18262/It was a warm and balmy night...

It was a warm and balmy night...
Date of Scene:	09 June 2024
Location:	Harbor Road and North Street
Synopsis:	Some folks from around the Happy Harbor campus gather to eat, talk, and just live life.
Cast of Characters:	Kid Devil, Elas, Alexander Aaron, Eve Wilkins, Caleb Dykstra

---

Kid Devil has posed:
    Though Eddie had invited Elas to meet at the Big Belly Burger, when Elas (and company) arrive they find Kid Devil *not* in the dubious restaurant but standing at a corner of its parking lot. He has a tablet in his hand, which he consults from time to time, tapping on it, and occasionally holding it up to peer through it at what seems to be empty space. Or the dumpster, maybe?
    He looks perplexed by whatever it is, and he's so engrossed in his activity he hasn't yet noticed the others.
    No doubt there are some civilians around who are probably very concerned about a teenage demon loitering at one of the town's top five... okay, probably *only* five... restaurants.

Elas has posed:
Elas knows...like...nobody on campus. So when he got a text message from his friend, Edward, on the special phone that he made specifically for Elas, he jogged excitedly through campus to head into town. Along the way, he told anyone and everyone he ran across that he was going to get food with his friend and they should come. Perhaps one or two people were just bored enough on campus to come along?

Waving an arm enthusiastically when he sees Kid Devil, Elas calls out, "Hello, Edward! There are people with me!" Barely a couple of weeks on the surface world and he has already made friends. Or at least total strangers who had nothing better to do. Still, some find his enthusiasm either infectious or so horrifying they can't look away, like a car accident.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
Alexander Aaron arrived not long after, having kept in touch after graduating he was want to occasionally drop in at things like this. It was easy to know he was an Olympian and the son of Ares(War) and Nyx(Night). He was well known to be fairly easy going if occasionally a little quiet despite wanting to come out and be social. Despite the assumptions about Olympians, they could be(especially the males) a little boring to behold in their classical statuesque nature. He was no exception in this regard, and dressed even more boorishly however his subtly horrific eyes betrayed his attempts to blend in. A bit too large for him, and seemed somehow to be trapping something behind him that watched the world from inside.

He arrived at the table and greeted, "Hi. I'm Alex."

Eve Wilkins has posed:
"What, a meetup?"

Eve blinks after the strange Atlantean boy who then spirits himself away, her brow knitted together. "Sure?" she adds.

And so Eve appears after class, walking under her own power, laptop bag holstered over her shoulder as she steps along. She was wearing a cream blouse, with a knee-length skirt a few shades darker than her hair. And sneakers and socks, of course. Well made...

They *almost* looked like a really expensive pair of shoes, but didn't have any branding. Some off brand, maybe? Either way, they looked cozy.

And she steps into the Big Burger, and glances around. Assuming that the students at the superhero college involved the Kid Devil-looking individual, she lifts her hand, and approaches the table. "Hi, is this the meetup? I'm Eve," she says.

Kid Devil has posed:
    Kid Devil snaps out of his work-hypnosis and looks around swiftly. He grins to Elas and waves back to him, while his tail twirls merrily behind him. "Hello, Elas!" he replies. "Oh, sorry, I was supposed to meet you inside, wasn't I? But then I spotted this thing and... anyway." He pauses and wonders, "People?"
    He looks to the others, recognizing at least one of them from before and greeting them with a broad, friendly smile. The demonic appearance, and those little fangs, might nonetheless lend an air of menace to him. "Hi, Alex! I'm Eddie." He looks to one side and gives Elas a brief smirk, allowing him the most narrow permission to deviate from this assigned nomenclature. "I believe we have met before? Or at least some aspect of you."
    Eddie considers Alexander for a further few moments before he glances back to whatever he was working on... whatever deranged project could be in the corner of a fast-food parking lot. He ejects a tiny disc from the edge of his tablet and sticks the disc to the wall nearby before turning to join the others. "Hi, Eve! I'm Eddie," he replies.
    Kid Devil examines the seating for a while before deciding on a chair that had enough of an open back to accommodate his tail. "So, you two are... classmates of Elas?"

