3041/You done messed up now, A. A. Ron.

You done messed up now, A. A. Ron.
Date of Scene:	22 August 2020
Location:	Greenwich Village
Synopsis:	Dondon does super mean stuff and Alex stomps off!
Cast of Characters:	Dawn Granger, Alexander Aaron

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Dawn Granger has posed:
Nine o'clock at night and the sky is still light, hazy over New York. A ghost of the day's heat still radiates from the sidewalk as Dawn walks up the broad stairs of the brownstone. She's dressed for dancing - jeans that fit like a second skin, a lacy bustier that shows her flat midriff and a gauzy white shirt. They are going casual, if he decides to come so she's wearing her dancing sneakers. He's only seen her in athletic clothes, not that he would care, right? It's the very reason she finds herself out here on the steps, she wants to go dancing and he's safe.

She rings the buzzer.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Safe is not a word Alexander would use to describe himself. But it is how she may well feel considering the last few times the two had met. It was enough to establish a trend, this would be the third time they'd talk and chit-chat some, though it begins perhaps not on the best foot. For after the buzzer rings she'll hear.R
    "Yeah?"
    Then there's a crackle and sputter from the speaker with the 'activity' light flickering for some reason or another. Which leads to her hearing his voice again. "Crap, one sec."
    And with that the speaker goes silent, likely leaving her with the impression he hadn't heard her. Which, in turn, might leave her out there for a time wondering if she should go or stay or...
    But then at the last moment she might well catch the figure of the youth thumpa-thumpa-thumping down the steps, hopping onto the banister and sliiiding down the last flight of steps to hop off at the end and propel himself to the door.
    Which is in turn opened.
    "Oh hey."
    A beat.
    "Whut?"

Dawn Granger has posed:
Looking distinctly disappointed, Dawn's mouth flattens into a frown. "Hey, you just ruined my line. Are you the head of household, Mr. A.A. Ron, esquire?" She fussily readjusts the little purse strung across her shirt, still holding the squint. "Cause, if you are, would you like to go dancing?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Stepping out onto the stoop and letting the door close behind him, Alexander moves to the side, then takes up a place next to the railing. He tilts his head and looks at her, then lips part, close. He scrunches up one eye and peers at her sidelong. "Sure."
    Then he tilts his head, "I mean. Yeah." He lifts a hand to push fingers through that wild mane of blond hair, looking like it could use a good combing. But otherwise he seems relatively ready to go in the abstract. If you don't mind going dancing with a guy in his jeans and sneakers and a baggy t-shirt that shows a bullseye on it with blast marks all around it but not on the target at all, with the caption beneath it, 'Imperial Marksmanship Academy: A+ Rating!'
    "But umm, pardon if this is a silly question, why me?"

Dawn Granger has posed:
Bingo, he got her. Now, she has to make up some half-assed answer. She likes him. Never in a million years would she admit that she likes his devil may care attitude with his wild hair and stupid t-shirts. Will she admit she doesn't know a lot of people here yet?

"Ah, I want to dance with the guy who wears crazy-assed t-shirts like that," said with an exaggerated East London accent and a one-shouldered shrug, she takes a step down. "I wanted to go dancing and don't know a whole lot of people here yet."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Well," Alexander's lip twists, "I know the guy who sells them down on 34th. I can give you his name. He has a lil cart set up. I mean he might be a bit old for you, but I don't judge what people are into."
    But then he looks away then back at her sidelong, "But sure, ok. Dancing. I can dance. Though I have been feeling somber of late. Not sure if I've got like, dancing feet, or more sitting and drinking and shooting the shit feet."
    He pushes himself off of the railing and murmurs, "If such feet exist. But you can dance if you want. Maybe I'll be inspired."

Dawn Granger has posed:
"Yes, yes. But, like don't put yourself out."

Scrunching up her face she does a little jazz hands wiggle. "I'm so chuffed. Get what you need, will figure out your feet on the way. Okay? I thought the Good Room would be cool. Noisy though. You want quieter or full out noisy? Or wait. Maybe you know better clubs than I do around here?

