16022/Unapproval

Unapproval
Date of Scene:	06 October 2023
Location:	Bunny's Burrow
Synopsis:	Mark meets Robert Macleod. NEither approves of the other.
Cast of Characters:	Bunny Macleod, Mark Grayson

---

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Manhattan has a bustling breakfast scene, and what better way to spend the gray, drizzly morning in New York City than seeking out breakfast foods. Bunny was excited. Her eldest sister Betty had reached out and said she wanted to catch up -- rare enough for Betty to get away from handling logistics and funding for the family business, but on a Friday besides! And even better, Bunny gets to introduce Mark to more of her family.

    So Bunny's wearing sky blue leggings beneath a denim skirt, a bright pink T-shirt with a hedgehog on it with 'they see me rollin' scribed on it, and a denim jacket, and has a brightly colored rainbow swirl umbrella with her as she skates, excitedly towards a nearby diner.

    "OKAY so Betty is pretty much the coolest business sibling ever, she wants to be the Power Behind the Throne so that people underestimate her, and her idol is *Pepper Potts* who works with Tony Stark and is the actual business person behind the Stark business." she hops over a puddle, rather than spraying it everywhere. "And I haven't seen her in *months*."

Mark Grayson has posed:
With it getting cooler, Mark is dressed in a thin sweater of dark blue with a yellow stripe across the midsection as he watches Bunny hop around with amusement and warmth. It's good to see her in such high spirits.

"So is it Betty that's trying to support and reframe your family to try to recover in light of what happened with your father?" he asks as he sidesteps the puddle she hopped over, and turns his attention to Bunny fully.

"I was thinking, maybe after breakfast this morning, we could spend some time this afternoon doing some apartment shopping. I've been pulling up some listings, and I figure, if we're saying we're going to live together, we should apartment hunt together, as well?" he suggests.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "She's kinda the logistics and major contract person. My dad did some of the smoozing, but she's the one who talks to the contract and lawyer types." Bunny replies to Mark, giving a small smile as she skates backwards, balance a little off due to the umbrella in her hand.

    "Yeah! We could go check out some neighborhoods, see some place s--" she gives a bright grin, and then comes to the diner. It's a storefront that's been adapted. There are several booths along the front windows, and seats along the counter.

    A tall blonde woman some years Bunny's elder is sitting in one booth, frowning at the laminated (and slightly sticky) menu for short order breakfast items.

    The bell for the door rings brightly as Bunny skates in!

Mark Grayson has posed:
Grabbing the door for Bunny before she can get away with doing it herself - yes, they split, share and cover each other, but opening the door for his girlfriend, that's something that Mark's mom had deeply ingrated into him, even before he met Bunny.

He holds the door, giving her a warm smile in return as he tags along after her. He draws in a breath and takes in the scents and sighs. Americana at it's finest, frying bacon and other meats, the sizzle of eggs on the griddle, the faint wiff of baking as the the pancakes and waffles are made. It's almost nostalgic for someone that has gotten used to making a quick bite to eat on his way out the door to school in the morning.

It's the whole reason he made sure that he was already planning his next semester to maximize his time to be able to be with Bunny and to help with the teams he could be on after the holidays. With that, he follows Bunny within as she heads towards the table with her older doppleganger.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    That's because Mark is a Great Person.
R    "Bunny! Look at you!" Betty states as she stands up, clasping her arms at her younger sister's shoulders. "Still no helmet. Still pink hair?" she gives a grin, and then seems to register Mark wasn't just holding the door open, he's joining them for breakfast.

    "Oh-- is this a friend?" she asks, looking up to MArk.

    "Betty, this is Mark. Mark's my boyfriend, we're going apartment hunting after breakfast." she gives a bright smile. "Mark, this is Betty, she's the oldest so obvs she's the responsible one." Bunny introduces her sister.

    Betty gives a smile, and reaches over to shake Mark's hand.

    "Pleasure to meet you Mark. You carry yourself well -- did you play sports?" she questions, eyebrows rising.

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Markus Grayson, friends call me Mark." Mark greets. See, here's the thing. Bunny had told Mark her family was a bit snooty and well to do. And realizing that, he is judging who to greet how and Bunny definetly comes across as 'Markus' and not 'Mark'. Becuase she really looks like she'd rather be at a penthouse apartment with a breakfast of a dinner platter and not at a choke and puke known for it's $6.99 special.

Shaking the hand, there's a warm smile as he chuckles. "Baseball in high school." he admits. "I was going to play in college, had to have Tommy Johns surgery and that took care of that." a shrug of his shoulders. It's partially true. He had to quit. But only because he had hit a baseball in California that landed somewhere in Nebraska.