Elas has posed:
Elas is basically an emotional cross between a seahorse and a golden retriever. He hops up on the balls of his feet once at Kid Devil's greeting. His speech displays a good technical grasp of English though the syntax can be a bit awkward. His accept is quite pronounced and noticeable. Those who are unfamiliar with the speech of Atlanteans sometimes liken it to a Greek accent. "You said you would introduce me to more cooked foods. So I wanted to come. Plus I am very hungry. The, uh...." He searches for the word. "...cafeteria does not make very appealing food, I think."

He gives a warm wave to Eve Wilkins. "Hello, Eve. My name is Elas." Though perhaps word has spread around campus of the native Atlantean who has been haunting the grounds. In turn, his gaze falls to Alexander. "Hello, Alex. It is pleasing to see you again." His tone and body language get maybe just a touch or two dampened. Like he has history with Alexander, perhaps? But his enthusiasm never wanes and his smile for Alexander is as genuine as it is for Kid Devil and Eve.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
Alexander Aaron sat down across from Elas, looking to him for a long and silent moment. Then he lowered his brow, looked down, and back once more to the other people seated or now joining them. He placed both hands on the surface of the table and moved them together until the fingers gently interlocked, he folded one thumb over the other and watched himself do it. He let his eyes unfocus for a moment, then allowed himself to be distracted by any number of possible speakers, looking the slightest inclination of hope.

Eve Wilkins has posed:
    Choosing a seat to set herself in, Eve slides up to the counter. "Nice to meet you - it was *you* who I passed in the halls after math," she says, pointing his way. "Well, this isn't exactly fine dining here, but I really like it too," she says.

"If you ever want to try fancier food, New York is just a hop, skip, and a jump away, right?" she says, a smile tugging up the edges of her lips.

"What are you all studying at class?" she asks.

Picking up the vibe between Elas and Alexander, Eve glances between the two briefly, her smile dimming just a touch.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Big Belly Burger's. Caleb hasn't had one since... Well, a while back. Maybe it's something that can help him relax a little - he's been too tense lately with all the stuff happening piling up.

Sheila - the kid sister - is coming in with him, smiling at the prospects of burgers.

When he arrives, he starts to recognize a few familiar faces, and smiles, "Hey there, people."

Kid Devil has posed:
    Kid Devil grins again at Elas. "Exactly! Cooked food! Now, this is called a Big Belly Burger, some of The Most Food you'll find anywhere on land. It is also cooked. How appealing it might be-- this is something only you can judge. But everyone should try it once." He folds up his tablet and stuffs it into a pocket, leaving for later whatever project he was getting into. So mysterious.
    "D'you mind if I order something for you? I think you'll like it..."
    Taking some initiative he orders a bacon cheeseburger and a strawberry shake for Elas, and the same for himself. Plus hot peppers on his burger though, because why not.
    When the food arrives he hesitates to touch his, at least until he concentrates for a moment on lowering his temperature. "It's been ages since I got one of these," he muses as he takes a cautious slurp of the shake. From the lazy, eyes-half-shut expression he makes then, it must be pretty good.
    Kid Devil nods to Eve and adds, "though the sushi scene around here is still shockingly weak." With Caleb's arrival, the devil boy looks up to greet him with a smile. Friendly, but, you know, devilish.
    Eddie takes a bite of his burger and chews on it slowly while he eyes Alexander. "Are you alright? Did you want anything? My treat."

Elas has posed:
Elas has likely seen Caleb (and his sister?) on campus once or twice, though they have never met. That, however, does not stop the young Atlantean from giving Caleb and Sheila an enthusiastic wave. "Hello, you two. Would you like to eat cooked food with us?" An odd...way to ask that question. But it's difficult to deny Elas' boundless energy.

"I would like to try fancier food," Elas intones to Eve. Our boy is quite food motivated. "Is New York far from here? Happy Harbor is the only place on land I have ever been to."

His gaze shifts to the sullen Alexander. Despite their past interaction, Elas can't bear to watch something that he interprets as sadness. "I hope you will eat cooked food with us, Alex. My friend, Edward, says it is very good."

