16211/Donuts are High Calorie, Tasty Treats

Donuts are High Calorie, Tasty Treats
Date of Scene:	29 October 2023
Location:	Hole-In One Donuts
Synopsis:	Negasonic and Laura hang out. No one dies.
Cast of Characters:	Negasonic, Laura Kinney

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Negasonic has posed:
Donuts.

They were a high calorie, yet tasty treat (title drop).

And Negasonic Teenage Warhead loved them very much, in moderation. And moderation was exactly *two* donuts, with the perfect truck stop coffee curling wispy trails of steam into the air right beside it.

What Ellie liked about this place most of all, though?

The fact that people tended to leave her alone. A hoodie, big stompy boots, and enough piercings to make her wait at the TSA take twenty minutes or less, Negasonic had her boots hiked up on one corner of the booth she lurked in, her shoulders back against the window.

She did invite Laura Kinney out here, because she seemed cool, but... who knows if the other mutant would even show?

Laura Kinney has posed:
Getting a message out to Laura is sometimes a challenge. Unlike most people connected with Xavier's she's not stopping by all the time. And all her time in deep cover and paranoid nature means she changes phones often. Perhaps it adds to her mysteriousness that she sometimes gets people to leave cryptic comments on dead forums to arrange a 'meet'.

Then again maybe it just makes her weird. Probably it's a little bit of both.

But when people do make the effort and she's not doing covert operative things... Well she tries not to leave people hanging! At least assuming the location checks out and her numerous 'is this a trap' tests check out.

Thankfully today there are no corporate hit teams nursing cold cups of coffee trying to blend in. So the former assassin slips in. Her own 'style' is as generic as it can be. A hoodie or her own in charcoal grey, the sort of leggings you'd see a jogger wearing, and sneakers picked for ease of running. She could be anyone really. Until she's sitting down at the booth and her order hits the table with a thud.

A nod in greeting, followed by a sniff of the air, her eyes never seem to settle on any point. Alert for potential threats.

Negasonic has posed:
Luckily, Negasonic was an internet assassin. Better than many of her zoomer compatriots, she knew how to roam the deep web, set up traps for creepos within the deadest of the dead forums, and trolled many of the famous, infamous, and normal of the social media zones. Her profiles were legion, with over seventy percent of them being banned in some form.

There was no place Laura could hide that she couldn't find.

Except the Hello Kitty Big Adventure forum that she had tried posting on.

Or maybe that was to get in touch with Wade, it was a mystery.

The only trap for Laura here would be the empty calories that the box of donuts that was on the table betwixt them had to offer. And it was a truck stop. The smells were probably fabulous. "'sup?" she says, swinging her legs off of her edge of the table, the hood of her hoodie up and over her shaved head. "Thanks for coming to see me. You're hard to get ahold of," she adds. "Plus, you seem pretty fucking cool," she adds. "So I want to get to know you."

Laura Kinney has posed:
At least this time Laura's instructions weren't especially paranoid. No routes to the 'meet' that involve walking through fountains to foul bugs. Or dead letter drops under park benches..

Thankfully it's a New York Truck Stop. And not one in Gotham. So at least it has that going for it. Laura's poor nose has been through worse. And will be again next time she's in Gotham.

She tilts her head. "People are often telling me I should try 'normal people' things," she admits. "So after running into an old friend I thought I would set her up on a date." A beats pause. "I expect it will end poorly."

She takes a sip of the coffee. The comment about being hard to get hold of earns a little shrug of her shoulders. It's true after all. "I'm not sure I've ever been described as cool before. Is there anything specific you are curious about?"

Negasonic has posed:
No, nothing cool and interesting and spy novel to this.

Just... donuts, and a truck stop. Where two teenage girls often met, you know?

Not without it being the start of a slasher movie, at least. "Well, normal people don't get donuts at a truck stop, usually," she says. "But... those people didn't have the donuts *here*. Try 'em. They're delightfully unhealthy, and the coffee is terrible in a way that is just... perfect," she says, chef kissin' the air.

"Specific?" she says. "Naw..." she adds.

Ellie suddenly sits up on her side of the booth, and folds her hands on the tabletop, giving Laura a suddenly intense stare. "I want to know *everything*, not just specifics," she says. Was she joking?

Didn't sound like it.

