17253/Here Comes the Son

Here Comes the Son
Date of Scene:	23 February 2024
Location:	Fourth Floor: Lounge and Sitting Room
Synopsis:	Josh arrives to talk with his adopted mom about returning from the UK, and the difficulties with extended family. Sara and Josh have a spat. Torney is not going to die, but is high as a kite.
Cast of Characters:	Nettie Crowe, Joshua Foley, Sara Pezzini

---

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Sweet smelling incense is hanging in the air in the sitting room area, between the wooden screens and colorful lanterns that mark the area separate from the lounge, where the alcohol is.

    Nettie is taking an afternoon off from the shop, and is working through some card reading. She has a pitcher of something very blue looking and iced on the side, a couple of glasses. Corvax is sleeping, crooked into her shoulder, while Torney was currently belly up on her lap, medical tape wrapped around him.

Joshua Foley has posed:
This was probably the visit he didn't want to make, but figured he should. Of all the people he owes an explanation to, it's mom. Though as he arrives and sees the condition of the birds, Joshua frowns. "What happened?" he asks, concern in his voice as he moves in quickly.

"Hi mom." said quickly, he's moving to Torney. "I don't know bird anatomy... and I don't think my powers would work on him anyway."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Your powers likely won't. Torney discovered his size in relatation to a cat earlier today."

    "I'm dying!!" Torney states, flapping his good wing. "Forgive me all my tresspassing!"

    "Trespasses and you're not dying, you got a good scratch, it's been cleaned, AND you're on a spot of narcotics. Go back to sleep." Nettie warns her younger familiar, and then gives a small smile up to Joshua, and she motions to him to sit across from her.

    "Aye. Necromantic constructs are tricky to heal via magic in some cases. A lot more esoteric than medical knowledge. If you wanted the training for it, could be arranged." she gives a smile to him. "It's good to see you. Looks like you're keeping well."

Joshua Foley has posed:
Taking a seat, Joshua settled in. "So, I got over there and settled..." he starts to say, and lets out a breath. "And I got homesick. I mean, you and the others... and then I realized I..." He considers his words carefully as he looks at Torney.

"You'll heal." he comments, and then returns his attention back to the conversation.

"I'm in love with her, mom." Sara. He's fallen into the thing that all do at some point. "So I applied for the EMT training with the FDNY and got accepted, and now I'm worried that I screwed it all up." He reaches up, scrubbing a hand over his face. And yes, his story is all over the place at the moment.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie gives a wan smile as she raises her eyebrows, looking to Joshua.

    "Aye, so you're in love with one of the most dangerous women on the planet. Certainly you take after me." Nettie gives a small laugh, and she draws up one knee.

    "So you've come home, enlisted with the fire department and now you're getting training to be an EMT." she considers, and shrugs.

    "What happens if you do screw up? You've still got the JLD. You've got a safety net. You've got Sara. We'll find something else for you to try, that's all."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"Loving one of the most dangerous women on the planet isn't the problem. There's this guy. He's close with Sara. Like sibling close. And apparently he's... old-school. Other night, we were out for drinks and his friend got shot up. I saved his life - but not before the guy threatened me with harm if I failed. Pfft, whatever." Joshua has grown more confident in his abilities, at least.

"Saved his life, and you know, treated some others on the scene. So. Fastforward to last night. Same bar, benefit to repair the damage. Guy's there again. Thanks me for saving his friend, then threatens me that him and his whole crew is going to find me if I hurt Sara."

"I really tried to play it off, mom." he admits with a sigh. "And I was doing well, even if he kept pushing it. Until I met Sara's ex. Johnny Blaze. I didn't know they dated." A sigh. "Look, I know I have nothing to fear from the penance stare - I paid that price when I died the first time in that lab. But, I told him, if he wants to say something about Sara and I, that's fine. I actually fear you more than the whole FDNY. Apparently dude took issue with it. Because he started all over again. And I finally had enough and lost my cool. And course, that became 'I was just treating him like one of the guys' and 'I had my panties in a bunch'..."

"I went all black, mom. Without even trying hard. And it felt /good/."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Hrm." Nettie considers, and her nose wrinkles.