The hungry Atlantean looks over the burger that was brought to him. If one were to define his expression as he contemplates the meal in a single word, it would be 'dubious.' He picks up the top bun and sniffs it and takes a bite. His distaste for the bun is evident as he works it out of his mouth and drops a mouthful of soggy bun back on his plate.

He flashes Kid Devil a 'look.'

Next he picks up a piece of bacon and takes an experimental bite. His eyes open in happy surprise. "This thing is very delicious!" he declares and devours the piece of bacon.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
Alexander Aaron looked to Kid Devil for a moment, and then let his lips part silently in consideration. "Would you buy me a vanilla milkshake?" he wondered quietly, his voice rising boyishly in tone despite his obvious maturity. He unlaced his fingers and steepled them prospectively, like he was making the business deal of his life time. He side-eyed to Eve as her look darkened, and closed the inside meat of his lower lip between his teeth, feeling it squish gently as a form of stimulation, even as it contorted the shape of his lips. He glanced back to Kid Devil.

Eve Wilkins has posed:
"It's not far - by air, at least," Eve says with a note of curiousity as she watches Elas. She was obviously pondering the young man, her eyes narrowing - just a touch in that same consideration. "Are you... new to the area?" she asks, with a tilt of her head to one side as she looks towards Elas.

"And you've never had pig before?" she gently inquires, with a small gesture of her fork.

Caleb and his sister are arriving, and so get a wave.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"...'Cooked food'?", Sheila comments when she hears Elas' phrasing. Caleb's hand will come to rest on her shoulder. Cultural clash, for which she's not refined yet.

Caleb nods, "We were coming here for that ourselves." He shakes his head, "Happy Harbor is, for the most part, the laid back countryside compared to other places. New York's alright, but Gotham's...?"

He just shakes his head.

"Yeah, that place'll eat you alive faster than a shark'll chew a tuna if you're not careful. Just sayin'."

"So, who've I seen around before?" He starts pointing, "Elas... Alex... Eddie..." He points at Eve, "Dunno if we met before. I'm Caleb. And..."

"Sheila. Pleased to meet you all.", the young girl interrupts the presentation. She looks at him like she can do things herself, thankyouverymuch.

He just shrugs, "What she said." And his eyes fall on her, quizzically.

Kid Devil has posed:
    Eddie watches Elas eat with a nearly anthropological interest. He's taking mental notes on every response, squinting, or smiling, while he observes with those luminous eyes. At last there's success: bacon. Who doesn't like bacon? "Should have led with the bacon," Kid Devil mutters to himself, like it was obvious.
    He tsks and sips at his shake, listening to Alexander's request. "Hmm? Oh! Of course, yes--" The order is placed, and soon Eddie returns from the counter with the vanilla shake, gripped very carefully by the edges of the cup to ensure he doesn't melt it prematurely. He plants it onto the table and uses just one fingernail (well, claw) to scoot it over toward Alexander
    "Ugh, Gotham," Eddie agrees with Caleb. "Every time I go there I end up feeling so... grimy. Like the air is made of dusty, blackened grease? At least I can *burn* it off, but sometimes I'm tempted to just use some of the industrial cleansers from work."

Elas has posed:
"Yes, Eve," Elas answers in a chipper tone. "I am from the city of Poseidonis in the Kingdom of Atlantis. I have never been to the top world before. Now I am a student at the Happy Harbor school!"

There is a second piece of bacon on the burger. "Have you tried this cooked food before, Alex?" Elas inquires. He picks up the second strip of bacon and holds it out toward Alexander. "Would you like to eat this? It is very delicious.

"Sharks very much like to eat tuna, Caleb," Elas agrees. "As do I! They swim very fast but I am much faster!" The teenager says it almost like a low-key boast, like a top-worlder teenager might boast about some sort of athletic accomplishment.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
Alexander Aaron grasped his shake and looked to Elas, at first incredulous, and then he chuckled silently. "Yeah...I've had the cooked food." he said, humored by the innocence if a little dismissive. He sucked cold liquid ice-cream through the straw.

Eve Wilkins has posed:
"Eve," says Eve at Caleb, smiling a bit as she stands up.

Her phone was buzzing off of the hook, and Eve picks it up, briefly whispering into it as her face falls. "Hey, sorry to show up and then dash off, but... nice to meet you all! Call me sometime, if you'd like to hang out," she says, looking again towards Elas.

