15756/Hoppin' Welfare Check

Hoppin' Welfare Check
Date of Scene:	30 August 2023
Location:	Little Italy
Synopsis:	Mark Grayson and Bunny Macleod share honesty, deep thoughts, and have to take a pizza to go when the Teen Angst gets a little too thick for the cafe.
Cast of Characters:	Bunny Macleod, Mark Grayson

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Bunny Macleod has posed:
EARLY IN THE DAY:

    Bernice Macleod woke up on the floor in a room that she didn't really recognize, in an apartment that definitely wasn't hers, with the smell of blood and urine still on her mind. Her hair was wild and unkempt. Her tank top was in disarray, and her pajamas were soaked through with sweat after she had fallen out of the bed that she *really* didn't want to know whose it was.

    In spite of Sam Guthrie's kindness, she figured it would be the last time she slept at the Rossi building without having her own space. She tried to pass the cause of her nightmares on the change of sleeping venue. Her own space should fix that right up.

    She scrambled to her knees, reaching up and feeling around for her phone to see what time it was and what messages she'd missed.

    After all, it was a *very* late night trying to shake the feeling that Oroku Saki was watching her.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Mark wasn't too concerned with Bunny. Sure, he was worried, but she seemed to have plenty of friends that were willing to watch out for her. But that doesn't mean he won't reach out to check on his girlfriend, right.

So as she gets her phone.

10:41 PM 8/29 - Mark - Had some fun with the other Titans tonight!
7:30 AM - Mark - ::sun emoji:: Getting breakfast, up for a bite to eat?
1:00 - Mark - Finished classes if you want to hang.

He hasn't sent any messages since, just to give her space if she wanted it. Or she could be busy - she'll call when she's ready, he's sure of it!

Bunny Macleod has posed:
     1:37 PM - BunBun - Sorry, rough patrol last night. Just waking up now. Too late for lunch? ::rabbit emoji::

    Bunny picked up a couple of T-shirts and smelled them for freshness. Her nose wrinkled. A pair of pink denim shorts. A T-shirt with Cheer Bear over a Rainbow that says 'Cheer Up!' Sky blue thigh-high socks and her pink skates, pausing to throw her mess of a hair in a low messy bun.

    "Food food food...."

Mark Grayson has posed:
1:45 PM - Mark - ::burger emoji:: ::clock:: never too late. Where to?

Mark was just about to go on patrol himself, having made an assumption, one that was proven wrong. Grabbing his backpack to shove some civvies into it, he prepares to fly to meet Bunny near where they were scheduled to meet.

As Invincible flies across the sky, he considers to himself. "Maybe I should set up stashes. Works for Bunny..." he muses, considering that he has to carry a backpack with him if he wants to change while out and about.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny sends a map ping of her location, outside a cheap Italian restaurant that CERTAINLY isn't run by the mob.

    And there she is, roller skates, laminated single-page menu in hand as she breathes out. She's not wearing any make up at the moment, which means her pale spray of freckles are showing, making her up the adorable factor by twenty-five percent as she grumps about whether she wants meatballs or pizza.

Mark Grayson has posed:
About fifteen minutes later, Bunny will see Mark approaching. Dressed in a pair of jeans, a tshirt that reads People: 1 Star, F&ing nightmare, would not recommend. Like it is set up as a Google review as he waves upon noticing Bunny.

Making his way to her table, he grins. "Hey." he greets, pausing for just a moment, before comitting to it and leans down to greet her with a quick kiss.

"I think our time in the sun brought out your freckles." he comments warmly as he moves to sit across from her.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    People. One star. Yep. That's about right.

    Bunny gives a bright smile, and gives a wave to Mark as he approaches, brightening physically before he kisses her. She turns pink, right to her ears, and her freckles stand out even more before she gives a squeak of a sound, and hides behind her menu for a moment as the waiter comes up and inquires for Mark's drink order, bringing a bright pink carbonated drink to Bunny. It smells peachy.

