15996/Are IKEA Instructions Just in Swedish

Are IKEA Instructions Just in Swedish
Date of Scene:	02 October 2023
Location:	Bunny's Burrow
Synopsis:	Bunny and Mark assemble a dresser and talk about things. No more secrets is a new mantra!
Cast of Characters:	Mark Grayson, Bunny Macleod

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Mark Grayson has posed:
As it's become more and more apparent that Mark and Bunny were indeed living together, more and more of Mark's stuff has migrated from his dorm room to her apartment. After the events with Juggernaut, it became more of a hard fact that it might be better that he stays with her in case someone else gets hired to 'toughen Mark up'.

But there clearly was not enough furniture or storage or even other furnishes that allowed for Mark to bring everything over. So a trip to IKEA was in order. With Bunny's help, they had picked out a few pieces and brought them back, where Mark currently is assembling a small dresser. "Beeper!" he calls out, reaching to swipe at the anky to get a piece of wood out of it's mouth. "You cannot eat the furniture." he scolds the small dinosaur.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "You can't blame him for wanting to try. The furniture is all tasteful!" Bunny chides from atop a book case. The smaller Billy book case where she was adjusting a light-up rainbow that she hemed and hawed over for a good three minutes before she added it to the cart, after regaling Mark about how she and Tommy met Ant Man and his kid at a mystical IKEA, and had built a fortress out of couches and HEMNES furniture, ate a bunch of meatballs and cinnamon rolls and slept on beds made of Blahaj before being rescued by Power Girl punching the ceiling.

    It sounds like a wild tale, but the way she tells it? It's true.

    Beeper, meanwhile, 'Geep!'s and drops a panel from his mouth.

Mark Grayson has posed:
With Bunny regaling the tale of her prior adventures in an IKEA, Mark just listens and is quietly amazed at how much his girlfriend has done and things that he has to catch up on. "Was it trapped in a dimensional rift or something?" he asks curiously and ahas! as he finds the allen wrench.

He had decided on the KULLEN drawers in black, as he brings the first two pieces to slip the screw in to start twisting. "So, do I need to sign a lease?" he asks her, glacing up with a smile. "Need to know what the rent is, since we're splitting it and the utilities - but hey, we can do more meals together and share the cost on that."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Dimensional badguy I think, who had a bone to pick with Antman. That Antman. Not Pym." she states and she gives a surprised sound.

    "I'll have to take it up with Beau, I mean, this isn't teeeechnically a legal apartment, that's why he rents it to me, cheap --"

    "GEEP!"

    "And allows pets and boyfriends without deposits. I generally just pay him outta my tips and share of the band fund." Bunny gives a wry grin, and then a soft 'aah' sound as she looks down from where she's perched on the bookshelf.

    "... hoisted by my own petard. Again."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"It would only be until we have a chance to search out our own place?" Mark suggests as he gets the first screws attached. "Oh good, I'm not a deposit." he teases her lightly. And then she uses a phrase he has never heard before, glancing up to where Bunny is.

And he is able to at least infer the meanting of the phrase coined by Shakespeare. Pushing himself to his feet and dusting off his hands, he comes over to the bookcase and lifts his arms, presenting himself as a safe landing zone for Bunny to hop down into. "I gotchu."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny, who is balancing on the bookshelf, gives an embarrassed, slightly bucktoothed smile before she hops down into Mark's arms.

    "Woo! My hero!" she gives a bright smile and kisses Mark's cheek, ruffling her fingers through his hair.

    "Yep. This is listed as 'storage space and staff bathroom' and I'm listed as a reoccurring rodent problem."

Mark Grayson has posed:
As she catches him, Mark gives Bunny a little twirl as she toussels his hair and kisses his cheek. Even now, after a few months together, she manages to make him blush, the heat rising in his cheeks as he sets her down on the ground, his hands sliding down to her sides before falling away.

"Well, you do look like a cute little mouse." he says teasingly, reaching up to tap her nose. "Still adorable as all get out. But, we're going to do the apartment thing together." So whenever she's ready to do it, is what he's really saying.

He moves, heading back to his project to continue to work on it. "I feel bad enough that I'm moving in with you already. I had hoped to wait for the end of the semester..." a sigh, as he sorts out all the things that caused the early move. The superhero life can change anyone's plans on a dime, after all.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Why feel bad? This place is safe. We can check on each other way more easily --" Bunny replies, set down and stretching her arms out, she looks up at the light-up rainbow, and nods in approval. Very cheery.

