16099/The Demands of the Many and Hungry

The Demands of the Many and Hungry
Date of Scene:	17 October 2023
Location:	Morningside Heights
Synopsis:	Young Avengers Grocery Run!
Cast of Characters:	Bunny Macleod, Mark Grayson, Billy Kaplan

---

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Outside of a city supermarket, for superheroes and normal folks alike, Bunny is looking over a massive shopping list, and she stares at the quantities. "Who in their right mind orders just *one* flat of caffinated drinks for a superhero group, but eighteen pounds of chocolate candy?" she questions, and her eyes narrow a moment. She's wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and because she was threatened with being banned the last time she wore roller skates to a food run in a normal grocer's she's wearing pink chucks, bouncing up and down a moment, pink hair with her blonde roots showing pulled back.

    "... did Mania make a request for all this chocolate?"

Mark Grayson has posed:
It's Mark's first mission with the Young Avengers! At least that's how Bunny advertised it to him when she was pitching him on coming with her. 'I need some extra muscle!' she explained.

With thoughts of fighting a heavy hitter in his head, it turns out... he was just needed to help with carrying some of the boxes, his extra strength easily assisting with grocery hauling.

Dressed in a sweatshirt for the cooler weather, jeans and tennis-shoes, he's walking with Bunny and the others and arches his brow. "Mania?" he asks curiously. He's still learning the roster, it seems.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Billy is wearing dark blue slacks, a loosely fitting white button-up shirt, and a brown sweater that was probably already old when Billy was born. Despite the fact that his parents are wealthy, he tends to buy all his clothes at secondhand thrift shops. On his feet he wears vintage Doc Martens from the 1950s, covered with hand-painted flowers.

"Check the handwriting," he says, peering over Bunny's shoulder. "She once had Alexa order ten pounds of gourmet chocolate from Switzerland. THAT was expensive."

"Mark, you've never done a Young Avengers shopping trip before. I hope that...that you can carry a lot." He shoots a grin in Mark's direction.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "He's pretty strong, that's why I brought him. I'm just a weak little mouse of a girl." Bunny states with a smile, putting one foot on the shopping cart, leaning back to bat her eyes at Mark and Billy, and pushing it forward like a scooter.

    "And I rewrote the list, so the handwriting's all meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ---" Bunny laughs. "So yeah, we have a bunch of chocolate which shouldn't be a problem because it's Halloween time. Lunchmeat. Microwavable burritos. Cranberry juice. Sunny-D." she explains to Mark.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Mark's brows knit, eyes wide as Bunny is rattling down the list. "Where's the proteins? The salads, the cases of water and fruits and vegetables?" he asks. It's true, there's a similar battle at Bunny's apartment over the fridge that she and Mark share. But surely, not everyone is sugar-fueled??

Dad and really mom, had drilled a very healthy lifestyle into Mark's head. His body is a Viltrumite temple and he must treat it well. "I'm going to have to do so many extra laps if I eat some of this stuff..." he manages, looking around, before lifting off the ground a couple of inches to just float to keep up with Bunny.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
When Bunny explains that she re-wrote the list, Billy nods his head. "Okay that explains why I can actually read the list. Nobody around HQ writes that neatly." He narrows his eyes to focus. "Are those hearts above the I's?"

He holds out a fist to Mark. "Good, finally someone who wants to eat healthy food. Let's get a bunch of salad stuff then. Any meats have to be kosher though." Billy peers to the left and then to the right. He whispers, "Unless it's stolen bacon. If I steal a piece of bacon from someone else's plate then it doesn't count."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Yes there are hearts above the i's!" Bunny replies "It's not like it's official doccumentation. And we can get turkey bacon. OR Beef Bacon. Beef Bacon is totally Kosher, I checked. And it tastes like crispy fried hamburger!" Bunny states with a grin, and then skids to a stop.

    And she looks both Mark and Billy in the eye as they conspire to get health food... and knocks three boxes of Halloween Cakes right into the cart. Like a cat.

Mark Grayson has posed:
Dap. Fistbump chared between Mark and Billy, before Bunny loads up on holiday cakes. His brow arches up and he smirks. "I think we're coming up on the 'Gluten Free' foods," he says in a conspiratoral tone to Billy as they walk/float. "My mom has some great recipes he can send me to try out."

Because Mark would totally use his mom as leverage on Bunny to get her to try something different. "I could even ask for some of her Thanksgiving recipes. I'm taking Bunny home for the holiday. Second time she's meeting the parents." he explains.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
A broad smile spreads over Billy's face. "Oh my gosh, you two, congrats for getting to the Meet The Parents stage of your relationship. I'm super happy for both of you, seriously."