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Nah," Alexander spreads his hands and seems pretty much ready to go as he lightly taps his back pocket, then shrugs to her. "I'm pretty much set. And yah, the Good Room is kinda cool. I used to know the bartender there. If she's on duty mebbe we could get free drinks. Although," He had started walking down the steps, then pauses.
    "I should let you know, I can't get drunk." Alexander continues on his stroll, lightly thip-thapping down the steps until he's on the sidewalk looking up at her. "So if that had been your plan to get me drunk and then take advantage of me, you should probably come up with something else."
    Then his hands start to slide into his pockets as he starts to stroll in the direction of the club, but pauses to snap his fingers. "Oh wait, darn. Roofies don't do anything for me either, dang. There goes another page from your playbook. Tough day for you, huh?"
    His smile is crooked as he starts walking, "Come on already, so slow."

Dawn Granger has posed:
"Wow, you're such a dick!" Dawn grins, shaking her head. "That's expensive but perfect. I won't have to worry about you getting all drunk and sloppy then expecting me to sleep with you. Perfect. Like, drunk, sloppy, not able to put a condom on or you know..." She laughs and steps out on the sidewalk.

"I thought it was guys who used roofies on girls. Did you forget yours? I thought you'd have one or two in your wallet, just in case. I'll remember to never let you get your hands on my drink. Yeah. So, you know the bartender there already?" Keeping pace with him they move on down the sidewalk at a New Yorker with some place to go clip.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "You know, you'd think that, but no today's woman is a modern woman. Willing to do what she needs to get what she wants." The blond youth bobs his head as he strolls along, hands deep in his pockets now and his gait a lazy leisurely thing. With the sun still up it's actually fairly nice, though there's that haze of twilight off to the horizon where the colors fade. But for now the sunset is at their back.
    "Don't take offense. I like old-fashioned women." Though as he says that he makes sure he picks up the pace to get /just/ out of arm's reach in that moment when annoyance and anger might overlap. But then he settles back into the easy stroll.
    "Main thing I have in my wallet is..." He reaches in and produces his from his back pocket, casually flipping it open. "Mmm, student ID, library card, social security card. Bad habit, you're not supposed to carry them around, /nor/ laminate them." He says as he holds up his laminated SS-card.
    As they stroll he flips further through the wallet, "Umm, some money, a couple credit cards. Low low 25% interest rate, woo woo college predatory credit companies. Umm, a few punch cards for Benny's Sub shop."
    He then finishes going through his wallet and then shrugs and pockets it again. "And that's pretty much it. Exciting, I know."

Dawn Granger has posed:
Catching that little hop skip to get out of harm's way, makes her laugh to herself. Old fashioned girls? She shoots him a look and asks with elaborate innocence. "You mean Greek girls that have to wax their upper lips and expect to get married and move to Long Island old-fashioned?"

Eyes moving between the wallet and his face, her amusement grows with every item he pulls out, "Super exciting. You carry more than I do when I go out dancing. Except, I've got lipstick and mascara. Only one card, driver's license, some cash in case things go tilt for whatever reason, my phone." She rummages in her bag, "Oh, and Ricola lemon mints for my scratchy throat."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Well phones, sha." As if that needed to be listed. But he eases along beside her, shoulder to shoulder as he walks. "My dad is very Greek." He offers after a moment's reflection. His eyebrows lifting, "But he says I get my complexion from my mother who is apparently Nordic. Or, you know, as Nordic as Minnesota tends to be, what with their football team and all that."
    Strolling along he steps without thought to the outside of the sidewalk, putting himself closer to the traffic between her and it just in case she gets a mad idea to leap out into it. Or perhaps that's just how he was taught.
    "So did you have a good day today? Do anything exciting? Influence people with your enhanced look out from participating in that Yoga class?"

Dawn Granger has posed:
"I thought that a lot of the Greek...gods," she gets the word out without too much struggle. They both are not of this world so she doesn't likely place the same emphasis on it that other people, people without powers, might, "were blonde for some reason. Macedonians. What would I know, the statues all lost their paint didn't they?"

For a moment, she considers placing herself on the outside, on the street side and looks at his face side long, smiling. He doesn't know that she could lift a car if she were minded to do it in her Dove form.

