16059/Caffeine & Social Media

Caffeine & Social Media
Date of Scene:	11 October 2023
Location:	The Coffee Bean
Synopsis:	Billy meets a social media star that he really likes. They make friends over coffee (but no cannoli) and talk about super heroing.
Cast of Characters:	Beroe Kazinski, Billy Kaplan

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Beroe Kazinski has posed:
The situation was dire. Beroe was walking with speed, despite the seriousness of the situation, Beroe was smiling still, and offering pleasant looks in the direction of folks around her. 6 hours of photo, stopping an armed robbery in an alley, filming it on her phone, editing it in with the photos she took earlier, and getting it all up onto instagram. And how did she even manage without a single latte, 4 shots, extra pumps of vanilla, marshmallow, and blueberry flavoring, mixed with two swirls of chocolate syrup, and a scone? Impossible. Well, not impossible, just rather a rough start to the day.

At the counter, when Beroe finally arrives to the front of the line, floppy bunny-eared and all, she grins big, "Oh, by the gods, yes!" After her order was given, and she practically leaps at the barista when she asks if Beroe would like whipped cream on the top, how did she not think of that, her hands flat on the counter in a very serious pose. When the screen is turned her way she adds another $20 to the tip, cause, workers are great people, and then steps to the side to let the next customer be waited on as she idle-stands close to the order pickup counter looking around the cafe.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
And the next customer is Billy Kaplan, who lives right here on this block. He didn't notice that the woman in front of him was wearing bunny ears because he had his face buried in his phone reading messages on the Discord server for the international economics course he's taking.

"I said, can I help you?" the server repeats after Billy didn't respond the first time.

The mage jerks his head up, cheeks flushed a bit with embarrassment. "Oh! Sorry!" he exclaims. "Large black Ethiopian, please." After his order is filled, Billy pays with his Apple Watch.

As he moves out of the way of the line and takes a sip from his cup, he looks up and sees the bunny-eared person.

"Are you..." He tips his head to one side. "Are you Beroe?"

Beroe Kazinski has posed:
Curiosity has overtaken the woman, and Beroe's idle standing has become more of an active rocking, then it's a hand reaching through a small portal, grabbing her phone, and tap tap tapping on it a few seconds, doing a quick selfie in the cafe. It's hashtag - #fuelingupwithgoodness and a quick big smile, V for victory sign, and off it goes into the ethers of the internet. This gives her enough time to also check out things are trending from her morning crime stopping and photo shoot.

It takes a moment, and then Beroe looks up, "Oh, me? Wait, that's a silly question, how many people are named Beroe? Not many, unless you are looking really hard into Greek mythology, my mom, such a sucker for old religions." She spills out from her mouth in quick order, and then smiles big, "Oh, hey, that means you know me! Yes, yes I am Beroe. Wait, unless you are attempting to serve me papers of some kind or a ticket, I don't really break the law, except those few times when I J-walk, but I swear I'm doing it for a good reason..."

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Billy stands there with a good-natured expression on his face as Beroe unleashes her verbal stream. He takes another sip of his coffee, blinking a few times. "Oh, dope, I watch your videos," he says in a tone that suggests he is not one of those starstruck types. "You have some really cool powers." He squints for a moment in thought. "Did you...did you stop a robbery or something this morning?"

He holds out a fist for a bump. "I'm Billy, by the way. It's really cool to meet you."

Beroe Kazinski has posed:
"What?!?!" Beroe smiles big at the mention of her videos being watched, and then she nods her head a few times, "I did! I opened one of my pockets, I call them pockets, but they are really portals, I opened one up, right in front of this guy about to punch someone in an alley during a fight. And he hit himself instead! It's like, my, best use of the power, especially when it's all on the fritz." She then pauses a moment and grins big, "Billy! Nice to meet you. I'm always happy to meet folks who are interested in my anti-crime content. I love the contributors who send me clothes and makeup and other things, I do, but really working hard at being a super hero, you know? But enough about me, what about you? You seem so insightful, you probably could be anything. Wanna sit? I love making new friends." Pure, smile, authentic and bright, eyes even closing a bit as she offers up her happiest of faces.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
The magic-user responds very easily to the positivity and enthusiasm. "A portal to punch himself in the face," he muses. "I never thought of that." He looks over his shoulder and there is one empty table available in the crowded shop. "Looks like there is a table over there."