He leans closer to Mark and murmurs, "Distract her. I'm gonna make a run for the produce section." Then Billy announces, "I, um, need to, um use the...I mean I left my dog in the car!" He beelines for the fruits and vegetables.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "No no, you actually should hear how I met his dad, it's really embarrassing and -- BILLY YOU DO NOT OWN A DOG!" Bunny protests, and she looks at Mark. BETRAYAL. And then she uses the cart as a scooter again to try and catch up to Billy.

    "I HAVE ACTUAL FOOD! STRAWBERRIES ARE ON MY LIIIIIIST!" she calls out, and then laughs maniacally.

    And skids to a stop so that she doesn't knock over one of those shopping carts with the car add-ons for little kids, and then she wriggles her fingers at them.

    And once they pass, she takes off again. "YOU'D BETTER NOT BE GRABBING ARUGULA!"

Mark Grayson has posed:
With Bunny and Billy heading off, Mark wanders towards the meat section. His dad knows how to grill, he should be able to, right? It's like... genetics. Grill genetics. Anyway, he's already looking over the cuts of meat and getting very very confused when Bunny catches back up to him.

"Me meeting your dad is a way worse story." he points out to Bunny as he frowns. "Everyone likes burgers, right?" he asks her, pointedly not looking where the processed meats like HOT DOGS are.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Billy returns carrying a hand-held basket. It is loaded with spring salad mix, peppers, onions, radishes, carrots, celery, etc., etc. There are also some bananas and honey crisp apples. "Huh, you guys, some lady just filled up this basket with all sort of gross, terrible food and left it. I guess we should buy it otherwise that poor (and cute) grocery dude has to put it all back." He shrugs. "It's the nice thing to do."

Billy puts the basket into the cart and gives Mark one of those looks like he somehow thinks he just pulled off the Greatest Heist Ever.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    Bunny pretends to be angry. "You stole someone's grocery basket?!" she accuses to Billy, trying to look imposing and angry -- but it really doesn't sell on someone who's barely above five feet tall.

    "Fiiiine but if we can't get chocolate in our budget, you're breaking it to the rest of the team, which by the by *solidly* consists of so many girls." She states with a bright grin. And then:

    "Oooh we should get some hot dogs and buns, and have a grill night -- everyone likes burgers, and if we ge tthe all-beef franks or the Hebrew National ones we know then Billy can eat them too." she pauses, and then her face gets a momentarily disturbed expression. And then she releases it. "Everyone likes a good beefy weiner."

Mark Grayson has posed:
Mark sighs. He's not going to win this fight, is he? Even with Billy's support. "I was thinking burgers, to be honest." he tries. "Something we can stack lettuce and tomatoes and onion and other veggies on and maybe some cheese." Cheese is a good compromise!

Great, Bunny is coming around to his way of thinking. And he was just about to give way on the idea of hot dogs when...

'Everyone likes a good beefy weiner'.

And Mark can only /stare/ at his girlfriend. His cheeks are as red as the pack of hamburger that he was holding and he just cannot find a single word to work his way out of the place that Bunny has cruelly placed him in.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Billy is not nearly as mature as the younger Mark, apparently. When he hears 'Everyone likes a good beefy wiener' from Bunny he laughs so suddenly and uncontrollably that he nearly snots. His face is red. "I sure as hell know I do!" People are starting to look at him now.

"Uhhhh, I better get some relish," he says as he walks toward an end cap display with condiments on it. Billy picks up a jar of dill relish and shows it to a man who is shopping at the same display. "Sir, do you think this would taste good on a wiener?" The man frowns and walks away.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "I know I've already relished this opportunity, better ketchup." Bunny gives a grin to Billy, and she tries not to laugh, coughing as the poor man is accosted by humour.

    "Oh man, okay, okay..." she wipes at her eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I just... it was right *there*." she protests as she leans over the handle of the shopping cart to catch her breath.

Mark Grayson has posed:
This is what Mark signed up for. And yes, he's young, but his father was pretty strict. He just shakes his head. "You better be glad I love you." he says to Bunny with a long-suffering sigh as he turns his attention to Billy.

"What's next on the list?"

Billy Kaplan has posed:
The incognito mage returns to the card and drops dill relish and yellow mustard in. "I wonder if I can enchant myself to not be so bad at making puns..."

"Well we definitely gotta have some potato chips and some dip. Can't eat health food all the time." Then Billy's eyes widen a bit. "Oh wow, I wonder if Teddy is going to be chilling at HQ. He looks like he can pack away some food." Billy looks back and forth between Bunny and Mark. "Should we get more stuff? Is this enough? How much money do we have? Where are we even getting money from?"

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Nah, most jokes are a shift of wit but I hear most puns are a whift of shiiiitake mushrooms." Bunny states, watching as another cart of wee kids pass by.