Mark Grayson has posed:
As she blushes and squeaks, Mark finds himself blushing as well and stammering out an apology, "S-sorry, too soon for PDA, got it!" that marked down as he hides his face benind the menu as the waiter comes over. "Water, please." he quickly manages as he tries not to slump so far in his seat that he's hiding under the table.

"So... rough patrol?" he inquires of her gently. A prompt. She can talk about it if she wants. She doesn't have to.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "No no, you're fine, I just wasn't expect it!" the pink-haired girl replies, laughing as she leans back in her seat, and shakes her head, "You're fine! BUt next time I get to ruffle your hair!" she grins ruefully, and settles into her seat.

    "Yeah. Rough night patrolling around Mutant Town. Things are kinda settling down now, but can't rely on the Golem to do all the guarding." she murmurs quietly.

    She gets a flash of discomfort across her face..

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Do you know how long it takes to get my hair just right?" Mark mock-groans at her declaration of terms as he sits back up straighter. "What's good here? Wanna split a pizza?" he offers by way of suggestion as she starts to speak.

"Golem?" he asks curiously, has hands lowering the menu to look at her directly and studies her face. "I can understand the whole rough patrol night. You're not hurt are you?" Clearly she's not, as far as he can tell -- but that look, it raises his worry and his guard.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Don't guys just wake up with perfect hair?" Bunny asks, her nose wrinkling a moment as she gives a small laugh. "Tommy always wore a hat, so I wouldn't know. My brothers all had really short hair 'cause dad said it was proper." she explains, the wave of discomfort disappearing, and she shakes her head "A couple years back, a Jewish Witch created a golem to protect Mutant Town from people trying to hurt people. But he's not very fast." she explains, and she stretches her arms up.

    "We can split a pizza -- ah, what toppings do you like?"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Oh no, I have to work to get this hair right. Especially when I plan to fly." Mark comments with a chuckle as he nods, listening to the story. "So like the Polish fairy tale?" he asks, his mouth making a small 'oh' as he considers this. "I mean, I guess it's not so much a story after all." His admission brings a smirk when he nods, his attention back on the menu and the topic of pizza.

"So I'm okay with anything short of jalopenos and pineapple." he explains as they discuss pizza preferences. "I'm not going to break up with you if you like pineapple, but man, it's going to erase some cute points." Said teasingly, as he leans back in the chair, more relaxed now.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Oh yeah, it's not a fairy tale. Like, little kids draw on him and everything, but if you mess with Mutant Town he'll come to live and destroy you. Lydia knows her *Stuff*." Bunny states with absolute faith in her conviction, and then she gives a laugh. "Pineapple's good on pizza, especially if you have bacon or pepperoni on it. Balances out the sweet, but uh -- this place does more traditional toppings. Basil, salami, meatballs, spinach and tomatoes..." she states, and wrinkles her nose. "Anchovies are a heavy deal breaker." she states with a wrinkled nose.

    "Jalopenos are spicy. Sometimes too spicy."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"No anchovies." Mark agrees. And then he admits, "I had forgotten those until you mentioned them. So lets do a pizza with all those toppings except the anchovies." He is definetly proud of this suggestion. "And since this is a date, I'm paying."

"We can go dutch when you're better on your feet." comes the compromise as he sets aside the menu. His expression becomes a little more concerned. "Do you want to talk about it?" he finally prompts. "It can totally wait til later, but I have good shoulders."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny opens her mouth to protest the archaic idea of the man paying, but is mollified when Mark proposes going dutch later.

    "All right. That's fine. I just don't want you to be paying for everything you know? I've got SOME pride!" she states, and then breathes out. The waiter returns with the water, and takes their pizza order. And also brings free breadsticks!

    Which is *awesome* when you're a college student or college-aged and sometimes powers burn more calories, right?

    That's what Bunny tells herself anyway.