    "Besides, who checks for superheros beneath a gay bar?"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Fair." Mark admits as he moves more of the pieces into place. He watches her stretch and is stuck there for a moment, before he snaps to and gestures. "Hand me that leg over there, will you?" he asks.

"After I get this done, we can set up the TV table. I have some of the streaming services, but does the bar allow you to mooch off their wifi or will I need to set up my own?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Waht do you think I live in a cave? I have my own wi--fiiiiiiIII never gave you the info for it." Bunny states, and she stares into the air a moment, and then picks up the leg of the chest of drawers he's assembling, and then hands him her own leg as a joke. Boom. Bunny calf in hand. And she gives a grin like it is the funniest thing in the entire world.

Mark Grayson has posed:
"No, you haven't. But I think that is because most of the time when I'm over, TV is the last thing on our mind. Young people and crazy attracted to each other and all." Nark starts. He's not paying attention, so when the 'leg' that Bunny hands him is warm, he glances up. It is a nice leg.

His lips part in a warm smile that show off his teeth as he pulls the leg over, kissing her calf before sliding his hand up and gives Bunny's bun a soft pat before releasing her, laughing the whole way, "You don't have four of those for a table, babe!"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny laughs as she lifts her leg, and hands over the table leg.

    "Nah, just the two an' I kinda need them. I'm a little attached." she explains with a great grin, and then plops down next to Mark, leaning her back against him.

    "Okay. So the wifi to the apartment is 'SomewhereUnderTheRainbow1933' she states, "And the password is 'WghT@#!89fSb08$&'" she states. Yes. she does say Captail DoubleYou gee ache Capital T At Pound Bang eight nine eff capital S bee zero eight Cash Ampersand.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Getting out his phone, Mark starts to input the information as Bunny rattles it off, shifting to sit up straighter so that Bunny has a better place to lean. "Got it, I think." He connects to the wifi and sets his phone aside to work on his construction.

"So to continue our getting to know each other... I don't think I ever asked you if you have any allergies. I do not have any that I know of." he admits.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Ah, I think I have a super mild one if I eat too many cashews." Bunny replies, "but that could have also been a mild form of poison ivy or recovering road rash. It was a weird Tuesday." Bunny replies as she considers.

    "Do you have any foods or smells that you abso-lutely- can't stand? The Bad Low Tide smell does me in every time."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"That rotten putrid dead fish and plant life smell? Oh gross." Mark admits with a shake of his head. "Ever smell duian fruit? Mom swears by it, it smells and taste like rotten onions. So so nasty. But she loves that stuff."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    At the mention of durian fruit, Bunny goes green a bit to her face. "Ew. Yeah, nah, someone had me try durian boba once and I thought I died and went to Hell. I passed out and broke a helmet."

Mark Grayson has posed:
Mark winces sympathetically while assembling the drawers. "That bad of a reaction, huh? I'll make sure mom knows before we visit next time." he offers. "If I tell her you react that bad, she won't use it. Which would be good for both of us."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Ah, the BunShield Defense. Avoiding foods because your girlfriend will break a helmet." Bunny gives a small smile, grabbing another drawer and beginning to assemble it.

    "Oh, also I know I mentioned before I don't like spicy stuff that much. I really did almost die when Gabby's sister used her own hotsauce. I could *see through time*.

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I remember you mentioning that to me." Mark says, with a laugh. "Something about a map?" he tries to remember, reaching to slip the drawer into place to work on the last one, and a little roll of his shoulders to bump against Bunny.

"No known food allergies or reactions. Probably that whole Viltrumite DNA overwrites everything else that dad told me about. I don't know how it would react with mutant DNA, though."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Well, Mutant DNA *is* human DNA, just we have the active 'X-Gene'. From my understanding there's a lot of genetic markers that have to 'tick' before it activates with puberty -- but genetics? Not my strong suit. Rainbows? That IS my strong suit." she gives a bright grin.

Mark Grayson has posed:
"You're totally human and totally adorable." Mark responds and then he laughs merrily when Bunny admits to her love of rainbows. "Darling, I fear that one day we will be out, we'll find a rainbow, you'll get up under and get called away for the great rainbow war, which probably is not a war at all!" He turns, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I love your optimism."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "I'm only saying Rainbows are my strong suite because I think I assembled this drawer backwards...?" Bunny ventures. It's not, but the cantilevers weren't in. She skipped that step.