    And she smiles sweetly up to MArk, bumping her hip against his thigh. "I'm very lucky that you love me. Could you grab two twenty-four packs of cola?" she asks sweetly. They're heavy.

    And she looks to Billy, and opens her mouth, and then purses her lips.

    "Yes. No. Yes. Avengers funding."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I eat as much as other people do normal." Mark explains to Billy. "When Bunny first met me, she thought I needed to eat all the time." A shrug of his shoulders. "My metabolism is the same as anyone else. Does Teddy require increased meals?" he asks curiously. "He is a friend of yours?" First time that Mark has heard that name, after all.

Then there's Bunny's request. "I thought you were working out." he comments, giving her arm a little playful squeeze as he turns the trolley over to her. "Random or just one flavor?" he asks her as he gets the list and heads for the cola aisle, giving Bunny and Billy a breather.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
By any Billy-Based Measurement System, Bunny's new pun is advanced. In fact, the spellcaster stands frozen for a moment as his brain struggles to work it all through. "I think that..." Yeah, that's all he's got. He just settles for pointing at Bunny and saying, "Good one. I think."

Billy points to the little shelf underneath the cart. Somehow there are two cases of soda, one Coke and one Diet Coke, under there. But...how? The soda is on the far side of the store where they haven't gone yet.

"Aaaanyway, Teddy is a, um, friend of mine from high school. I hadn't seen him in a long time and it turns out we're both enrolled at NYU and didn't know it." Billy stops and blinks. "I mean, /I/ know /I'm/ enrolled at NYU. And /he/ knows /he's/ enrolled at NYU. We just didn't know each other were enrolled." He shrugs once. "I don't know how much he eats, to be honest. But he's a, um,..." Billy's cheeks redden a little bit. "...big beefy boy. So he could have a big appetite."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "... I actually have higher-than-standard calorie requirements." Bunny volunteers. "not just because of all the skating I do... the shields have a caloric cost." she explains quietly, and she rubs the back of her head as Mark goes to get more soda. And she breathes out a sigh, and with Mark out of earshot, she turns to Billy and whispers:

    "/MARK HAS FANTASTIC ABS/ did you know he lifts tanks for reps on arm day I don't even know where he gets them he just *does* and ohmigod." she whispers, and then exhales again, and holds her hands up. "Okay, okay, that's outta my system.

    "So we should probably cook for double what we're expecting, 'cause who knows what's being eaten or how much."

Mark Grayson has posed:
When Billy points out where the cases are, Mark considers. "Is that enough?" he asks, but he's already floating up to collect the colas on the top shelf and he considers. "Ooooh, so is this a friend, or a friend friend?" he asks, because there is an important distinction between the two! Bunny is definetly Mark's friend friend.

And then she shouts out while he's in mid-air. "Bunny!" he yelps, nearly fumbling one of the cases as his ears, face and neck all turn red and he wishes he could turtle his head down into his sweatshirt! But he is coming back down with the drinks to set on the trolley. "Anything else?"

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Billy's eyes open wide at Bunny's information about a certain someone's abs. He whispers, "That sounds so hot!" The mage sneaks a peek as Mark heads toward the beverages. He whispers again, "And he has a cake that just doesn't quit."

As the flustered Mark returns from his almost-soda-disaster, Billy stands up straight and folds his arms over his chest. "Well, it's hard to say. I think we're both interested in one another, but we're both really busy and hardly ever see one another." He shrugs his shoulders. "So I guess I don't know. Back in high school, I crushed on him so hard but I thought he was straight and not interested in me that way. Turns out I was wrong." He sighs. "So much wasted time."

The magic-user looks at his two friends. "But you guys? Oh, shit, like peanut butter and jelly you two. I'm seriously so happy for you both. You deserve it."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "It *is*." Bunny whispers back to Billy, and she clears her throat as Mark hangs out in mid-air, looking up at him, and she turns bright red and gives a bright smile.

    "Look, for the first time in my life I have someone who I blatantly chose to let in, and everyone deserves to know how absolutely shredded you are because no one's ever jealous of being able to make sparkly forcefields." she states, "Fight me."

    And she smiles over at Billy.

    "I should hope everyone gets to find someone they mesh with so well. You'll get 'em, WillWill." she gives a bright, slightly buck-toothed smile to the magical boy.

    "And it's never wasted time. You think I knew I was bi when I met Gabby? Pssht. Naw. I thought there was something *wrong* with me. Turns out I like everyone's butts."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"Just wait for the Titans calendar, I'm Mister August. And wearing a blue and yellow banana hammock, mask and nothing else." Mark says dryly. It's not real, but he can give Bunny hope, right?