    "Just... last night was rough. Did you hear about the injuries those two guys got from the new vigilante?"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Yeah, I'm totally not going to make you pay when I know you're having a rough go of it. And no, not paying for everything! I know you have pride, not about pride. Just... I can't help like by giving you two thousand dollars or a place to live. It's only a small thing, but I mean, I like you and I want to help and all..." he trails off, shaking his head as the waiter returns.

"One large pizza, no anchovies. Everything else is awesome, thanks!" he says, placing the order. It's clear he burns alot of calories without having superspeed.

Then he's getting out his phone. "Wait, injuries, new vigilante?" he asks, thumbs moving furiously to bring up a Google search on the keywords she listed. "...you mean this story?" he asks, turning the phone to show her the article from the Bushwick Press.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny bypasses her own injuries. She'd taken a couple hits and bounced her head off a wall on a dismount. This is why she's always wearing different helmets. Helmets and Hairdye: the Bunny Macleod RPG.

    "YEah, that's the one. General warning went out to keep an eye out, in case it heightens the tension in Mutant Town.

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Did you come across this person or something?" Mark hasn't exactly made the connection yet. Becuase Bunny can't fly. And the article says that Shield Maiden can fly.

"Sounds like they deserved it though. I never get why when racists fuck aroud and find out that they go all shocked Pikachu." he rumbles, which reminds him, since he has his phone -- to start his Pokemon Go app to check out the area.

He's totally Team Valor.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
A
    "No... no just... making conversation. Local news. Sounds like I should watch out for this person, I mean -- she put two people in the hospital, one in critical condition! Kinda violent... you don't see that much outside of like, Gotham City. Even Spider-Man just sorta wraps everything up." Bunny replies, and she tiiilts her head slightly.

    "Pfft. Team Valor."

Mark Grayson has posed:
Mark considers the phone for a moment, spinning a Pokestop to pick up it's item. "What, you Team Mystic or something?" he asks her teasingly, but when she mentions how violent that the attack was and then Spider-Man.

"I know Spider-Man. He's cool. I actually have a comlink with him." Because he's never told her that before.

But then he looks down at the menu. "I'm not like him, though. I can punch through armor like it's tissue paper. I've... I've been violent. Drawn blood. I even have killed. Like... these aliens came from another dimension and attacked and were trying to kill people... and I returned in kind." he doesn't look up at her. This is all probably totally a deal breaker.

"It's not like I want to kill. Or hurt. But dad always said... do what you must to protect yourself." Not what you hold most dear.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    ".... you were defending yourself. They weren't exactly about to sit down for pizza and hash out a global take over. Probably." Bunny points out. She was suddenly somewhat uncomfortable. "I think that's one of the things a lot of us deal with when we get into the business... you know, we come on and we're all wide-eyed. And then we get hurt. And more. And eventually... we start to hurt back. It's a trauma response, I think?" Bunny states, her voice rising in uncertainty as well as questioning.

    "You don't do superheroing without breaking a couple ankles. Mine's even been broken once. It got fixed." she looks up to Mark.

    "... ut you're not a murderer because you have to eliminate an enemy in self-defense. Or because there's not another way. Sometimes..."

    Her stomach gives a roll. She feels bile rising. She smells blood.

    "... sometimes there isn't a choice."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"...I've been on the wrong end of it." Mark shrugs his shoulders, considering. "Got the shit kicked out of me and woken up to what it means to be a hero. Sure, we see people like Superman and Wonder Woman all... like... nothing bothers them. Even my dad was like that."

"I'm not my dad." he admits finally, and he lifts his eyes to Bunny. They're pained, the grey of them shining through.

"I liked it, Bunny. I liked knowing I had that power. I thought I could fix everything by punching it. I was wrong. So, so wrong." he shakes his head and grabs the napkin to run his face.

"One of the reasons I want to join the Titans is that I need the balance. If I'm alone... I'm scared of what I could do, Bunny. And I don't want to hurt the wrong person. So yeah... when you hurt? You want to hurt back. Knowing when to stop is important."

