and then with a curious expression, she looks to Lydia.

    "... uh... this isn't an intervention is it?" she asks, and feels her ankle itch.

    "Oh! Yeah, I'm helping patrol the area. I kinda fell in with a good group and we have a vested interest in watching the area and making sure everyone's safe."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie says, "steps inside a moment after Gabby and as he sees the others he knows, he gives each a nod, taking off his hat once inside, and looking to the waitstaff to get an ice tea which he makes sure he pays for even if offered for free. "Well yes, and no, Ah try to take a beat through here every week or so, and wouldn't you know it Ah pick today to be out and walking it. Ah really should talk to a friend of mine about that.""

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney flashes a grin over at Bunny, and Lydia too. Poor Sam as well who gets a shake of her head at the information. "I see. And no it's not an intervention," She assures Bunny while heading for the counter to place an order for herself. Wet or not she was getting icecream. At least she has a card and not paper money that would make it far more awkward for the guy behind the counter.

"I haven't really been patrolling in awhile," she admits looking over her shoulder apologetically. "I just wanted to visit a bit, and update on things. By the way, Bunny, I've been leaving feedback reviews on the messenger service saying how it's so sad the 'happy girl' isn't around anymore. I also sent your dad a bag of dicks."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia looks confused. "Intervention for what? For putting gummies in your milkshake?" She shrugs, "I'm not going to flavorshame you. To each their own, I say." She gives the teen a grin and makes her way to the counter to give her order. A small cherry chocolate chunk milkshake. Having paid and received her ice creamy treat, she makes her way back to Bunny. "Mind if I join you?"

    She turns her smile to Sam. "I didn't know you decided to join the force. Glad to know that there are at least //some// people on our side. Traditionally the cops have been... less than enthusiastic about maintaining the peace here in Bushwick."

    "Bag of dicks? What happened? Why is Bunny's father on your shitlist?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny blinks a moment, owlishly at Gabby, and then her brows crease, she leans forward, but scooches in to make room for anyone who decides to sit at her table.

    "Like... a real bag of actual dicks?" -- BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? That's not ENTIRELY out of the question.

    She seems a little hesitant to let Sam in, but she's not going to refuse someone who's a friend of theirs.

    "Oh... um... I let my dad know that I was a queer mutant who was living with my girlfriend and my boyfriend at the time and he told me if I didn't color my hair normal, repent my sins and move back home to continue working for him that I was disowned. And he wanted me to take the cure that'd just been announced. Ssssoooooooo yeeeaaaaaaaaah that was a thing."

    And she takes a long drink of her milkshake.

    And she turns back to Gabby with:

    "They *weren't* real dicks, right?"

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie has met Bunny before, she was at a skating rave thing he ended up while hunting some food trucks. He smiles and to Gabby and Lydia he says "Been a cop about a year now, Ah was in the academy when you made the Golem." He offers in explanation to Lydia. Then he turns to Bunny "Yea when your parents can't accept you for what you are it sucks." Sam may have a family who accepts him but he has known quite a few who did not.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney takes her own milkshake once it's finished and handed over. It was some kind of s'mores like concoction with lots of toasted marshmallows ontop and dribbling more chocolate than was likely going to end up eaten. A long slurp is taken off the straw as she moves to sit near Bunny giving a sympathetic look as she explains breifly to Lydia the situation.

"No, don't be silly, they're not *real* dicks," she assures with a cluck of her tongue... only to sigh.

"Couldn't convince anyone to help with that, and I'm not keen to go around finding corpses to rob for the joke. No, just a bunch of gummi dicks and something called 'The Great American Challenge' which is like three foot tall. I put it all in a lamp box," she explains with eyes narrowing to a dangerous look of evil glee.

"Ahem. Anyway, how's the young Avengers gig going? Need help with anything?" Her straw is stirred around in her drink. "Or anything in general? Especially since he kicked you out, and ... I mean." Here she pauses looking very serious.

"Are you doing okay, Bunny?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia blinks and her golden eyes turn steely as the corners of her mouth turn down into a frown. "I can make him disappear if you like," she says. "I still have that portal to deep space where I can dispose of the body." Is she serious? She sounds serious. But is she, though?

    She closes her eyes and lets out a small sigh. "My sympathies. My mother threw a fit when I brought Raven home for dinner. She threw a fit that lasted //years// when my mutant powers activated. She threw a fit when I told her I was a vampire. You're a bright and caring young lady and you deserve much better than this. If there's anything I can do for you... //anything//... you have my number. All you need is to call. She glances over at Gabby. "Were they sugar free at least? I hear that they cause... intestinal distress if you eat too much of them."