    "I dunno about optimism, I just kinda figure if you're already down, there's nowhere to look but up -- luckily you're good to look at. So I probably won't abandon you for the Rainbow War, which sounds like a My Little Pony historical arc."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"If you think I look good now, you should see me naked." Mark quips as he reaches the take the drawer if Bunny offers it over to him. Then he considers her for a moment. "Yeah, I can totally see you riding a pony into battle." he comments dryly. "Maybe a pegasus."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Wait, I get to see you -- naked?! In our own apartment?!" Bunny squeaks out incredulously as she hands over the drawer for him to fix as she gives a grin. "I wouldn't mind riding into battle on a prettily colored pony or pegasus, or unicorn for that matter... giant cat. Direwolf. Warg. Hyenea. Irish Elk." Bunny lists off a unch of random creatures she would consider riding into battle upon. "Or just be princess carried by you."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I know right, it's such a great deal! But you know, I get to see you naked too, so you better not be shy." Mark teases back lightly. He was just starting to work on the drawer when she starts to wander down the list of things she would want to ride into the battle.

"I'm not so sure how I should feel being so faaaar down the list." he comments as he starts to take the drawer apart. "The cantilevers aren't attached."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "... OH. Is that what those circle thingies are?" Bunny asks. Yes. Those are part of the canilevers that hold the drawer together.

    "Well Imean the only reason you're low on the list is because you'd probably be fighting rather than just carrying your girlfriend around the battlefield." Bunny gives a bright smile, leaning against Mark's shoulder.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Attaching the cantilevers, Mark reassembles the drawer and then Bunny just... she knows how to just be the right amount sweet to him to make him melt a little and he sets the drawer aside. His arm moves, sliding around Bunny's waist and pulls her close so that he can kiss her properly. "You know just what to say, Bernice Macleod. I love you." A sure smile as he holds onto her.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Hey, you don't get to call me *Bernice*. Only my dad does that." Bunny laughs after the kiss, though she's a little breathless. "I'm your Bunny. Just like everyone else calls me it, because that's who I am. Not someone named after a great aunt. Just me. And you're just you..." Bunny gives a smile, her nose brushing against Mark's. "And together..." she whispers, and then lifts her hands up and points to the sky "WE FIGHT CRIME!"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"You're right, you are my Bunny." Mark responds as he brushes noses with her and laughs when she talks about fighting crime. "That we do!" He holds his Bunny tightly to her and draws in a breath and makes a decision.

"I do know your real name. So it's only fair that you should know mine." Mark offers to Bunny, to see if she really does want to know or if it doesn't matter as he lets her go.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "... wait, do you have like, a secret name? DO you have additional names? Like do Viltrumites have special names or cursed names or cradle names?!" Bunny asks, her eyes going wide as she practically sits on his leg.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Mark laughs as he shakes his head. "I have a normal human name, like all the other humans!" he says with a small laugh. "Though dad did say that he named me after a friend from home that translated well to English." With his hand on the small of her back, he makes the decision, his leg bouncing slightly in a case of nerves.

"So, you know me as Mark Grayson. My full name is Markus Sebastian Grayson. And if you share that with anyone... there will be dire consequences." he teases.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Markus Sebastian Grayson. Markus Sebastian Grayson..." Bunny repeats the name, and looks up at Mark. Her lip wibbles a moment. Her nose wrinkles. Her eyes crinkle at the edges, and she bursts into giggles. "That sounds like a Roman Emperor! HAIL, MARKUS SEBASTIAN!" she attempts to make her face stern as if she had serious news to deliver.

    "Rome is now out of cheese, O Imperiator!"

Mark Grayson has posed:
HE KNEW IT. He knew she would do this. And Mark warned there would be DIRE consquences! Pushing her off of his leg and onto the couch, his hands immediately go to her sides and starts to tickle her, fingers nimbly working up her sides to teases the sides of her ribs.

"We cannot be out of cheese, Berrrr-niece, for you are still with us!"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny looks up and gives a squeal as she's pushed off the leg and bounces onto the couch, she was about to hop to her feet before Mark gets to her to exact his revenge -- BY TICKLING!