"How interesting," she says. "I've *heard* about Atlantis, but never yet met someone from there. Do you mind if I reach out to you sometime?" she asks, with a cant of her head.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Well, I'm sure you break records", Caleb says to Elas. "Do you outrun bullets too?", he says as a bit of a warning. "Those're dangerous waters, in more ways than one, that I promise you. And you'd stand out like a fish out of water, if you pardon the pun."

But Sheila's pulling out the pun jar, whistling innocently...

He proceeds to take a seat, just when Eve has to leave.

"And use a lot of bleach. Can't forget the bleach", he tells Eddie.

He looks at Alexander, smiling about the cooked food, and looks back to Elas, "I suppose Atlantean cuisine is a whole lot different."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
Alexander Aaron only now seems to notice the offered bacon and takes it from Elas and consumes it.

Kid Devil has posed:
    Kid Devil carries on munching his own burger but mostly he's watching Elas enjoy... part... of his food. It's all very informative, anyway. "Did you try taking a bite of the whole stack all the way through?" he asks Elas. "You don't have to, but that is sort of the intended presentation." He points at his own where he's left half of it so he can demonstrate the layers.
    He looks up and wiggles his fingers cheerily at Eve. "Thanks for coming by! If I ever make any progress building that submarine I'll keep a seat open for you." He squints at Elas, thoughtfully. "I wonder if I could make one that would outswim you..."
    Eddie chuckles to Caleb's remarks. "It's far more distant from sushi than you might think, at least from what I've seen."

Elas has posed:
The young Atlantean opens his eyes a little tiny bit wide and shakes his head. "I do not like this bread," he says pointing to the discarded top bun. Now that the bacon layer is cleared, he picks up the burger patty with his fingers and takes an experimental nibble. He nods his head approvingly and takes a bigger bite. "'is tart ith goot 'oo," he informs.

"I do not outrun bullets," Elas says simply. "I do not think they would hurt me anyway." Is that a brag? He says it with a simple, matter-of-fact tone of voice. He doesn't look or sound like he's bragging.

"I am going to be at Happy Harbor for a couple of years to study on the surface world," the Atlantean says to the table in general. "There are no classes right now but I will still live in the campus." He shrugs his shoulders, not really elaborating as to why.

"In Atlantis, maybe people speak of the top-worlders like you are barely more than animals, destroying the world," Elas continues around his burger patty. "But almost everyone I have met has been so friendly and warm to me." He reaches out and gives Alexander's arm a playful bat with the back of his hand. "Including my friend Alexander, even though we started off in choppy waters."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
Alexander Aaron glanced down where he was batted, then to Elas, "Choppy waters." he mused quietly, as if to say 'Ah I get it'.

"I'm studying at New York University. I want to major in Cosmology." says the boy named for one of Mar's moons.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Sheila points to the pun jar - really, it's there, it's not just a gimmick (well, in this case, anyways). "I call ocean or water related puns", she says. "You tell 'em, you fill it. Starting at a dollar, and just up from there."

Caleb looks at Sheila, then to the others, and shrugs, "I'd be careful. It's really an easy win", he adverts.

He looks at the others, "Electromechanical engineering for me", he says. "I like machines, but with the twist that they'll run far cleaner than they've been running so far." Looking at Elas, "Any input you might offer would be much appreciated." He sighs, "Though, barely more than animals... I dunno much about that, but I doubt any kingdom is a utopia. And there's no flourishing kingdom throghout history that hasn't been built on bloodshed." He shrugs, "Whoever says that, perhaps should remember the mistakes of their own past and not be so quick to judge."