Laura Kinney has posed:
Perhaps unsurprisingly a lot of the spy encounters Laura has tend to wind up more than a little like slasher movies. Probably something to do with her claws. Occasionally ill advised use of trigger scents.

The petite mutant opens the bag and tears a chunk off one of the donuts. Nothing fancy just sugared ring donuts. And tosses it into her mouth. "The worst coffee is at Gotham PD," she notes between bites. "Comes right through so bad it's good and back to bad again."

She returns the stare. Unblinking. "That will take some time," she points out. "I'm a clone. I was created in a corporate lab. Trained to kill from birth. I worked as an assassin. And now? Now I do not."

This technically is almost everything. If a little light on those specifics! "I do very dangerous work stopping people who try make mutant weapons and clones."

Negasonic has posed:
"Cool," says Negasonic.

And while they were putting everything out on the table... "Grew up in Genosha. They used me for blast mining," she says. "So, Magneto came in and fucked those guys, so I'm just... continuing that tradition," she says. "Now I hang out online more often than not," she says, pointing at the cell phone. "Never tried Gotham PD coffee. I get the feeling that I wouldn't quite fit in there," she says.

She relaxes the intense stare, picking another donut from the box herself and taking a bite.

"What do you do for fun, then? I get it, you're all... super intense and kill bad people, but you have to have fun too, right?"

Negasonic cants her head, even as she ends up with a powdered donut mustache, her head tilting.

Laura Kinney has posed:
"Some parts were cooler than others. I'm off the grid too much to be online much. Some of my safe houses are in cellphone dead spots," Laura says with a shrug. "Madripoor is a better spot to visit than Gotham. If you don't mind everyone being a criminal and everything being for sale. Great food. Especially if you are hard to poison."

Her own bag of donuts is consumed in small bites between words. And, once the staring is over, she resumes checking the rest of the truck stop for trouble. A compulsive need to remain alert.

"Fun? I make my own hot sauces," she says, brow furrowing as she counts down the list of 'fun' things she knows about. "I find training relaxing. Physical activity is a good way to release endorphins. And it keeps my skills sharp."

Negasonic has posed:
"I haven't tried too hard to poison myself," says Ellie. "Except with truck stop donuts, at least," she says, pointing a black-painted fingernail at the box. "You can relax. If someone is going to attack us, you're the most badass person I know. Besides," she says. "I won't let them surprise us, okay?" she says.

Although, uh... Ellie wasn't the most alert person in the box.

But she keeps her gaze on Laura from time to time. "Making your own hot sauces, that's good," she says. "The rest of that, though... that's just normal, right?" she says. "If you're talking about physical activity like... sports?" she says. "That'd be cooler," she admits.

Laura Kinney has posed:
"It's an occupational hazard for growing up in a lab," Laura says with a what can you do shrug. She might not have forgiven the people who made her. But everyone directly involved in her upbringing is dead now. And you can't change the past. Or perhaps you can but it's a really bad idea. "And having enemies in Madripoor."

Head tilting she blinks a few times.

"This is me relaxed. Even when I'm in one of my safe houses I'm checking for danger."

She opens the excess bag of donuts she got for herself. In case Ellie wants to help herself to another. Does the 2 donut limit count if it's not your donut?

"Free climbing, urban exploring, and some sky diving." A beats pause. "Usually with a parachute." Probably there are all kinds of things Laura considers physical activity. Cartwheels on high wires. Motorcycle chases. "Your turn."

Negasonic has posed:
Ellie seemed tempted, one of her brows carting upwards as she looks towards the other bag of donuts.

"You don't seem relaxed," says Ellie. "At *least*..." she points, even as her hand goes for the bag to snag one of the other powdered treats. "Not as much as you could be," she admits, taking a bite of the same and bringing it to her lips.

"But I guess if you're raised like you were, you gotta look out for danger. Me? I was left alone until they needed something exploded, yanno?" she says.

"And a lot of that stuff is badass. Me? I get on the phone. There's way more life and interesting things on the internet," she says. "You get to know how people really are, beneath all of the good and bad behavior," she says. "Plus, it's funny as fuck."

Laura Kinney has posed:
"You've never seen me on high alert," Laura points out with a hint of a smile. "But you're probably right. I do ease up a little once I've secured one of my safehouses. Limited ways in and out. Fewer things to watch out for." She sniffs the air. "No lingering smell of weed which makes me think there could be a shipment getting delivered." Her shoulders move in a little shrug. "Not that drugs are something I worry about much."