    "AH hA HA ha ha HA HA HAhaaaa! N-Noo! Nooo! My Cheese heist!" Bunny squeals, curling herself as she laughs in hysterics, both from the tickling and from the cheesy humor! "Well I mean -- I'm Bernice Marie Macleod, named after my father's great aunt!"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Bernice Marie... like Marie Antoinette? Let them eat cheese!" Mark declares and flops onto the couch next to Bunny, laughing with renewed warmth as he reaches over, taking her hand and squeezing her fingers.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Mmmm. Misunderstood quote. She had no idea that they didn't have the means to make bread. 'Cause, y'know, rich girl who had everything handed to her... also probably not Marie Antoinette." Bunny surmises, ad then she turns and flops across Mark's lap, belly down, but still holding his hand because that's just romantic.

    "Once we get a nestegg set up we can move to a better place. Maybe I can get an actual job once I finish school."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Yeah, but then she lost everything, including her head, so I agree. Probably not a good idea. Though Halloween is coming up. Are we patrolling, I don't know of any groups having a party..." Mark admits as Bunny flops down over him.

With his free hand, he starts to play with Bunny's pink hair, and caressing her lightly. "Get a nestegg, get a place. I work a few odd jobs now and again. Usually when someone needs something lifted and moved."

"As far as you go, you have a job already." he points upstairs. "...plus you're working on your GED and planning to go to college, right? I don't want you having too much on your plate."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Irregular pay and tips under the table doesn't a job make. And being a Young Avenger isn't high paying either. It's not like I'm a Titan and have funding, or a Justice League member who has it like their day job. And who knows? Rain or Beau might decide they're done running the bar at any moment. It's not like having a job where I'm hired to play piano for set days and hours that I can build a life around." Bunny replies, "... who knows? Maybe I can get into composition."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Speaking of the Titans. You know I've been a prospective for a while." Mark says as he plays with her hair and then pauses. "I think I'm going to tell them who I am. They only know me as Invincible at the moment. But I wanted to talk to you first, because we're together. And once they realize we're dating, they could put two and two together and realize you're Prisma. So I wanted to make sure it was okay with you first. If you say no, I'd understand." he explains, pulling back his hand to lean back, laying his hands over his chest. "I can look for a job as well, if it helps."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Well I mean, I never really made a huge secret of my identity after a while. It was mostly to keep my younger siblings outta it, since who knows if one of them's going to get any sort of power." Bunny reflects thoughtfully.

    "You're doing full time school, heroing, training *and* being Most Supportive Super ever." Bunny points out, "do you have time for an actual job?"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I'll figure it out. Dad will probably get pissed, since he wants me training all the time." Mark responds, a sigh of breath, before reaching down to caress Bunny's cheek. "After all, living together is a cooperative effort. I want to contribute as much as your do since we're equals and all."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Yeah... yeah..." Bunny comments quietly, and then she leans her head into the petting.

    "Was it just me, or was your dad kinda... awkward about meeting me? It kinda feels like I wasn't who he was expecting."

Mark Grayson has posed:
Mark stops petting and moves to sit up. Bunny if allowed to stay in his lap, but he needs to sit up and gather his thoughts. "I don't know." he admits quietly. "He was rather curt and short, though." he admits. "Dad's usually more charismastic than that. I hadn't thought to ask it until you just brought it up." A frown darkens his features, especially as he tries to figure it out.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Yeah. I was kinda hoping for him to talk about some of his travel writing. It would be interesting, you know? I figured anything to do with powers would be a no-go." she considers, and then she rolls to her back so she can look up at Mark. "Would he be really *that* mad that you didn't tell your mom you were in town?"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I... I don't know." Mark admits haltingly. "I thought he would be excited to meet the young woman that I willingly gave my heart to." He blows out his breath in a sigh. "Maybe next time we visit, we can find out? I figured maybe we could go for Thanksgiving?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "--Yeah! I haven't had a Thanksgiving in like, three years! I'll bring the mac and cheese!" Bunny perks up immediately at the prospect of not only attending a family dinner with... y'know... a family -- but also bringing something to add to the table!