Billy heads over to the aforementioned table. He doesn't do anything cringe like pull out Beroe's chair, but he does wait until she sits until he does. There is a trace of old world manners in him.

"I have a buddy who is so obsessed with you," the young caster announces. "He's gonna be mad he didn't come with me for coffee." He shifts his weight, crossing one leg over the other. "So why d'you wanna be a superhero?" he asks in a relaxed tone of voice.

Beroe Kazinski has posed:
As Beroe is stepping away from the counter to go with Billy toward the table, her coffee and scone get put up on the pickup counter, so she snatches it like it's a drug. Cause it is, and then moves over to the table taking a seat. She giggles lightly at Billy's waiting and smiles big, "You are such a gentleman too! It's rare, I always have this feeling about people, you know? Like, they are their best selves when given the space to be it. And you feel like a nice, gentleman type person, I'm good with people, got a good eye." If her videos are any evidence she always has a positive outlook even when things are dire, even when facing off against a criminal, she doesn't take the cruel goodness route she takes the sympathetic genuinely wanting to help everyone path.

"Well, if your friend ever wants to meet me, I'm always happy to meet a fan. It's so rare, I feel a little giggly inside when people recognize me." Even though she probably gets a lot of looks from how she's dressed most of the time alone, she hmmmms, and tilts her head slightly to one side letting her fake bunny ears flop about, "Well, I'd say cause I can be. And we should always attempt to be the most excellent versions of what we can be."

A quick nod and then she smiles bigger, "I have powers, not great powers, but powers." And nonchalantly she opens a portal without any gestures or words and sticks her phone through it, along with her hand, and then pulls it out. The portal itself is glittery pink, barbie pink at that, and then it goes away soon after she opened it, "And if you have powers, if you are stronger than someone else, there's more ... well, requirements on you to be better because of the harm you can do, and the harm you allow if you just - well, sit on the sidelines." A little shrug, "My mom was happy with me getting the attention, being a model, but she wasn't happy that I am a superhero, but she agreed with my reasons." She slumps a little in her seat, and eyeballs the ceiling, and then smiles again looking right back at Billy, "Does that make sense? Or is it just silly? It's okay, be honest."

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Another old world quality that Billy possesses is that he /listens/ to people. He sits completely still (except for some occasional drinks of coffee) and focuses on Beroe's words. For those with any sort of sense of the places where magic gathers, he doesn't just give off a signal...he /is/ the signal. The roots of his magic twist and wind through the multiverse itself.

When Beroe finishes, Billy clears his throat and takes a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. "You have an uncommon sense of duty," he says softly. Terse but polite seems to be his speaking style, in stark contrast to Beroe's seemingly uncontainable enthusiasm. But that's why she's a social media star and Billy is not.

Licking his lips and drawing in a deep breath, perhaps to again grant him time to gather his thoughts, he asks, "Do you maintain a secret identity? To protect your family and friends?" That question sounded like business, almost like...an interview question?

Beroe Kazinski has posed:
Talk talk talk, her mom would call it being a chatterbox. Beroe sips a few times as Billy is talking, but she can't help but smile. He's listening to her, and responding like he is listening to her, she grins bigger, but there's no sense of magic that she can detect. Of course, if Billy can sense magic well, her portals are some kind of magic, her very existence is some kind of magic. If he's seen divine beings before she gives off a lot of the same kind of energy without it being all there, or under control. How much he can determine is based upon his sensitivity but she senses nothing herself from Billy, or at least she doesn't act like it.

"Wow. That's, so, insightful. I just said that, but amazing. You really know people. You must be some kind of psychologist or something like that? Maybe a mind reader, oooh oooh." She squints hard, "If you guessed Scone, yes, I was thinking about my scone!"