    Sam's explanation causes her to nod. "Ah! I remember now. Goodness, has it been that long?" She shakes her head. "So much has happened since then..."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Oh, I mean, not the weirdest place I slept. Definitely didn't intentionally-unintentionally crash on Tommy's couch before-and-during-and-after and once because I was scared he might be disappointed in me slept against the side of the couch, and really all I need is a couple more nights at the piano bar and I can scrape together enough to put a deposit down on maybe a rented room with a fridge and a microwave and really," she pauses to stir her shake and fishes out a gummy bear with a spoon to pop into her mouth,

    "what more does someone need when they're eighteen and five feet tall and suffering from identity crisis because their family who they quit school to help run a business and cook for and clean for and do all their laundry and raise their younger siblings and parentified and then neglected their emotional and physical needs pretty much abandons them on the spot thanks to a mutant-hating homophobic Quiverful Movement dad need in their life other than a place to store their gear and--" she pauses aagain, and raises her hands up, looking around incredulously at the table assembled

    "And do you know how little groceries for one person costs I mean I sat down and had a hotdog and a couple slices of cheese and still had twenty-three hotdogs and almost a whole pound of cheese left and like a whole loaf of bread lasts more than a week and I have no idea if the group has a budget that I'd be working with but I'm using a crash space but I don't know if I'm allowed to because am I a full member of the team or just provisionary and get enough clout to use the microwave for a bag of popcorn or am I an actual member who can use a bedroom there but what if that's only expected while I'm on a duty rotation or if there is some sort of crisis and ohmigod doing patrols feels so weird because people are beginning to recognize me and most don't assume I'm a mutant and there's the whole ninja side quest thing which has gone on but then I also helped fight that big blood red thing with all the blades an' this lady who could sling busses and I almost unalived myself by bubbling to hold up a building long enough to get people out and if Tony Stark hadn't shown up to take over I might have had an /annyeurism/ and died on the spot because my headache got so bad pushing my powers like that and I can't remember the last time I had like an actual meal with actual vegetables that weren't tempura or fried in some way and then there was the terrorist attack at the Statue of Liberty and they were all shouting about Snakes and down with the Government and seemed really confused about what their central message should have been but I was working with Silverdane and Invincible and then there were hotdogs and then a couple days later this guy that I met at one of the roller-parties met me for hotdogs again at Gary's Street Dawgs (y'all know the place) and I think we're dating now?" she pauses, her eyes narrowing a moment as she stares at the light over their table.

    "And he took me flying and he wants to see me perform at the piano bar but I need to make sure I don't see him 'cause I don't wanna freeze up in case there's not a big paycheck from the Young Avengers because I don't know if we're just auxillery or training or if it's like an unpaid internship of superherodom but I still got three younger siblings and my four older siblings except Baz work for my dad and it's not that he threw a *fit* he was all calm about everything until I stood up for myself and then he got all yell-y and I don't know if Hawkeye-the-Girl knows I'm sleeping in the basement at base so that I'm not in anyone's way but OHMIGOD --" she takes a deeep breath, her eyes go large, and then she brings her head down onto the table with a soft thump.

    "THERE ARE TOO MANY FRICKIN' SPIDERS for sleeping good down there. So many freaking spiders."

    And then the brightly colored mutant teenager gives a soft 'nnnnnng' sound.

    "I am straight up not having a good time except for this guy I met and the fact that I'm not making breakfast for eight people

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks to the girl and says "You need a place to stay?" He looks over to Gabby and says "You trust her not to trash a place, if Ah let her stay at the place in town that Ah seldom use?" He seems to be considering this and figures with the other person who lives there out of the country he could help someone.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Welp. That wasn't expected, but at the same time... Gabby had been worried about Bunny. Moreso when she hears the Young Avengers have space, but she doesn't know if she can use it. Also that the apparent 'in charge' person of the YA doesn't know what Bunny's doing either. The rest was interesting, and tucked away for later, as well as curiosity on who this new guy she was dating was. THAT wasn't important right now.

She nudges her milkshake to the side and scoots closer to Bunny to pull the girl into a tight hug. "Okay. Breathe. We got this. It's okay to ask for help," she assures with a frantic look of worry cast over toward Sam and Lydia. Even so she keeps her own voice calm and level and soothing.