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Sounds great, we'll actually book a flight this time!" Mark admits with a laugh, "I was worried if I went too high you'd get frostburn last time we went." He looks down at her and smiles warmly. "But we're doing Christmas at our place. I want to get a tree and presents and dinner together... and just... enjoy each other for the day."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Aww I won't get to try my armor to see if it'll stand up to the wind speed." Bunny gives a wry smile, and she gives a nod. "That's good, that way we won't have to worry about someone popping in to mind Beeper."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"We can test your armor anytime you want!" Mark says with a laugh. "Though did you ask Art to rate it to take a bullet? Pretty sure he made it knife deterrent..." he frowns a little. "What did he put down for your ratings on it?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "I know, but it seems weird, just like 'heeeey Mark! Let's put on our costumes and I want you to fly me a couple thousand feet up and then drop me to see how well my outfit does against windsheer." Bunny gives a gentle roll of her eyes, and she looks over to Mark with a smile. "'Cause I might start making you fly me around all the time. And then you won't have any time for anything else. Just flying!"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I could just fly you up and then break the sound barrier and see how your suit handles it. But then again, my physiology allows me to do that. Don't know if it would work with you." Mark replies, chewing on the inside of his cheek in thought. And then, he looks down at her. "I'd carry you everywhere if I could, Bunny. But I think at least, when we're shopping for a new apartment, we should walk. Or take a taxi."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Boom." Bunny grins, and she smiles "Humans aren't made to go at mach speeds without some sort of sheilding around us. I wonder if I could get a face shield that would let me do that... hrrrrm...." Bunny reflects, and then gives a defeated sigh. "Yeah, we'd probably walk, take the bus, subway, roller skate -- what a tragedy. I have to roller skate someplace."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"So terrible, I know. As if you don't know how to roller skate. Almost could have sworn you were born with heelies on." Mark comments in dry playfulness and leans down, kissing the back of her head. "We'll figure it out. And once we're settled and have our own little base of operations, we can work on the rest of it. Is your costume bullet proof? I'd assume a little, but I know it makes the suit heavier."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "I think I just went for slash-proof? Usually if I'm dealing with a gun I have my shields up, and those *are* bullet proof. And chainsaw proof. Friggin'... Bebop...." Bunny gives a quiet huff out.

    But she smiles at the kiss to the back of her head.

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Slash-proof makes sense. You're going to be in close and personal more than I will. At least with like muggings and such." Mark muses as he slides the last of the drawers in place. As he was about to celebrate the near completion of the drawers, there's a lift of both of his brows.

"Chainsaws? Bebop?" he asks, again, that's things Bunny faced in the past, but this is the first he's heard of it, so he's turned his attention to her. "Is this a popcorn worthy story, or one of those, you'll be done before the popcorn's donee?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Oh... ah..." Bunny ventures, sitting up straight a moment as she takes a deep breath.

    "Did... did I ever tell you about what almost got me out of the superhero business?" Bunny questions, and she winces "Like... on an Absolutely Never To Return way?" she questions, brushing some sawdust off her side.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Yep. It's a popcorn story. Making his way into the kitchen, he fetches a bag to toss in the microwave and hits the 'Popcorn' button. "No, you didn't." he admits as he grabs a couple of cold bottles of water, bringing them back into the living area. Offering one to her, he takes the other and perches on the side of the couch.

"I'm glad you didn't get out." Even if he's sure they would have met, because they were civilians when that happened. "If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to, but I'm willing to listen." His hand covers hers. "Always."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "No, no, it's... it's important to me. No secrets, right?" she states softly, accepting one of the bottles of water.

    "It started with making a delivery to Gotham City." she states, sitting on the floor and against the bottom of the couch. "I hate delivering to Gotham. The hyperloop's boring. Gotham's always got terrible weather and it's almost like everyone wants to bite your head off." she states quietly.

    "I was checking in with security when there was an attack... mutants. Mutates. They were humans, but got changed." Bunny states quietly.

    Her hands begin to shiver. The water vibrates in her hand.

    "One began wrecking the lobby with a sledgehammer. HE was a rhinocerous. He's... huge. Absolutely huge. His muscles are the size of my head." Bunny purses her lips a moment.

    "I wasn't out as a mutant. I wasn't doing any heroing majorly then... and once guns came out, I ran. I took cover in a stairwell, thinking I'd be safe -- but they were heading to a lab. Deep under the building. I fled down the stairs, and didn't realize that... someone was shooting at me. On purpose. I thought it was a stray bullet, because she'd seen me shimmer when my shield activated out of stress."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"No secrets." Mark agrees as he opens his bottle of water and takes a drink from it. As she starts on her story, he frowns a little. "Yeah, Gotham doesn't seem terribly friendly -- but the Batburger is pretty decent, we should eat there sometime."