Though the next question comes to her and she ohs, blinking, "A secret identity, I don't. It might be too late for that too, I dunno. My mom is pretty introverted and antisocial, she's probably safe, and well, I've never really been hurt even crime fighting. I think I have some kind of luck power that I am just not aware of, and it's allowed me to meet lots of people. I don't think I could keep it a secret, I feel like, when I use my powers it's like twiddling my fingers about. Just a piece of me, so even if it would protect others - I feel like I would just fail at keeping it a secret. Being me, fully, out in the open, it just feels... like sunshine hitting your face in the morning over a mountain. Perfectly serene." A pause and she rolls her eyes, "That's corny, isn't it?"

Billy Kaplan has posed:
There is just no way that Billy can help getting caught up in Beroe's energy. He, too, smiles wide. "Apparently I'm not a mind reader because I guessed cannoli," the mage teases warmly. He does that thing where he buys himself time to think by doing something mundane. This time he takes a slow sip from his black coffee.

In this next moment, as his face grows more serious, there can be little doubt that he is speaking from experience. "It's not all sunshine over mountains when you're out there in the line, Beroe." Billy's tone is calm and easy, not at all scolding or judgmental. "When things go south, they go south in the blink of an eye. And if you haven't trained for those bad times, it could be your life. Or the life of a civilian. Or both."

Beroe Kazinski has posed:
The mind reader retort gets a bit of a giggle and Beroe shakes her head, "I guess you aren't, maybe you are a mind controller, cause now I want a connoli!" She grins big but then nods her head a few times to the more serious conversation. "Oh, I know. I don't have a lot of friends, but I'm trying to train, to learn, to be better, so I can keep those I care about safe. Right now though, that's my followers, and those people I meet. I will throw myself in the way of bullets if I have to, or knives, or a volcano. What I can do, I will do, to keep others safe." A pause and she smiles, looking over the table and asks, "But, can't someone enjoy a sunrise even if it's their last? Even if there's a tsunami coming under it? The two things aren't mutually exclusive, and finding joy, and beauty, is the hardest but the most needed in the worst of times. It gives space to get things done, even the hard things."

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Once again, Beroe will find herself with a completely captive audience as she explains her philosophy. The comment about enjoying a sunrise even if it's your last elicits a honest-to-goodness warm smile from Billy. It really touches him in a positive kind of way. "I like that," he says with a small hint of tightness in his throat. "I like that a lot."

First, Billy looks around to make sure no eyes are on them, then he opens his hand, palm up, and a card appears there: "Billy Kaplan" on one line and a phone number on the next. It's not necessarily terribly impressive, and certainly nothing that can't be explained by simple sleight of hand. "I run with a group of young people who are devoted to making a positive difference in the world. I can't introduce you to them until I've had a chance to see you in action. Maybe one of these days when you're going out on patrol, shoot me a text and I'll join you." He gives a small shrug of one shoulder. "If you want to, that is."

Beroe Kazinski has posed:
Beroe's eyes go a bit wide, as she takes the card, and then squeals a little bit, literally squeals, in excitement. She then smiles big, "Wait, what? Was this some kind of interview? Or something? You are with super heroes?! Oh my god, that's got to be so amazing!" Then she quiets down, and shushes herself a bit, putting a finger up to her lips and everything, "Shhhh, sorry. I will try and be less loud. But oh my god!" She shakes in a happy muffled squeal again. Then it's putting that card through a portal into wherever they go, and then brings her hand back, "I would love that! Totally, I've been trying to get in with groups but my powers are kind of ... untrustworthy ... as you probably know from my videos, but they are as they are. I will totally text, do you have an insta? I could send a message that way too. Or you can, or I can, or we both can, whenever!" She can barely contain the energy.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Billy tugs his phone out of his pockets, opens Instagram, and slides the phone toward Beroe so she can get his account details to friend him. "Sure. You can either text me at the number on the card, or DM me on Insta. It all goes to the same phone." He gives a small wink.

"And yes, I am with a group that falls under the 'super hero' category," the magic-user informs. "And your powers may be unreliable now, but if you start training with the right people, you might be surprised at what you're capable of. I mean just now, on your own, you already have some really impressive abilities. Imagine what they might be like a month from now, or six, or a year."