Kid Devil has posed:
    Kid Devil makes quick work of the rest of his food. Perhaps too quick. He turns his head to one side, covering his mouth as a burp overtakes him. Despite his best efforts a gout of flame pops out past his fingers. "Oop. Sorry! Excuse me... wow." He dabs around his mouth with a napkin and picks up the remainder of his shake to guzzle it down as well.
    "Huh, you think you're bulletproof as well?" Kid Devil wonders. "Actually that does make some sense. Evolving with enough density to survive on the floor of the ocean, you would have to be quite resilient to pressure. But not heat, apparently."
    Eddie scoots out of his seat to dispose of his trash, and anyone else's who's done eating. With that done he stands near the table and bounces on his feet while his tail sways lazily around.
    "I can't be getting involved with any pun jars. I can't afford it..." He tsks, and sticks his tongue out. Very normal tongue, not forked at all. Then his eyes light up (or, widen at least, if not glowing actually brighter) at Caleb's mention of his job. Or hobby. "You and I should talk some time! I love building things. I was just working on a new telescope this afternoon--"
    And it goes perfectly with his excitement over Alexander's interest as well. "Cosmology is fun! I do astronomy myself-- astrophysics mainly-- but there's, you know, a lot of overlap. some of the same instruments."
    He adds, almost as an afterthought, while he points over his shoulder, "That's how I found that gravimetric anomaly in the parking lot, actually."

Elas has posed:
The young Atlantean nods in agreement with Caleb. "It is very easy to blame your problems on another culture. And when that other culture is separated by so much, like the undersea cultures are from the top-worlder cultures, it is even easier. I think that is why my parents want me to study here on the surface. Someday I will inherit the title of my father and the lands of my family. I will try to be the best leader that I can be."

He gets to the lettuce and tomato under the burger patty. He loves these, eating them with some gusto. But he won't touch the bottom bun.

"I am here to learn. From friends and from teachers," Elas says. He gestures to Kid Devil. "My friend, Edward, made me special shorts I can wear to the beach that do not feel uncomfortable. And he made me a phone!" Elas tugs a custom-made cellphone from his pocket and shows it.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Indeed", Caleb tells Eddie, "Surviving in the depths would have to imply a denser bone and muscular structure. So, in a battle of sheer strength, I don't think I'd be very happy about going up against Elas here without some sort of ace in he hold." He points out, "There are rumours going around that Aquaman's main ability is simply 'talking to fish'." He shakes his head. "I'm not convinced, at all. Even if it were just talking to marine life - better to put it that way because the communication medium would be water, just like whales do it across /thousands/ of miles -, whoever is saying this is forgetting that 75 percent of the surface of our little marble is water." He adds, "Plus, Atlantean. Super-strong, super-resilient. A force to be reckoned with, especially in his own environment."

"Looking back to Eddie. I do mechanics, I tinker, I do restorations, I innovate, I upgrade..." He grins. "You've seen me in action, feel free to look me up."

Kid Devil has posed:
    Kid Devil sneaks to the counter to procure another small plate of toppings, sliding the lettuce, onion, tomato, and bacon over next to Elas' plate. "Even up here we have some cultures right next to each other who can't figure out how to share. But individual people can still enjoy sharing their culture, or experiencing someone else's. Maybe it's just the type of people who *want* to be leaders are the very people who shouldn't be..."
    He purses his lips, and adds to Elas, "I think *you* could make a terrific leader, though. You at least can see the need to communicate." He grins at the phone and takes a theatrical sort of bow. "Well, otherwise how would I text you to meet up for more surfacer food outings? I can't sit on the beach all day waiting for you to show up. I like the beach just fine but I wouldn't get anything done."
    He pulls his phone out when he hears a chime. "Speaking of, sounds like somebody in Metropolis needs a parcel transported..."
    He nods and wags a finger at Caleb. "Exactly. The whole 'talking with fish' thing sounds like a ruse to me. Get people thinking the guy's a pushover, then surprise them with the goods. But-- yes! I'll be in touch. I could actually pick your brain about another project I've got lying around, maybe you can think of a more efficient way to laminate vanadium alloy layers."
    But before he can get too excited about something fun, he's got work to do. Bleh. He grins and waves to all. "Thanks for coming out, everyone! Can't wait for the next one. We're going to show Elas *spaghetti* and bolognese. It'll be wonderful."

Elas has posed:
Likewise, Elas scoots up off his seat. "Edward, thank you very much for introducing me to bacon. I like this food very much." He looks to the other three tablemates. "Alex, Caleb, Sheila, I am so happy we shared food together. I look forward to our next meeting." Then the young Atlantean heads out of the restaurant to walk back to campus.