But he gets himself back on track as she continues the story. Noticing her hand shaking, and the tone in her voice, he slides off the couch to sit on the floor next to her. His hand settles on her upper leg. He's there. She's not alone. It's supposed to be reassuring.

She continues her retelling of the attack on the Reavers lab, and he listens attentively. "A Rhinoccerus? Like Rhino?" he asks curiously. She and him had faced him with Spider-Man, so he's trying to get an image in his mind.

"They were testing you, then?" he asks curiously, since Bunny had mentioned that someone was purposefully shooting at her. Of course, as he starts to realize that they could have actually beeen attempting to kill her, his eyes narrow together in thought.

He's only distracted by the beeping of the microwave alerting him to the bag of popcorn being done. But right now, this is no longer a popcorn story. He's getting information on who he needs to punch.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "No... he's a mutate rhino. A rhinocerous-man. The animal, and he's like, eight feet tall." Bunny replies, looking at Mark sits down next to her. "I... I think the lady who shot me got killed. She wasn't with them... she was a Reaver. They're militant anti-mutant people." Bunny explains, "They had a lab. That's what the mutants and their handler were going after. It was chaotic. All I could hear was automatic gunfire and then the sound of body armor crushing the people inside."

    Bunny's water bottle crinkles as she recounts the story. Her voice gets softer.

    "One of the Reavers, he grabbed me. Pulled me into the lab. He put himself between the mutant rhino and the stairwell. But... then..."

    She could smell it. Blood and gunfire. Splintered floor tile. Exhaust from the chainsaw.

    "There was another mutant. Warthog. Bebop's his name. He was able to soak the gunfire and was about to chainsaw the Reaver who tried to save me. So... I put myself in the way. I was able to stop the chainsaw, using my mutant powers, to save an anti-mutant guy. I'd like to think maybe I changed his mind a little?" she ventures softly, and then she draws her legs up. She sets her chin on her knees.

    "The lady they were with, she broke my ankle. Just... shattered it. I'd never skate again. Dad thought I was faking the injury, even though Rocksteady made Top Ten on TikTok and the attack was all over the news. Rocksteady's the Rhino's name." she explains.

    "THey rescued the mutants who were trapped there. The mutants and the lady they were with gave me a choice, I could leave, with them. Or I would stay and die with the boy who tried to save me.. and then they carried me out, while the building collapsed down on him."

Mark Grayson has posed:
The Reavers. The name sounds familiar, but he can't place it. Mark nods and listens to the story. As she talks about the attack, he may not be able to place himself there, but he's seen the type of destruction she's talking about.

Rocksteady and Bebop. Names to be filed away, checked into later. "You used your abilities to help someone, Bunny. Doesn't matter how they feel." He doesn't understand the anti-mutant prejuidice, but he can only imagine it as part of the whole hatred of aliens thing that the Kryptonians have totally tanked. If only they knew the truth of Viltrumites.

"You had a broken ankle. And you had a hard choice to make, Bun." he manages, giving her the space and time she needs to get it out of her in her own words, while remaining close enough to support her as needed.

He can't feel regret for not being there to help. It was before them. All he can do is be here now. "It's not your fault he was left behind. Someone else made that choice for him. But..." He feels there's more. "...what happened after that?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny tilts her whole body to press against Mark. Feeling his presence. His heartbeat. His warmth.

    "I saw a witch and fixed my ankle. And then I was told by one of the Titans that the group they were part of was bad. Evil ninjas. But... I mean.. Saki's not so bad. He's *strict*, but he wants to protect people who don't have anything else. Anyone else. For a long time mutants couldn't depend on anyone who wasn't like them to protect them. NOt in the every day sense. So..." she trails off.

    "I work with them. Sometimes. To help other Mutants."

Mark Grayson has posed:
He is warm and comforting. Despite the obvious strength Mark has, he easily yields for her. His arms encircle her and he wants to be there and comforting.

The story continues. The treatment of her ankle. And then she starts talking about the people that took her. And that she's helping them. She can feel him stiffen, that Viltrumite physiology starting lock his muscles like so much corded steel.

"He's strict and..." he has to bite his lip. It's not like there is NOT blood on Markus Sebastian Grayn's hands. There's a lot of it. He finds himself at a loss. He can't find the right words to say.