    "Sounds like a right peach. Threatening you for trying if you failed. Threatening you on Sara's behalf. Think maybe he's a bit insecure about himself." Nettie frowns, and she raises her eyebrows at Blaze's presence.

    "Sounds like he's just a sexist macho bullshit person. You felt your feelings, lad, and you said your peace. An' he'll have to contend with his not being a threat, because I promise you, the minute Sara thinks she wants out, she'll see herself out. Else I wouldn't have her in the League Dark. But if you want, I can go have a talk with this gentleman." she frowns.

    "Can always have you switch any training to Starling or Central City. Not Gotham. Too much.... too much there right now." she frowns, and gives a soft humph.

    "What a jackass."

Joshua Foley has posed:
Reaching up to scrub at his face, Joshua shakes his head. "No, I'm not transferring to Starling or Central City." he comments finally. "I've been hunted by a mutant rhinocerous and boar hog and cyborg mutant killers. I can handle a small-dicked man who makes up for it with his ego."

"The whole reason I applied was to work in the Bushwick district and to be near Sara. At least while I work on my doctorate." Because he is not giving up on that dream. "I don't know if I want to introduce you to him. You're usually very level-headed." comes his thoughtful words.

"But I think this guy may even make you angry. And I don't want to explain to Sara why the man she considers a brother is currently sprouting chicken feathers and shitting eggs, mom." A grunt. "I don't get the protective brother thing." Because he never had a brother, and the JLD is the family he knows best, and he doesn't realize that he is all of their little brother.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie audiably snorts. "You weren't there the day that Miss Gutierrez, Mister Shepherd and I roughed up some low-lifes who were spouting some early 1940's era bull from their mouths, so I punched one of them square in his stupid chinless face." Nettie states, and she pours a glass of the blue colored iced drink for Joshua, and slides the glass over.

    "I don't have patience for nonsense like that, not anymore. I tolerated it when I was in the nursing corps, from the lads on the front lines, but don't when it comes to peace time. And trust me..." she gives a flat expression. "Being told it's not safe to be on a train because my uterus may fly out of my body was the least sexist, macho thing someone has said to me."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara Pezzini is late. She knows she's late, and she hates that she is. At times it was difficult to keep a schedule, especially when you just finish booking a mutant who was turning all the rubber items in Mutant Town into a strange gooey substance.

"My apologies," she offers as she enters, already starting to remove the leather jacket Joshua got her. "I wanted to be here sooner, but... my job."

She looks a touch sheepish at being late, but the first thing she does is offer Josh a kiss on the cheek for greeting, then to Nettie says, "It's good to see you."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"Yes, well, in this case, patience is going to be the key." Joshua admits. "Because as much as I wanted to slug him, Sara stopped me from doing so." Sure, she had to go full Witchblade to do it, but still, she did.

And that's when Sara arrives. "It's alright, Sara, I was just discussing my second favorite person." That is said with dripping sarcasm as he returns the kiss. "Okay, third favorite." Sara, then Nettie.

"We were just discussing my options and that I'm stubborn."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie doesn't seemed totally amused. "Sara is a fully liberated woman, she should have done it herself." Nettie states, and she leans back, looking up at Pezzini as she walks in, and she points at her.

    "First, you are a fully liberated woman, you should have punched him yourself for being a bit of a dick, two, completely understandable Detective, your primary day job is to serve and protect. You're one of the few officers of the law I trust."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Snorting a laugh as she sits down beside Joshua, "You are very stubborn Joshua," she adds to that snort, then her attention goes to Nettie.

"You're right, I should have punched Luca in the jaw, then kicked him when he hit the ground," she replies. "But that would have only served to make Joshua look weak in front of him, which would have put an even worse kink in the situation that we presently have."

She hadn't quite been prepared to discuss the situation with Luca, but here she was. "The thing you have to know about Luca is that he grew up in a family where men were men, doing manly things... in this case, his entire family are NYPD or FDNY. He wasn't /trying/ to be a douche, he just was one, and I intend to have some words with him that he might not like hearing."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"It's one of the reasons you're in love with me." Joshua smirks as he listens to the two. "And you're both right. This should have been my fight." he comments. "Instead, I fled. Because I wanted to keep the peace. Not because I was afraid. I'm done with being afraid. Afraid got me dead. Afraid does nothing for the Dark."