Waiting for Bunny to take a seat, Mark then joins her. "Bunny was telling me of your prowess in financials and attorney work. I hope that all is well with the economy as it is? I'm studying at ESU, just haven't decided what to do with my life yet."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Yes; I was working in prelaw for a long time with a specialization in contract ethics and was working a capstone out of UCLA." Betty gives a small smile. "Then I was asked to come home and help out with the family business."

    Betty had a promising career and was in lawschool. Then she was asked to come home.

    "Well, what interests you? Business ethics, improving the world, or just living a comfortable life?" she questions thoughtfully as the waitress comes over with three coffees.

    "Oh, you were expecting four?" she asks, eyebrows drawing up, "I'll grab another cup --"

    "And I'll have a cranberry juice please!" Bunny pipes up.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Four. That number causes his brows to knit. Mark glances aside to Bunny, because part of him worries now. She had said Bunny was the closest to her dad. Could that be number four? Betty wouldn't ambush Bunny like that, would she?

"I am totally taking humanitarians." he admits to Betty, a gentle chew on the inside of his cheek. "May I have some ice water, the coffee is free refills, right?" Mark's just fine with coffee. "I already do some outreach work with the community, nothing you'd know about, it's most small group work and assistance with the community in need."

Subtle way of saying superhero.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny looks back to Betty as the waitress leaves and mouths 'Four?'.

    "Well, ah, we weren't expecting you to bring your boyfriend." Betty states quietly, burying her gaze in her coffee.

    "Small group work is important, depending on how dangerous the groups that you reach out to are. I spent a summer doing outreach to at-risk youth when I was a sophomore; trying to impress upon them that you can change a system from within if you get in on the ground, keep your eyes open and--" she's cut off quickly as a tired looking, blonde-haired man takes his seat, and plucks up a menu. He sits across from Mark, the sisters looking at one another -- Betty apologetic, and Bunny looking *pissed*.

    "I see you're still keeping up appearances." he states with a dry, tired voice. Like a piece of paper that's been folded too many times. And it's clear that Bunny, Betty and Bastian, the three members that Mark's met of the sibling group get their looks from their mother as Robert Macleod sets the menu down, and then looks at Bunny. His blue eyes are the same shade as hers, but lack the warmth. His eyes then turn to Mark.

    "Dad, this is Markus, he's Bun- Bernice's boyfriend." Betty quickly corrects herself. "He'll be joining us for breakfast this morning."

    "You didn't say our father'd be here." Bunny states quietly to Betty.

    "You wouldn't have come." Betty replies knowingly, and Robert just stares Mark down a moment.

    "So. Empire State?"

Mark Grayson has posed:
Going by Markus was absolutely the right call. Mark takes his glass of water and takes a long draw from it. "It is my fault." he explains. "I was with Bunny," NOT BERNICE, and now that Betty has carried out the inevitable betrayal, all bets are off the table. "this morning, and she told me she was meeting with you and I thought I'd introduce myself since I plan to bring Bunny to meet my parents for the second time and have her home for Thanksgiving."

Another Viltrumite trait, pure defiance in the face of those inferior to them. They are toys. To be played with, used, tossed away... Mark shoves those thoughts down as blue eyes meet Robert's own, a flare of light that hints at how //different// this child could be as he sips his coffee.

And just like that, it's gone as Mark stands up, a disarming smile, a tip of his head, and a hand offered. "A pleasure, Mister Macleaod, Bunny has told me so much about you!" he exclaims, as if he's just the best. "I am Mark Grayson, you may know my father, Nolan, the travel writer. If I know you were coming, I'd brought an autographed book of his travels in Northern Italy."

Because Robert sure as hell can't afford to go there anymore.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Nolan Grayson's son? The travel writer? I thought your family was on the West Coast." Robert blinks a moment, and he already is turning wheels in his brain. His tired blue eyes narrow a moment.

    "So you have funds to fly home every couple of weeks. Studying at Empire State, and if I heard you right, you played baseball until you tore your UCL and had to have it repaired. Unfortunate. I used to play ball back in school for Yale." he gives a friendly smile, but those eyes don't warm up as he reaches over to shake Mark's hand. "You might just be a good influence on my daughter. She's bright, but needs a little extra push. Eight kids and single life did mean I couldn't push as hard as I should have." he admits with faux sincerity.

    The waitress arrives with an additional coffee, water, and cranberry juice at that point:

    "All right, can I get all y'all's orders?"

    "I"ll just have the oatmeal, with blueberries added, please." Betty states, looking over the menu.

    "I'm not that hungry anymore." Bunny states softly. HEr shoulders rise up.

    "She'll have the kids shortstack of pancakes with a side of scrambled eggs, and I'll have the meatlover's breakfast -- double bacon." Robert gives a grim smile, ordering for Bunny.