"I can't tell you to stop. I'm not. I know how much help mutants need." a pause. "But you're not alone anymore. I mean you still have Gabby and Tommy and all. I..." He's just a twenty year old kid. There is no good answer.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "... you're the only one who knows." Bunny states quietly. "No secrets. The Foot Clan operates in New York City, and I... am helping in a very, very limited way." Bunny whispers quietly, and then she brings her palms up, and she presses them against her eyes, trying to scrub away whatever she's seeing against her eyelids.

    "I put people into the hospital. I'm not a good person."

Mark Grayson has posed:
Mark considers her words. No secrets. That's the promise that he made to her. And he doesn't really know about the Foot Clan. But now he has to research. Maybe Mark Grayson will start visiting every dojo in Bushwick, just a kid with 'mutant' strength, looking to temper his powers. It's the spark of an idea.

"I've put people in the morgue." he points out to her quietly. "I never told you about my early days. When I barely had a grasp of control of my powers. Aliens are not the only thing I have killed. I'm not like Superman or Supergirl or any of the other Kryptonians. I'll kill if I have to." he admits, lifting the base of his hand to scrub his forehead.

Then. He realizes the question he needed to ask from the word go. A very important question that will decide everything else.

"Do you want to continue helping them? And will they let you go if you don't?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "I don't know." Bunny replies with honesty. "I met Vorpal. He told me they were bad news, and then he got busy with Titans related stuff. I didn't... really have anyone else I could turn to, and the master at the dojo I'm going to... he's not so bad." she whispers quietly.

    "Yeah... I know that I'll have to, sometime. The Avengers don't have clean hands. Nor will I." she replies softly.

    She's quiet for a moment more. "That's just the reality of what we do, isn't it? It's kill or be killed, and sometimes... we don't have the choice."

    She feels words echoing against her skull. Panicked cries of 'I SAVED YOU!'

    "His name is Joshua. The boy who got left behind in the lab. He's not that much older than me."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I'd be a hypocrite if I told you to stop, Bunny. And unfair." Mark comments, though he's feeling rather helpless about the whole thing. Then he releases Bunny and leans back, hoping she follows him.

"It's a reality we have to come to terms with. And we each find our own ways to deal with it. Friendships, relationships, therapy, other, more dire and destructive ways. Dad said the exposure and the emotions from it would only make me stronger."

"Joshua?" he asks. And she's not using was, so that catches his attention. "He survived the bombing, then?" comes the curious question. But it is the mention of bombing that sparks his memory.

His arms wrap up Bunny, hands settle on her stomach. He's not rejecting her, in the least. "Did I ever tell you about my first mission, right after I decided I would be Invincible?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "He survived. We bumped into each other later and... that's a whole other story. But he's got a new mom?" Her nose wrinkles a moment. "And I guess some help with PTSD but still feels like he constantly has to apologize?" she ventures, and grimmaces.

    But she's pulled over to Mark. His arms wrap around her, and she leans her head back against Mark's shoulder, and then turns to look at his chin.

    "No, I don't think it's ever come up."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I'm glad he found help." At least that's not something that Bunny has to worry about providing, at least in Mark's mind. "When people realize they've screwed up, they apologize, right?" he asks her. Not that he's ever apologized for much.

"It was the start of my Junior year of high school. You already know Eve and I lived in the same city and went to the same school. But we never connected. She was way out of my league, and too popular for someone like me." he shrugs his shoulders. "Not that it matters, have so much better now." A kiss to her forehead.

"Anyway! At the start of the year, this kid, a classmate of ours, he committed suicide. It was a big thing at the school for like a week and then everyone moved on. Couple of months later, his dad became a teacher at the school. Noone thought anything of it."

"Couple of months after that, another student at the school blew up. He had a bomb strapped to him. The it happened to a girl. A few more kids. We were investigating it and discovered that the kids dad, Mister Hiles, was a weapons engineer for this ultra secret military company before he was a teacher."

"He was kidnapping teenagers and strapping bombs to them to explode for doing the things that he claimed killed his son. Going to the mall, drinking, partying. Teenager stuff!" He sighs, a slump of his shoulders as he recalls the story. "He had made one large, very high explosive bomb and built it around himself with a kill switch if he died, the bomb would explode. He was going to level the entire school."