"I've got money saved up, we can get you a place," she assures while her brain starts to try to think of options. Sam's suggestion earns a quick nod of thanks, "Or that. Yes, Sam, I trust her. We used to date," she explains sheepishly. "If that's an option for awhile that would be a huge help. And we can set other things up, *and* clarify things with your team. Even if I have to go throw cookies at Tony again or something."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia slowblinks as Bunny rants, taking a sip of her milkshake. "That's it. I'm taking you home and making you a home cooked meal," she declares. "And then I'll give you enough cash to buy some real groceries, and keep you fed and healthy. My grocery bills are nonexistent, and I haven't really changed my budget for year. If you ever need more, come to me. I have more money than I know what to do with at this point."

    She nods at Sam. "Having a roof over your head helps, too. Being on a superhero team is dangerous, as you found out, but it has its rewards. You get to help people in a way nobody else can, and you have people who always have your back, who you can rely on. You don't have to do this alone."

    "Okay. So I admit, making your father disappear is probably a bad idea," she says with a shake of her head. "But I could still vampire mind voodoo him. Offer stands."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    At the hug, Bunny turns and just buries her face into Gabby's shoulder and just takes a deep, deep breath and sobs. Just the once, before she straightens up, and pulls her hair back, and begins digging into the pockets of her jacket for a hairtie, the bright pink slightly curly hair pulling back and showing bumps and bruises from her natural work.

    ""No, I don't need him to love me. /I/ like me. I think--" she sniffles, "I'm a fucking *delight*." she states with conviction, and she gives a quivering lower lip. She was about to reach for her milkshake when...

    gggrrruruuuummUuuUUUUmmble.... gurrrgle

    She looks down at her stomach, and her skin first turns bright pink in embarrassment, and then her power activates, and she gets a gasoline-rainbow sheen on her for a moment before she clears her throat.

    "A... uh... a home cooked meal would be pretty great." she admits quietly over to Lydia, and then looks to Sam, and then to Gabby, and then her shoulders draw down.

    "I think it's one of those trauma response things. Like, I was always the one to do all the stuff the others didn't wanna do. So now it's too hard to ask for help because I'm so used to doing it on my own." she breathes out. "Really though, I can rent a room. There's one not too far from here that a pair of siblings are renting out, y'know? If it's the one on the outside of the apartment I have access to the fire escape, so it makes getting in and out easy." she reasons. And then she slumps again, still leaning on Gabby.

    "An' his name's Mark. Since I *know* that look."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie will reach into his pocket pulling out a keychain and pulls a key off it "Well stay here till ya get the place and then give Gabby the key, she can get it back to me. "It is a place above a comic shop." He gives the address "Pretty bare bones but has furniture, heat and such."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney doesn't mind Bunny leaning on her again even when she seems to have a few moments of needing to gather herself together. An arm slides around her giving a squeeze of reassurance. "I'm not judging. You're an adult and can date who you want but I am totally going to have to meet him just to make sure he's not some weirdo," she decides halfway through that sentence.

When Sam hands over the key, and Lydia mentions cooking, she nods in agreement to both looking thankful. "Thanks. I kind of stay at the JLD in one of the crash spots myself, and my other spot is... er. Involves a tiger, so I don't go there as often." In other words she was in a similar boat. Except she HAD places to turn to.

"You'd be better off letting Lydia cook for you than me. We know how well I do that," she points out trying to poke fun at herself for amusement. "But seriously, yes, let's get you set up proper and THEN we can look for a long term solution. Okay?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia nods, satisfied at Bunny's acceptance of her help. She was half expecting a struggle but sometimes life pitches you a slow ball. "Good. What kind of foods do you like? Besides hot dogs and cheese?"

    "Indeed. Thank you, Sam." She looks out of the window to gaze at Bushwick. "This happens to so many mutants, and a lot of them end up on the street." She closes her eyes and takes a breath and lets out a sigh in both righteous anger and sadness. "They deserve better. I help out where I can but there's only one of me."

    Her eyes wonder over to Gabby and scowls. "When was the last time //you// had a good home cooked meal?" she asks. "Do I need to invite you over, too?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Probably the last time /I/ cooked for her and Tommy." Bunny replies quietly, and gives a small smile, breathing out.

    "Thank you, everyone, I appreciate it, I'm sorry that I lost my cool. It will probably happen again but not for a long while." she states, and looks around at the table, flushed with embarrassment.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over and says "It happens to all of us." He looks over to Lydia, "Thats one of the things Xcorp is trying to help with, trying to make sure thee lost people find a life line.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney coughs quietly at Bunny's remark only to spread her hands helplessly. "Yessss? But I eat takeout a lot and I have places to stay so I'm good?" Eh heh. Then she sighs mumbling, "Come on, let's get you and Beeper taken care of."