A breath. "But learning to grasp it and understand... not everything is in our control all the time. We just have to make the best of what we have." His hand reaches for hers to give it a squeeze. "And communicate with those we're closest too when we need the help."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Yeah... I... my mom died. Cancer. I had to drop outta school to care for my youngest siblings 'cause all the older ones ran the business with my dad. So I got assigned Mom duties. Cooking, laundry, waking the three younger siblings up and taking them to school. That's how I found out about my powers. It was a firefight, between some gunmen and I don't even know who they were... but... I was expected to give up everything for my siblings. My hopes. My dreams. My *music*... I figured at least I'd be useful shielding them... and when the pain didn't come?"

    She motions to her face, which briefly dazzles with that swirl of prismatic gasoline colors.

    "But I knew my dad hated mutants. So I hid it. I buried it deeeeeeeep down where all the pain goes when my siblings don't celebrate anything I do, 'cause I wasn't important. But heroing? That stuff made me *feel* important. Being able to help others made me feel *needed*. I made friends, even some who are other mutants, and then --" she trails off.

    She looks down into her peach soda.

    "I don't have that power. I'm just a low-grade mutant that can throw up a shield. The only reason the Young Avengers recruited me is because they thought I was a speedster."

    Bunny shrugs her shoulders. "I literally have disappointed everyone in my life so far."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Bunny... I didn't ask you out because you have powers. Or any of that. I asked you out because I wanted to get to know you better. That in the middle of a battle, you were so upbeat and optimistic. Everyone I know is always dour and angry... and it was so refreshing to just... be with you." Mark admits as he offers a tug on a smile on his lips.

"We had hot dogs together, decided to date, been on a date... I'm not disappointed. Not in the least. I want to be here with you."

"I want to know you, Bunbun." he manages.

"I know you're a mutant. But you're also my girlfriend. And it doesn't really matter to me that you're a mutant. I mean, I'm half-alien for crying out loud."

"You're important to your friends. I got warned in no uncertain terms to never hurt you. Why would I though? You've quickly become important to me. The memory of kissing you has been stuck in my head /all day/." he confesses.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny halts her exposition, and she looks up at Mark. Her blue eyes study him, her lips pressed into a small bow, watching him smile. She just melts a little bit on the inside as her cheeks turn bright red.

    "Even though I'm the daughter of a terrible racist disgraced millionaire who threatened to send me to conversion camp if I didn't dye my hair back to my natural haircolor and stop dressing so weirdly?" she asks, although she obviously knows the answer.

    "If I told you I woke up this morning and my first thought was you would you believe me?"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I didn't have it as hard as you, but that doesn't mean I can't want to be with you." Mark replies, "And I like your hair and personality and... I don't think I can meet your father, I'd want to punch him. Even despite all... perhaps because of all that... here I am."

And now it's his turn to blush and he clears his throat and takes a long drink from his water. "Yes. Because texting you was the first thing I did this morning..." And perhaps he learned something when she commented at him about asking to kiss her about 'why don't you'.

"Let's get our pizza to go."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "THank goodness. Your young person drama was scaring away the other customers. Please. Take the pizza on the house." The waiter states as he returns, the pizza already boxed for departure.

    Bunny burns red. And she coughs, then downs the rest of her pink peachy drink, and she takes out a ten dollar bill from her backpack and offers it up to the waiter in embarrassment.

    "Sorry!" she squeaks out.

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Oh god..." Mark manages to squeak, getting out his wallet and pulling out a twenty and a ten to pay for the pizza and leave -- with Bunny -- a nice tip for putting up with their angst. "...sorry!" he agrees with Bunny as he rises up, taking the pizza for the pair of them.

"Let's go?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    It was a very nice tip.

    "Yeah, let's go!" Bunny quickly agrees, rising up to 5'3 (with skates on), and grabs her little backpack as she huffs out.

    "You gotta place to go?"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I can sneak you into my dorm room. I don't have a roommate -- I mean, I would have a hard time explaining myself to a roomie!" Mark admits as he starts to walk with her. Once they can find an alley to duck into, he'll hand her the pizza and then pick her up. "Away we go!"