"I didn't expect to find Bunny." he admits as he switches gears to the proper conversation. "In fact, when we first met, she was dating two other people." A small smirk as he grabs some Ovaltine for the cart. Okay, he has some weaknesses.

"Then we met later, she was single and I was totally the rebound boyfriend that became permament."

"What I'm trying to say is, if I had accepted she was taken the second time I met her, I would have not had ever had the chance to ask her out if I didn't take the chance. But I know she didn't want to take the initative, and you may just have to do the same. Sometimes because the guy's bigger, doesn't mean they're more confident."

Billy Kaplan has posed:
Billy picks up a box of Triscuits and peers at the tantalizing picture on the front of the box. He flips around to the nutritional information panel, finds the kosher certified seal, and drops it into the cart. "Yeah, one of those people was my brother." Then Billy glances up toward the ceiling for a moment. "Well, basically he's my brother. It's...complicated. It involves time, space, dimension, and other weird things. But basically Tommy is my brother."

"And rebound, shmebound. That's all just made-up bullshit anyway. I learned the hard way about not going after what you want. We can't see what tomorrow will bring -- well, most of us can't -- so if you find someone you think might be right, you gotta do what you gotta do. Because life just rams and jams along. It doesn't no shit if you're ready or not."

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    ".... I'm sorry *wat*." Bunny interrupts regarding the calendar, blinking as she momentarily bluescreens. Her mind can see a beach. Palm trees. A setting sun. Shades perched at the end of Mark's nose with his head tilted down, brows raised up. All. The. Abs. And then --

    "You are *not* a rebound boyfriend." she answers back. "And technically you met me three times before we went flying. So nyeeh." she sticks her tongue out. "I could have easily have asked Silverdane to hotdogs as well, and then where would we be? Fated to meet some other way, DESTINED to be joined, star-crossed and--" she pauses.

    "Yeah, Billy's Tommy's dimensional twin and it's weird."

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I know, you told me." Mark reminds Bunny. "I didn't know if it was a delicate topic and all." A shrug of his shoulders and he laughs a little. And as much as he wants to say 'You might be dating Silverdane instead?', he takes her words to heart and scoops her up to lift and gives her a small twirl in the middle of the aisle before setting her down.

"Okay, so frozen foods? How big is the freezer?" he asks, it has to be pretty big, right?

A glance to Billy as he speaks and then he smiles. "Good, then if this Teddy fellow is someone that you want, you should go for it!" he encourages him with a warm smile. "Worst he can say is 'not yet'?" Such an optimist.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
"We have a /lot/ of fridge and freezer space," Billy replies. "I mean, we use a fraction of it but the hope is to grow the organization more. We're the /future/ and Kate and I want to make sure we meet that future head on." The young mage takes a deep breath. Some of the topics of conversation haven't left him very chipper. But he's not one to drag people down by being moody.

"Anyway," he says with a soft smile on his face. "I have so much going on with school and growing the team. I would probably be a very un-fun person to date." Yeah right, Kaplan. Say that over and over again until you eventually believe it.

Bunny Macleod has posed:
    "Oooh good, get me some bacon-and-cheese cauli-tots -- those aren't Kosher as a head's up -- and some broccolitots! Oooh and regular tater tots. And Potato Smiley faces. And Dino Nugs. Extra dino nugs. Did you know that birds are just avian dinosaurs so dino nugs are made out of REAL DINOSAURS?" Bunny asks.

    She's nineteen, folks.

    "We *are* the future! We're the Young Avengers!" Bunny gives a bright grin "And I know I'm the Antman of the team." Bunny jokes, attempting to skate backwards.

    Mind you. She is not wearing skates, so instead she punts herself top-under-teakettle and nearly into a stack of stuffing boxes!

Mark Grayson has posed:
"I go to school, work with this team and the Titans, go to school, and I still manage to balance time to spend with Bunny. You can do it if it's worth working for it." Bunny must have rubbed off on Mark, because he is totally carrying her optimism.

"I hope to get to meet Kate sometime, I don't think I have yet." he admits as Mark rubs the back of his head. "And I'm sure you'd be a fun person to date, just from the short time I've spent with you." It's just not his thing.

"That... is a lot of tater tots." Mark says as Bunny is speaking Tot and Dino facts. "I was thinking some frozen pizzas and the like as well. Maybe some ice cream?" he starts to suggest, basking in the warmth of the glow of a fully sugared Bunny until she forgets she's not wearing skates. And with his hands full at the moment, Mark is in no position to rescue his girlfriend from getting... 'stuffed'.

Billy Kaplan has posed:
"Guys, would you be cool with getting this stuff back over the base?" Billy says. "I need to get home and check in the parents." Billy gives both his friends a quick hug and jogs out of the store.