"I had a day of searching for all my course books day and deciding where I was going to live. I've decided to split my schedule between a small studio and another place on St. Martin's Island for the weekends." It's a big leap of faith for her to even mention the location. The question is will she tell him what is there.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Alexander's head bobs, "Yup, though my father is very much not. He's..." The youth spreads his hands wide gesturing like for a man that's a good six foot six inches tall and sooo broad of shoulder that it might seem impractical. "Huge, and he has hair like everywhere. Big tufts of it." Alright perhaps Alexander is exaggerating, but perhaps not by much.
    But then she mentions St. Martin's Island and he nods, then makes a face. "That's a pretty place for the most part." He strolls along, "Except that giganto eyesore of that tower. But yeah, very pretty on the beaches."
    That said he looks up and then pauses at the corner of the street, waiting for the light to turn. So he looks over at her, "You're taking this whole Olympus thing in stride. Most people don't. It's kinda nice."

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn slides into an impression of a thirteen-year-old talking to her dumb brother, "Weeeeell, duuuuuh."

She glances sidelong at him, keeping a wicked smile at bay but drops the banter to say, "It makes total sense. I know I would have been completely freaked out a few years ago. Though I can't say, I've ever met..." Steps slowing, she is going back over the people she has met recently. "...any Olympians. But, I have met some very unusual people. What I mean is, is that it is strange, but I'm not flipped out."

Reaching out to touch his arm, she tries to slow him down so they can talk face-to-face. "I'm a bit strange myself, you see."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The 'duh' earns an eyeroll that is, indeed, the perfect response to such an expression if one is maintaining the tweenager vibe needed to carry it. But Alexander smirks a little as she explains to him how the whole Olympian thing is crazy. Just not that crazy.
    A few more strides before she slows his passage, then he pauses. A young couple and an older man with an umbrella walk past as he glances at them then back to her as she rests her hand on his, albeit briefly.
    "Well. Yeah." Alexander says to her, about her strangeness. And perhaps she can hear the mental echo of that 'duh' she uttered only recently, but he has the good taste not to utter it! Instead his eyes speak the volumes needed before he adds, "You are different than most people."

Dawn Granger has posed:
A long exhale takes the place of the duh she can feel rising in her. Clearing her throat, she taps his arm again to underline what she is saying. "Well. Yeah." She repeats the words changing the emphasis.

"I...I have powers. Okay?" Suddenly it is too difficult to explain, not as though she has had a lot of practice unveiling the fact that she was chosen by the Lord of Order to carry on his mission. Chewing her lip, she looks into the middle distance, deciding whether to expand on what she's said.

Hands spread, she nods, her eyes fixed on him to gauge whether she has said enough. "So, you wanna dance?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "That's cool," Alex says as he tilts his head as he listens to her. And, to be fair, usually the people he meets like this... the coincidental meetings, the curious encounters. There is often something special about them, so he takes it in stride. Utterly easily and effortlessly as he follows along with her down that mental trail as she probably wraps her mind around such a confession.
    Perhaps one of her first few ones.
    Then he nods, "And sure, let's go dance."
    That said he turns and slips an arm through hers, oh so presumptuous, and starts walking down the street with an easy carefree gait.
    But then, sidelong, he asks. "So what do you do? Is it gross or sexy?"

Dawn Granger has posed:
A bemused smile of surprise twitching her lips at how well he takes the news, she barely notices him slipping his arm through hers. They set off on their walk again. The warmth seeping through her shirt takes her equally by surprise, face forward, she looks at him from the corner of her eye. It's not as though they are not going to be dancing. Friends. Friends walk arm-in-arm. Until his question. She doesn't hide her disbelief.

Eyes narrowed, "Yeah, they call me the Slug. I ooze all over my targets and melt them but I'm impervious to salt. Kinda gross, I guess. Some might think it's sexy though," she ends brightly.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Rather than repel that causes Alexander's features to light up, his eyes brightening with held laughter as he slips back and to the side as he looks at her, "Seriously?" He buys it, or perhaps is that good of an actor as he grins and withdraws his arm (perhaps wisely), then turns and looks at her. "Do it now. I'll wait. That sounds amazing."
    He takes a few more steps back, step step, then leans against the edge of a bus stop bench and lifts his eyebrows. "Let's see it."

Dawn Granger has posed:
He might as well have asked her to strip in the street. Mr. Edge Lord. Wishing she could exude acid that would sting, she recoils shaking her head. "Only if I'm in danger or someone else is threatened. I don't put on superpower shows. Do you? Can you?"