    "Please, Markus, order what you'd like. This is on me."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Oh no, I'm not very hungry, I had a big breakast with Bunny this morning. Leftovers from last night, in fact. They were delicious." Mark drawls, his lips curling as he knows he can't reach across the table and put Robert's face through it. He could. It would be really easy.

But Bunny would get pissed at him.

"I go home about once a month. Flew Bunny there myself. How?"

He leans in really close, and looks between the two. "Because... I'm a mutant too." he says, as if sharing a secret with the pair. A bright smile as he sits back. "And I'm in love with your daughter, unconditionally."

When the waitress comes over, Mark is again polite and sweet and offers her a sunny smile. "Baconator Breakfast, extra extra bacon, eggs sunny side up, with the English Muffin!"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny stares at Mark.

    Betty stares at Bunny.

    Robert seems disappointed.

    "Did she put you up to saying that? Just... asked you to annoy her father?" he asks, sipping his coffee as he eyeballs Mark in challenge.

    "She has a tendency to flights of fancy. I wouldn't take every word she says as Truth, and marriage? Pfft." he remarks, "Tax purposes and procreation. You don't even have to love the person to get married." he points out drolly.

    Betty gets a very angry expression at that, and she eyeballs her fork. She may be contemplating murder, instead she adds a little creamer to the coffee. Bunny adds creamer and sugar. RObert drinks it black.

    "I will say about Bernice is that she has a very active imagination and likes to invent things to make herself more important. You really do have to tamp down on that if you're actually in some sort of... relationship with her." he states distractedly, as if he were talking about Wall Street bouncing up and down and not Bunny's life.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Mark conisders Robert's words. And as he does, he picks up his coffee mug. He drinks. Looks inside. Drinks again. Is it empty?

Yep. It's empty.

A demonstration is in order. Flipping the mug upside down, he sets his pinkie upon the bottom - now the top - of the mug and he barely, just barely, presses. The mug shatters into pieces.

A hand is raised to the waitress, "Miss, I broke my mug, I'm sorry!" All sincerity, he is sorry, for her.

"She really does enjoy her flights, and I'm glad to take her own them, Mister Macleod." Mark says with that same sincerity, as he turns his attention to Betty. "You did her wrong, setting this up. I hope you take the time to write her a heartfelt apology when you get home."

And then to Robert, the smile fades, gone. "Bunny has told me much about you. About your ineptitude, your criminality, your bias, your racism. I am /damn/ glad that she got none of that from you. I'm glad that fate turned your heart so dark you'd push out your daughter who loved you unconditionally and events brought me into her heart. You should hear her play piano now. It is free, warm, expressive, I can't get enough of it. So go back to your numbers. Your plotting. Your scheming."

"Your daughter is in the best hands possible of those that love and respect her, because you never did."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Betty gives a cry as the cup shatters. Bunny puts up a prismatic shield between the sisters and their father and Mark, just to make sure nothing gets on them. Bunny is looking incredulously up at Mark, because that was *definitely* not subtle. Betty turns to Bunny and then whispers:

    "It's true then? You *are* a mutant and that's how you and the Trouble Trio survived the shootout?"

    "She made that up. Beth-Anne confirmed that it was a lie." Robert states.

    "Because Beth-Anne is *terrified* of you." Bunny replies.

    "Oh, no worries baby, we'll bring you over a fresh cup! These mugs are so old -- lemmie grab a broom."

    The waitress comes over to clean up the broken ceramic.

    "Gosh, thank goodness no one got hurt! It looks like it exploded!"

Mark Grayson has posed:
"You know, I just set it down too hard!" Mark is sweet to the waitress, ^she'll gonna get a tip! And then to Robert, a laugh. "She uses her powers and you clearly lie. You know the only reason I haven't caved in your face yet is because ^she'll stop me. Because she loves you. Even after all you've done to her, she still loves you."

"But sometimes, it's better to just walk away." Rising to his feet, Mark draws in a breath. "I'd love to say it was a pleasure to meet you, Mister Macleod, but I'm only glad because I didn't believe that a father would treat their child so poorly as to..." a shake of his head.

Foreshadowing, anyone?

"Can I get my food to go?" he asks the waitress. "Still on his tab." A thumb to Robert. And then a turn on his heel to face Betty. "Betty, it's all true. And she looks great in her costume. I'll send you a picture sometime."

"Wanna come with, Bun?" he asks her. She can stay with her family if she wishes, but Mark is at his limit.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Oh it happens, don't you worry shug. We'll set your food up to go." the waitress gives a smile, and she returns back to her station.

    Robert plucks a bit of ceramic off himself, and gives a frown. It's gabbed into his thumb, and there's a bit of red there.

    "As to what? Want what they think is best for their child? Try to put their children where they belong in the pecking order of existence? In time, mutants, superheroes, aliens -- they'll be pase. They'll stop being important. There's going to be surveillance to the point where you can't sneeze a sparkle without someone questioning if that's a power that should be registered -- and I think all powered people *should* be registered. Openly. So that we know if our neighbors can listen in on our thoughts. Or if our children are playing with someone who could melt their bones by accident." he states.