He folds his arms across his chest. "I tried to have words with him last night. He walked away instead. No matter what anyone else does, he's going to twist it. I've seen his type. If Mom talks to him, I'm hiding behind her apron strings. If Sara talks to him, I'm a pussy that can't stand up for myself and sent my girlfriend instead." He closes his eyes and sighs.

"There's no good answer here, because I've been on both sides of this."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Precisely why Sara should handle it. There is nothing wrong with a strong partner looking out for the less-strong one. However she should also call him out on macho bullshit whenever possible." Nettie protests, and she looks up to Sara.

    "I was told he threatened Joshua while JOsh was working on someone. Is that true?"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara would facepalm if she didn't think it would look bad, so instead she looks over at Joshua and just... stares for a moment. Had he really taken that threat seriously? Yes, he had, but he also had no idea what it was like to have a best friend, a brother, someone you would die for if it would save their life.

Shifting her eyes back to Nettie she sighs, "Roscoe is a brother from another mother, much like I'm Luca's sister from another mister. Luca would die for Roscoe, for me, for anyone in the fire house if it meant they would live... so yes, in panic and fear, he threatened a man he didn't know."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"I didn't know Luca. Or Roscoe. They didn't know me. I don't need someone threatening me when I'm using my powers, Sara. I don't care what the circumstance was." Joshua points out. "Would you have felt the same if someone had threatened you in the middle of an investigation with bodily harm if you did not solve their case?" There is just a little heat in his words.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie gives a soft hrm sound, and she crosses her arms, and shakes her head "I Don't think this is an argument that's going to move anyone's mountain." she states with an air of finality to it.

    "This is going to have to be a work-around between you two to see where the compromise is. I've stated my opinion on the subject, but since I'm not living at Chez Pez, I'm just the safety net." she states, but she does look to Sara.

    "But if his macho bullshit becomes an issue, it's best to head it off at the pass before Joshua is forced to show him those who heal can harm, and can be devastatingly good at it. That's just one of the realities of dating around powered individuals."

    Nettie sips her blue drink.

    "Which is why I stuck to normal people before I started teaching."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Closing her eyes for a moment, Sara collects herself and more importantly, keeps Witchblade from screaming through in response to her own sudden wave of anger. She was caught smack dab between two men and the two different worlds they lived in. She loved both, in entirely different ways, and the strain of the situation was starting to wear at her.

"If I had a dollar for every time I've been threatened on the job, I wouldn't have needed Stark's stipend for clothing," she says as calmly as she can manage. "Stress, grief, pain, they all do things to people. I'm not making an excuse for his behavior, I'm saying I understand it... and had it been you laying there as a human who couldn't heal... had it been you bleeding out on the floor of a bar, I would have threatened every mother fucker in that place to help you."

She takes another deep breath and opens her eyes, "We're talking two people from two different worlds, and given the chance I'm certain it can be worked out. Luca has /no/ idea about the darker side of being a mutant. He's seen it on the news, he's cleaned up after it on the streets, but he's never lived it. In his world he's just one of the guys, which means yes, he can fuck up and he has, but he doesn't even /know/ he fucked up or how what he did could be considered fucking up."

Turning to look at Joshua she offers a small smile. "I know the life you've lived, I know that darkness and I know that you dwell in it, even when you're pretending not to. You want him to make exceptions to what you've gone through, to know you for who you really are and understand his mistakes... then you have to offer the same in return, a interest in getting to know him and what he's gone through. Are they equal? No, you got shit, he got roses... but it's always tit for tat in this world."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"You wouldn't need to threaten anyone if I was bleeding on the floor." That said simply from Joshua as he reminds Sara that he's been through much much worse. And came back. And pulled so many back from the brink. "If I had a grasp on these powers when Genosha happened... there's no telling how many I could have saved." he whispers quietly.

"He's a Glamour Mutant." comes Joshua's explanation. "One of his powers is the same as mine. Much weaker. But the same. I was going to teach him to optimize it before all this happened."