Pretending more affront than she feels, she straightens her shoulders and lifts her chin. "Come on, you thrill seeker. Let's get going."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Those hazel eyes narrow as he meets her gaze, expression sharpening as he holds back a smile that she might be able to tell is there if she looks close enough. But then he straightens up, hands upon his hips as he gives her the stink eye, "Oh so /I'm/ the bad guy for wanting you to show your slug powers. /I'm/ the bad guy. Not you for tempting me with such an awesome thing as super slug powers and dangling it in front of me like some kind of delicious piece of chocolate cake and then pulling it away and then laughing, 'Ha ha, it's really carob!'"
    He points at her, as if holding her accountable for the entire world's holdings in the carob industry, a wholly evil industry to be fair. Shaking his head, "Fine fine, maybe some other time."
    But then he starts walking again, "And you know if I was walking along with the God of, like, Nuclear Explosions I wouldn't ask him for a sample. That's what you're doing right now. 'Hi Alex, give me a test nuclear explosion.' 'Sure Dondon.'"

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn's big blues become slits meeting his own, then widen into innocence. "Tempting you? You're joking, right?" A beat. She nods, answering her own question. "Got to be joking. You explode?"

Enthused, she dances in place, "Oh, please, please, blow up for me, Alex. That would be beyond cool. And, when I make one, I'll show you my slime trail."

Finished with her dance, she bats her eyes at him, "You're cute when you're angry, you know?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Ehn, it's similar." Alexander crinkles his nose at her as he turns. "I do a thing and people run off screaming and it makes the news and I spend the next day answering questions from SHIELD goofballs." The youth continues to walk now, making a face sidelong at her.
    "So, Mr. Aaron, why did you manifest as a creature of utter terror and fear sending hundreds of people running in a nine block radius?"
    Then Alex uncurls his hand to the side, "Well you see, Agent Bad Cop, this girl asked me to. And I was like, 'sure!'"
    He makes a dismissive hand gesture at her, as if brushing her aside as he rolls his eyes, "Puh-leez."

Dawn Granger has posed:
Eyebrows high, mouth open in an unvoiced exclamation, Dawn realizes he is serious and sobers. "I'd hate being interviewed about things like that." She darts a look at him, "So far, nobody has put it together, or at least, no one who lived did." Nodding, thoughtfully, "Then there was the time they tried to lure me into a salt quarry."

The smile gives her away. Echoing the gesture, she says in a conciliatory tone, "Come on, Mr. Bad Guy. I'm not sure I'd like to be the recipient of you in a bad mood."

With a shrug, she avows, watching his face, "I don't do the Slug. But, I do need cause to transform. I have to invoke the change. It's pretty radical."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Well," Alexander says as he strolls along, the night becoming actually dark now as they wander, with the sunset having slowly disappeared behind them. "My father and I have this sort of agreement with SHIELD. We try not to make trouble and they don't give us legal issues. They sort of run interference at times for things when the craziness pops up. And sometimes they can call on us if there's a code red situation or whatever."
    He rattles this off easily enough with the thoughtlessness of someone who is used to such a thing and isn't taking the time nor energy to dissemble. But then again perhaps he's just that good of a liar.
    ""But..." He tilts his head to the side, "There is something I can do. Maybe. Hm." Alexander looks around and keeps on walking, "But not directly connected to the war thing. Or wait hm."

Dawn Granger has posed:
"Well?" Perhaps truly ill at ease with him since they first began to talk about themselves in this way, she stops herself from linking arms with him again. The Titans she met had been scary at times. Her expression shutters in thought.

"SHIELD has an agreement with you? That does make sense, I wonder if these new people I met have an agreement with them, too."

She stops walking, falling behind him, "Ah, you don't /have/ to show me, Alex. I believe you, you know."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Oh bah, c'mon." Alex stops walking and peers at her, chewing on his lower lip thoughtfully as he considers the woman in front of him. "Like, ok imagine... you're... up on stage in front of a gigantic crowd of people. The president of the United States is there, along with the alien ambassador from the Fleerfleef Aliens who fly into a rage at anyone who dares insult them by mispronouncing any words in front of them. And you have to give a speech, though it's in Esperanto and you've never studied Esperanto. Oh and for security reasons you have to do it in your underwear. And you also have to go to the bathroom, and your favorite teacher from elementary school is there too and she's going to be very disappointed in you if you screw up."
    He straightens up, "So alright, really capture that moment, imagine it. Feel that anxiety build and... oh man it stinks. You don't want to do it."
    And for a moment, just a moment... she might feel that anxiety to build and build. Slowly becoming kind of not a nice thing.
    Then he murmurs, "And now how do you feel about it?"
    And all of a sudden all trepidation whatever there was is entirely gone.