Except when they're the sort of drugs used for cloning mutants. And those are generally not the sort of thing people are moving around for fun reason.

"Can't imagine being treated like a piece of equipment was all that enjoyable either."

"If I want to know how people are I just pay attention," she muses. "I can hear heart rates, smell an emotional state, and even pick out health conditions." She takes a sip of her coffee. Plain black and strong enough that a spoon might dissolve in it. "If I smell a tumour I'll let you know."

So deadpan. But perhaps that was a joke. Then again it's Laura. She could be serious.

Negasonic has posed:
For all of Ellie's vibes, she wasn't much of a drug user, unless caffeine counted. Was she against weed and alcohol? No, but trying to use while in the school was hard as fuck.

And she wasn't that compelled to, anyways.

Still, Negasonic gives Laura the space to say these things, giving her shoulder a little shrug. "I'd like that you felt safe, because," she lowers her tone, although there was no one near that could possibly overhear. "... well, I feel safer around you. Hell, would be cool if I could do that the other way around, you know?" she says.

"And it sucked. But fuck those guys, and Magneto mostly killed 'em all by now," she says.

"I blew up a couple, myself," she says, waggling her eyebrows. "And... thanks. If I had one, that'd be nice if you did," she says.

"Do you use weed, much? I think it could be helpful in your case. Or make you batshit, it's a mystery," she says.

Laura Kinney has posed:
Laura laughs softly. "Are you asking if you can come round to hang out at my place some time?" she wonders, raising an eyebrow. "I did mention that phones won't work there right?" She pulls off another piece of donut. Her bag now running low from the constant snacking. "None of my safehouses are really fitted out for comfort. But you're welcome to stop by sometime."

She bites her lip a little at the talk of killing people. "Even if they're bad people eventually the killing will grind you down. Best to try avoid it if you can." She shakes her head. "I was about to say don't be like me. But you said I was cool earlier and that probably would not have the intended effect. Besides you are free to make your own choices. Good or bad."

She does another little trick throw with the donut. Enhanced reflexes making it trivial to get perfect aim and timing.

"My power makes almost every drink or drug ineffective on me. It's one of the reasons I like making serious hot sauces. The rush is the closest thing I can get to being intoxicated."

Negasonic has posed:
The instant Laura says phones won't work there, the bitch in Ellie's resting bitch face gets even worse.

"Fuck," she says, her voice darkening. "What about the mansion? You feel safe there, right?" Plus, the wi-fi was great.

"But... sure. I'll come by, sometime," she says. Even if it sounded as fun as visiting a bunch of Amish out in Ohio or something. Still, she can survive short stretches without her phone. But only barely.

"We all are. That's part of the beauty of life, right?" she says.

"That has to suck," she says. "I don't go out and get *drunk*, but..." she pauses a moment. "It is nice to get a little buzz from time to time. Just... don't tell the Professor or anyone," she says, lifting her finger in a halting motion.

"Or Logan. Eeeeesh."

Laura Kinney has posed:
"I was never a student there," Laura explains. "So the Mansion is just a place to me. Useful for access to facilities and resources. Somewhere I sometimes see family. But I do visit from time to time." Plus entirely too many telepaths for someone with her quantity of secrets. She tries to keep a straight face at Ellie's change in expression at the no phones comment. "Honestly no-one has ever felt the need to check their phone when visiting me."

Is that because she's such a fun host? Or because the only time people visit is when awful things happen and they're too afraid to think about the internet? Who can say.

"If you get /really/ bored you can fire the shotgun I have which was used to kill angels with."

Being a superhero is /weird/.

"If it was a problem Logan could tell by smell alone." Probably something it's best not to think about too much. "Do what you like providing you have it under control though. It's a school not a monastery."

Negasonic has posed:
"Well, if I visit, expect that to change," says Ellie, with a heady sigh. Even if Ellie was on the run from assassins that controlled the internet, she might want to check on her phone. Ellie was dangerous for secrecy!

"Wait, what?" she says, her features scrunching up. "So it'd not be cool to check my tweets, but it'd be cool to fire off an angel-killing shotgun?" she says. "But it's okay. I mean, if I'm a guest somewhere, I follow the rules," says Ellie, holding her hands up in surrender.