    "I came here to try and talk to my daughter, but it seems like she's content to let someone else speak for her."

    Bunny just flips Robert the bird. Betty tries *so hard* not to laugh, but is clearly taking Bunny's side in this.

    The food comes out. Mark's and Bunny's are wrapped to go, along with a to-go cup of coffee and of cranberry juice for the two of them.

    "All right, let's go." Bunny states to Mark, already wriggling towards him to get out of the booth.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Aliens. Cue the Aliens meme. Mark pauses and turns to Robert, and leans in, sharing a secret, seemingly just for him. "I lied." he whispers. "You got me on that. I'm not a mutant. I am, actually, an alien. Like Superman." A thin smile as he rises up, watching Bunny wriggle out as he handles the to-go, and when she's free of the booth, he straightens, his hand offered to Bunny so they can leave together.

But before he turns to leave, he says rather obnoxiously loud. "Thanks for letting us know, Mister Macleod, we'll renew your Friends of Humanity fees for you since you're hard up on cash!"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Now, this is a diner that's frequented by some members of the Mutant locals. A couple of people turn to stare at Robert. RObert is quietly steaming, his eyes narrowed at Mark. There is a lot of cold, cold hate behind his eyes as he glowers at Mark with that revelation.

     Betty has abandoned ship over the bench of the next booth over.

    Bunny pushes the door open, and skates out into the drizzly weather, leaving mark with the to-go containers and cups. She needed the air. She needed to breathe. She didn't see the uneven pavement and went diving into the sidewalk.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Mark was about to say something, just as Bunny shoves everything in his hands and bails on him. Yeah. Too far. He knew he went too far, but before he can even call out to her, she's crashing into the pavement.

The food falls to the ground, spilling all over the sidewalk as he races to Bunny's side. "Bunny?" he asks gently, reaching down to support her if she wants to get up.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny is breathing heavily, and she whispers: "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't think he was going to be there. He must have put Betty up to it -- Betty's been making sure the little siblings are okay, 'cause she's the oldest. She's the one who tried to help out others the most." she breathes out. The drizzling rain continues on, unabated, and for a few minutes, it's just Bunny and Mark, and she holds against his sweater, shuddering because she went down hard on her knees and there are rips in her leggings now.

    But then, footsteps. An umbrella overhead.

    Betty is breathless.

    "One -- he told he it was an apology." she gasps out. "He's a fucking liar. Two, I do *not* share any of his opinions. And three -- you forgot something."

Mark Grayson has posed:
Mark does his best to shield Bunny form the rain -- really trying to protect her from the world. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry I snapped..." he whispers, petting her hair quietly and holding her to him.

When there's an umbrella over them, he looks up -- there's a glare at Betty until she starts talking. He's mentally counting down, letting her talk. But it's Bunny he looks to, to see what she says. He's not their family.

Forgot something? He's looking again at Bunny. He didn't forget anything, as far as he knows, but he's on the verge of just picking up Bunny and flying her home.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny looks up at Betty, and she seems momentarily lost. Her eyes are tearing up. She's damp from landing in a puddle.

    But she sets her skates down, and hops to her toe-brakes so that she doesn't skid around.

    Betty reaches into her pocket, and she pulls out something, held in a close fist.

    "I held onto these for you. Mom would have wanted you to have them." she states, and taking up Bunny's hands, she puts something in Bunny's palm, and closes her scraped-up hands over it.

    "You have no responsibility to make up or put up with our father. Bobby and I are working on trying to get guardianship of the Trio. The minute Beth-Anne is eighteen, none of us have to put up with him anymore, especially if one of the younger ones starts showing any powers -- the gene runs in families, you know?" she states, and then she takes a deep breath, and hugs Bunny tightly, before releasing her and looking to Mark.

    "Markus Grayson -- you keep an eye on her. She is *trouble* and if you're mean to my little sister -- I... I dunno what I'll do, but it'll be awful."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"There's nothing more terrible to me than hurting Bunny." Mark responds, looking to Bunny. And as much as he wants to know what's in her hands, he instead picks Bunny up off the ground. "Text her and warn her next time." he says quietly, before he proves he wasn't lying, raising off the ground and lifts into the sky, easily carrying her back to their place.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "... yeah, Mom would have approved of him. /Dat Ass/." Betty states, and then she takes a deep breath, lets it out, and knows she deserved the ire today. But now she had to go back and nod and smile at every awful thing that her dad's going to say about the Travel Writer's son.

    Bunny, meanwhile, clings to mark, her eyes closed as he flies through the rain.

    "He's a monster." she murmurs quietly.