But the more Sara sounds like Joshua is just telling him to be the bigger man and just suck it up, his shoulders slump and he blows out a breath. "Fine."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara reaches over and takes Joshua's hand, then lifts it up to kiss the back of lightly. "He needs to apologize to you," she states flatly. "That's first, because he doesn't even realize he fucked up. After that, it's all up in the air as to what happens, but you need to be willing to listen and to accept that maybe he'll fuck up again... and again... until he gets it right."

She kisses the back of hid hand again, "Or perhaps you don't, and the two of you won't be able to be in the same room together."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"I'm trying to take the high road here, Pez." Joshua offers, searching for some sort of neutral ground. "But I can't do that if he keeps blowing up bridges." A small sigh as she works on soothing him and he closes his eyes, using his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"My last thought on this, and I'm not saying anymore on it, because it's just not. worth. it. We can invite him. And Olivia. For tea. Here. Neutral ground."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "That's the problem with being able to pass for normal. You don't know the other side, and it sounds like this Luca needs a paradigm shift." Nettie grumps "And probably the moment you find the chance, he may not come 'round to it. People often don't like their thoughts and feelings to be challenged. As evidenced by the stupid macho he-man things people see put up on the internet. Like... redpilling. Or Negging. Good God, wome--" Nettie blinks.

    "The Candle is certainly not Neutral Ground!" Nettie protests. "I am incredibly biased in these doings!"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara's green eyes shoot over to look at Nettie the minute Joshua says 'tea'. In her head she's screaming how much of a bad idea that is. Putting Luca in the same room with Nettie? World War three as Nettie loses her shit over Luca being Luca, and Witchblade having to face his worst fear while protecting Luca. Nope, that would not do at all.

"Yeeeah, I love you Nettie, but you are not at all neutral in this," she finally breaths out, followed by a twitch in her neck and having to close her eyes again. Clearly Witchblade is screaming in her head, too loudly to be ignored. "Would you just shut up," she mutters. "I know, I /KNOW/... enough already."

Finally opening her eyes again she looks between Joshua and Nettie, "If you want Nettie there Josh, I'm all for it, but not in her base of power. We can invite them all over to the house for tea."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"I don't know." Joshua breathes out. "I really don't. I'm used to being kicked down and beat up and abused and just... treated like shit. This is first time where I feel like I need to stand up for myself, and it's stupid." A breath is blown out again.

"I don't know if doing it at our place will help either, Sara." That was said accidentally, but he gives her a look. "What's he saying?" he asks her, wanting to know what the Witchblade thinks. Or is he just laughing at him as well.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Watching Joshua's face, Sara keeps Nettie in her peripherals. It was important to keep an eye on the situation from all angles.

"Witchblade holds your mother in the highest regard," she says first. "Which means he is in fact a touch scared of her. He doesn't want to be put into a situation where he might have to protect me against her." The entire explanation, the truth.

"Also, there is nothing stupid about wanting to stand up for yourself, I'm just concerned over this particular hill your standing on," she then says, her tone soft. "I want you to be able to be proud of yourself, to not live in fear, to not be afraid or feel like you have to run, but this really is just a misunderstanding, a difference of personalities. If you truly want to stand on this hill, then I will stand with you, just as I'm sure Nettie will stand with you, I just want to ensure it's what you really want."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "No doubt something incredibly wise. Or 'Kill them all'." Nettie states in regards to Sara's tag-along, and she leans her head back a moment. "Honestly, would rather not get involved with this shite because getting a beat down from a hundred-and-seventy-year-old lady would probably be quite embarrassing." Nettie states, and then she blinks, and looks to Sara.

    "I know he's your brother, but Sara, dear, why defend his behavior? Or excuse it? Hold him *accountable* for it. He obviously respects you. My concern is that if the man is helping with Joshua's training, it will not be something that is done objectively, and he may in fact put Joshua -- or his men -- in untold danger. There's only so far a rubber band can stretch before it breaks."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"Fine. I'm done." And just like that, Joshua shoves it away. Filing it deep down inside where he keeps every other trauma that he's had in his life. Locked away to be ignored and forgotten about. Until it's not.

"No more trouble, I'll be fine." It's an automatic response, one that he's used more times than he cares to count. "I'll just... I'll figure it out. And that's all there is to it."