Except when it comes to the Hellfire Club yesterday, but that was something that she's sure won't have any major side effects.

"Yeah, well. I'm trying to be good," she says. "It's not a bad place, and I like what they're trying to do there," she says.

"Even if it suffers from the 'too many people in too small a space' syndrome."

Laura Kinney has posed:
"It's underground and not in a residential area. Also soundproofed so I can test various weapons without drawing attention," Laura explains with the casual ease of someone who doesn't crash anywhere unless there's an armoury. "To be honest it's not actually a special shotgun. They were, I am told, pretty low ranking angels. No fancy magic ammunition required."

If her nose is picking up anything from the Hellfire Club? Well that's none of her business! And likely not a place she'd be welcome anyway. She has too much of the wrong kind of history with corporate CEOs.

"That's all anyone can ask really," she muses. "Try do a little good. I've avoided killing anyone for quite some time now." Just don't ask about seriously injuring them. That's a work in progress.

"The woods are good for that. Get away from everyone. Too many people gets especially bad when everyone has powers."

Negasonic has posed:
Well, they had an open Halloween party. And Ellie wouldn't have any weird scents from *that*, trust her. Maybe the way-too-expensive h'orderves she gnoshed, so maybe Ellie smells a little fancier right now because of that.

"No, no, lean into the whole angel-killing shotgun thing," says Negasonic, "It makes it sound fancier."

"I think that's important," says Ellie. "I mean, not killing people is a good thing, usually," she says. "Although there are *some* people that might deserve it more than others," she says.

A pause more.

"Yeah, but the woods also doesn't have cell service, usually," she bemoans.

Laura Kinney has posed:
"I don't really do the 'named weapons' thing," Laura says with a shake of her head. "Although I make an exception for swords. But only because I was trained by a Master and it seems fitting somehow."

Alas she currently doesn't own any cursed samurai swords. Even if they are something a family favourite.

"Ah yes. Some certainly do. There should always be exception for every rule..." It is perhaps a little ominous. Laura might have stopped killing people for the Outsiders. But it sounds a little like she has /a list/. People who should probably do everything they can to avoid her.

"You could always buy a satellite phone. It wouldn't have to be military grade. And then you could use it pretty much anywhere that doesn't have a faraday cage." Which her place almost certainly has. Because it's Laura.

Negasonic has posed:
"Well, maybe you need to tell me these kinda secrets," says Ellie.

"Because a cell phone that works *everywhere* is my jam," she says. A long pause more as she lets the rest of it kinda sink in, and Ellie rises up, picking up the rest of the box of donuts that she had bought for them both, perhaps intending to throw the rest away, because she initially angles towards the trash... although she seems to reconsider that thought, instead tucking it underneath one of her arms.

"Thanks for coming out. This was a normal person thing. We should do more," she says. "Although I'm not exactly the Queen of normal person things," she says.

"Goin' back to the mansion? Could use someone watchin' out for me as I do," she says.

Laura Kinney has posed:
Laura Kinney raises an eyebrow. "The school encourage me not to give any unnecessary lessons to the students," she jokes. "It's bad for their insurance."

Probably the sat phones will turn out to be a disappointment. Expensive and with limited data. Then again there are probably combination devices which can switch between both. If you've got the money that is...

"Sounds good," she replies. Finishing off the last of her food. "Need a ride? I came by bike." Not that anyone will have heard her turn up. The bike stashed a short walk away. So she can approach silently and scope things out. "But it'll seat two."

Does Ellie know just how fast Laura drives? Will she regret finding out? So many questions. Thankfully there is unlikely to be any reason for X-23 to pull any of her... emergency stops. The sort which have ended the lives of many of her vehicles...

Negasonic has posed:
Ellie didn't have the money. And she spent it all on leather jackets and piercings.

And Laura's offer seems to cinch the idea in Negasonic's mind, and she tosses the donuts away. "I'd like that," she says. "We're talking a motorcycle, right? Not a pedal bike?" she asks, holding out her hand like handlebars when she asks for the clarification.

Ellie actually didn't have tons and tons of experience with powered vehicles.

She was looking forward to it. "And fuck that, I'll take the lesson anyways," she says. "I explode, I'm already bad for insurance," she says with something akin to amusement. "See you outside, then," she says.