Dawn Granger has posed:
A sheen of sweat appears on Dawn's forehead, she tenses, respiration increasing, heart beginning to speed in a flight or fight response. Arms straight at her side, her fingers ball into fists, she is caught between wanting to cry and wanting to faint accompanied by an intense desire to pee.

"Oh, oh, this is awful!" She groans. In a flash, her anxiety turns into anger. Experience will teach her that she can't push back at Alex and expect him to recoil in fear. The word 'Dove' nearly comes to her lips. She quashes the anger and feels the anxiety slowly drain, leaving her wrung out. Eyes closed, she takes several deep breathes to recover, then opens her eyes.

"Whew. That.was.terrible."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "See," Alexander says with a frown, standing there as he tilts his head. So often when he uses his powers, when a friend asks for a sample, or someone doubts... it ends up badly. And perhaps this is one of those situations. He takes a deep breath and murmurs, "Everyone thinks, 'Oh I can take it, what's a little fear or stress or whatever?' And then... nope."
    He shrugs his shoulders and starts walking again, "And now you're going to likely be grumpy with me. Or on some level never be able to be comfortable around me. Which is understandable. But thus, so goeth the God of Fear."
    His nose crinkles again as he wanders along, expression distancing for a moment before he shrugs.

Dawn Granger has posed:
They both walk caught up in their thoughts, disgruntled. Dawn can't speak for him, she frowns deeply, sneaking a look at him, then looks away. It occurs to her that his powers isolate him, no, that's not strong enough, his powers erect a wall between him and the world. The frown fades into something more thoughtful, she draws a long breath and releases it, the experience draining away from her.

"That's kind of on the cool side," she tenders, sneaking another glance at him. "Nothing like being able to make your enemies crap in their pants. I say." She walks a few more steps, smiling whimsically. "Sometimes people see me and I imagine them thinking, 'Awww, cute.' until I hit them. That's not my go to if I can help it but sometimes you have to do, what you have to do."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Ehn," The neighborhood has changed a bit, less brownstones and more commercial now. Small package stores, outlets, buy in bulk areas. All of the little stores that make up the nooks and crannies of a neighborhood in New York and that often lead to the larger older industrial buildings that have long since been converted to something else. Which, in the case of the Good Room, is a club.
    "It's useful in some ways, and I can finesse it. But it's also sort of like... a big panic button. I don't like using it, and it's very easy to use. So it helps to sorta. Maintain. You know."
    That said he waves a hand and makes a face, "Combine that with the whole Olympus thing, and the war. And my dad raising me like some sort of insano prepper guy. Then yeah."
    Abruptly he stops walking and tilts his head at her. "I am sorta not in the mood to go dancing now."

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn clenches her teeth trying hard not to apologize. They had provoked each other into the demonstration and if she could take it back, she would. Her shoulders rise as she fills her lungs and slowly exhales, the burden of his powers far exceed her own.

Nodding, she doesn't try to cajole him, "Want to have a..." She remembers. "Ah, what do you do to blow off steam? I dance to do that, sometimes. I just get out and lose myself in the music. What do you do?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A small flicker of a smile touches his features as he tilts his head to her and says with a hint of that mirth again, "You don't want to know that." He takes a step back, hands still in his pockets with that silly t-shirt of a bullseye on his chest, his head tilting one way, then the other.
    "You should go dancing, and have fun. I..." He looks back up the street and lets his head loll back and forth a few times as is making a decision. "I'm gonna go get a jump on some of the reading I shoulda been doing in the first place."
    That said he'll step back again and then turn around to start walking.

Dawn Granger has posed:
Back to her, Alex can't see her disbelief and disappointment. She stands watching him walk away thinking, how gallant was that? An earlier thought supersedes her irritation. Shaking her head, she shrugs, fervently hoping that she won't say or do something stupid. The irritation comes roaring back, "Tell your aunts to fuck themselves. See you around," she yells, meaning just the opposite.