And then he smiles a plastic smile. "So. I want some cocoa."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
"I intend to hold him accountable!" Sara responds quickly. "I intend to go have a talk with him about his behavior and point out all the ways he fucked up, because he did fuck up. I'll be the first to tell you that Luca owes Joshua an apology, and I intend to make him /see/ why he will be giving one, but by the same thinking, we have to acknowledge /ALL/ the problems in this situation."

Reaching up she runs her fingers through her hair then starts the nervous habit of turning the silver bracelet on her wrist around and around. "If I leave this in Joshua's hands, to deal with on his own, then Luca will end up dead. I saw that last night." She looks over to Joshua. "I love you, I do, but you can't control your anger and when you get angry, you get dangerous. I can't risk Luca's life over that, which is why /I/ want to be the one to talk to Luca before we have this neutral meeting. There is no hiding this, no pretending this didn't happen, no shoving it down in to the places that you shove the mutant haters and your past. There is no walking away from this... unless you truly never want to be around Luca again."

The mere thought of the man she loves and the brother whose always been there not being able to be in the same room together... it makes her sick to her stomach. What about the family events? Holidays? Other times that they might have to be in the same place? How the hell would she be able to handle those situations while being pulled in two different directions at once?

"If you decide you don't want Luca around, I'll make sure he's never around," she finally says quietly. "I choose you."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Uh... I'm... one of the mutant haters from his past -- does that mean he shoves them on Nettie's lap?" the hooded crow on Nettie's lap speaks up. He waves his good wing around, and his head rolls to one side.

    "Detective Pez Dispenser. I'm dying."

    "Torney got scratched up good by a hungry alley cat." Nettie explains.

    And that's when the old crow around Nettie's neck rouses finally, and stretches his wings, flapping himself to full wakefulness before hopping up.

    "Pretty sure they don't mean you, lad." he croaks.

    "No, because there's always going to be another Luca. But this isn't a movie. You're not going to win his begrudging respect simply by being the bigger man. It rarely works that way." Nettie sighs. "He has to want to be better. And if he doesn't want that, there's no point."

Joshua Foley has posed:
"You don't have to choose." Joshua finally says, quietly looking down and then glares at the bird. "Don't think I've forgotten." And then he speaks honestly.

"He's not going to change because he believes he's right. He's not going to change because he believes I'm not good enough for Sara. He's not going to change because he's like any other person that gets called out on their behavior and calls it 'just being one of the guys' or 'locker room talk'."

"Oh, you don't understand, he goes to work in Bushwick every once in a while."

"I love you, Sara, but that was your first defense of him, was to offer that pass and just expect me to accept it and walk away. Oh, he's got siblings. Oh, you don't know how he grew up. He doesn't know shit about me. And I'm being made to feel like I'm the one that started this. Because I won't accept him 'being one of the guys'."

"So I'm done. There will be no more complaints. There will be no more argument. Boys will be boys. Pass."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara doesn't really have the will to debate how badly the crow is dying from his encounter with an alley cat, small scratch or not. Her attention is wrapped up in her inability to get it across to Joshua that he's right to be upset, despite having said so many times. The natural mediator in her doesn't turn off ever, no matter how much she might want to just see it from one side, she can't. It's even worse for her in that it's two people she cares about.

"I never told you to just accept it," she growls, anger starting to break through. "Not once, did I say you should accept that shit from him. I've said it before I'll say it again, hell I'LL SCREAM IT... HE FUCKED UP!"

Standing up as she screams, she walks a short distance toward the door and takes a long, deep breath. Losing her temper won't go any good, but that's just how thing the thread has gotten. Nothing she says, no matter how she says it, solves the problem... so she'll have to go another way with it all.

"You want to give up and give in, fine, you do that. I'm going to go talk to Luca and tell him he fucked up," she states a little less angrily, but there is still anger there. "Torney, you'll live. Drink some water and walk it off."

That said she makes to leave and make true her words. Luca was in for an earful.

Joshua Foley has posed:
As Sara gets angry and starts to storm off, Joshua turns to look at her. Her screamed words cause him to slip a little and he lowers his head. He wants to say something, anything. Hurt fills his face and he blows out a breath. "Do what you think is best, Sara."

And he lets her go.