"I grabbed him and launched into the air. I took him way up, where they was no oxygen. I probably could have deactivated the bomb. Instead, instead, I threw him higher and let the kill switch trigger and explode."

First mission, first death on his hands.

"Shortly after that, I transferred to Happy Harbor. Eve followed me."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "That... is a Hell of a first event." Bunny replies quietly. She curls her fingers against his, lacing their hands together as she listens, and she gives a smalls ound of concern, feeling the slump in his shoulders.

    "You did what you had to do in that moment to make sure everyone was safe." she states softly. "That's what we do. The two guys I put in the hospital? They were harassing one of my brother's school friends. I knew this kid, he had a physical abnormality that if there weren't mutants, would just be that." Bunny states softly.

    "And then I made the bullies crash into my shield. There was a fight. One pulled a gun. And I made him choose between his friend dying and shooting at me."

    She wilts, and then turns in his grasp so that her face was in his shoulder.

    "They lived, but I could have... I *wanted* to. But I would have let my team down."

Mark Grayson has posed:
Opening his hands so that she can lace their fingers together, Mark weighs her words. "I wanted him to suffer. I wanted him to feel that brief moment of pain that he brought to all of those classmates who he did killed. I knew some of them. Not like close personal friends, I only had a couple of them. But, there are times, Bunny, where I'm not much of a hero." he admits quietly to her lowering his chin to set on her shoulder. "I let my demons get a hold of me."

"And you're right, however. You did what you had to. There was a threat. You neutralized it. Even when they tried to exacerbate the situation. Yes, you caused injury, but you did not kill anyone. Even if you wanted to."

"You didn't. And that is the important part. You knew where to draw the line." he points out. "And it took a threat like the one you made to get through to him, so be it. You know, I would have just let him shoot me until the mag was out." There's a small smirk at that. Dodging is not his strong suite. "You didn't and your conscious is clear because of it, Bunbun."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "I don't know if I'll have that choice next time." she whispers. "I don't know if they'll let me go," she adds in confidence to Mark. "Is... this a thing we can muddle through together?"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I'm not going to break up with you, if that's what you're asking." Mark responds and presses a light kiss against her cheek. "...but I do want to know more. Unless you tell me not to go sticking my nose in, in which case, I will trust you, Bunny." he promises her. "If you want someone to come with you to the dojo though?"

"I could just be a really strong mutant?" he suggests. "Do they know that you are also Prisma?" he asks.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "No. They're ninjas and spies. They might even know who you are, I don't think I could sneak you into the dojo." Bunny remarks quietly. And at the question of if they know who she is...

    Her head moves against his chest. "Yeah. One of the reason I refer to all my teammates by their callsigns. I don't want... I... they all have families. We all have families we need to protect. And I'm just... I wanted to help."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"We'll muddle through it. I'll be safe." Mark promises her. A quick squeeze of affection to reaffirm that he's going to remain here. And then a laugh. "Caitlin has a bad habit of using everyone's real names, because she doesn't use a code name. Her logic is that she's almost a 7 foot tall redhead with breasts that are too big and gangly legs, there's no way she can hide herself."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Well, good thing I'm not a Titan then. PBut probably Vorpal would get on my case anyway, on account of he has family who has issues with The Foot Clan." the young woman replies, and then she exhales and just leans her head against MArk's shoulder.

    "Seven foot tall redhead with breasts that are too big and gangly legs?"

Mark Grayson has posed:
Mark clears his throat. "That's how she describes herself!" he comments. "She's on the news for Titans stuff a bit."

A pause. "I'd say I was sleeping on the couch tonight, but that's where we already sleep."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Yeah, yeah I think I know which one you're talking about... but ah... 'Gangly' is not what I'd call her legs, Mark." Bunny chides gently.

    And then she gives a soft 'hum'. "We should get a bed."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Figured we'd get a bed when we find the new place." Mark suggests and then grins at Bunny and waggles his brow. "After all, we have this couch /nearly/ broken in." he teases her, before giving her a tight embrace.

"Tell me if you need anything. I'll help any way I can."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Right now, Mark? I think this is exactly what I need." Bunny states quietly, and lets out a breath. "Just... acceptance."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Bunny, I've accepted you since the day you put chili on a hot dog." Mark teases her and kisses her temple. "You know how I feel. And will always feel about you."

"But I'll say it, if you want to hear it."